Background
Frank E. McKinney was born and reared in Indianapolis on June 16, 1904. He was the son of Roscoe Anthony McKinney, a fireman who became chief of the Indianapolis department, and Anna Moss.
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Frank Edward Sr. McKinney
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Education
McKinney, who briefly considered entering the priesthood, attended Sacred Heart High School, but quit in his sophomore year in 1919.
Career
He took a job as messenger for the Meyer-Kiser Bank in Indianapolis. In 1922 he joined the People's State Bank as a bookkeeper, becoming cashier in 1933. There he met Owen J. ("Donie") Bush, a former major league baseball player and then manager of the Indianapolis Indians minor league team. Bush would provide McKinney entree into both politics and baseball. In 1923 Bush turned over management of his finances to McKinney, whose foresight saved Bush substantial losses from a 1927 tornado in Indianapolis and cemented their association. McKinney's success in the world of baseball began when he managed his former high school's semipro baseball team and led it to the city championship. In 1938 he and Bush purchased the Louisville Colonels, who three years later won the Little World Series. Selling that team in 1941 to the Boston Red Sox, they bought the Indianapolis Indians, who won the league pennant in 1948 and the Little World Series in 1949. In 1946 McKinney headed a group, including Bing Crosby, that bought the Pittsburgh Pirates for $2. 25 million. In 1950 he sold his holdings in the Pirates, and in 1951 he sold his interest in the Indianapolis Indians. With Owen Bush's support, McKinney became a leader in the Indiana Democratic party. In 1934 he won election as Marion County (Indianapolis) treasurer. This was the only public office he ever held, but it secured his business success.
Delinquent property taxes were so common in the depression years that, as an incentive, the treasurer was awarded a percentage of all the back taxes he collected. With his potential earnings as collateral, McKinney borrowed $100, 000 to purchase control of the Fidelity Trust Company. He thereby became the youngest president of a financial institution in the nation. The loan was retired by the time he completed his second two-year term as county treasurer. From this foundation, McKinney acquired banks through sales and mergers. By 1959 the small Fidelity Trust Company had grown into American Fletcher National Bank, the largest bank in Indiana, and McKinney was its chairman. Meanwhile he had also become majority stockholder in the Universal Broadcasting Corporation, which operated radio stations in Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Anderson, Ind. , and also owned television station WISH in Indianapolis. Over the years, he served on several corporate boards, including that of the New York Central Railroad. McKinney's work for the Indiana Democratic party included service as sub-treasurer or treasurer of the Marion County Committee, the Indianapolis Committee, Indiana State Central Committee, and the National Committee for Indiana. In 1940, he received national recognition from his party when he was appointed vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Achievements
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McKinney's career was a classic example of American achievement, both financially and in public service. He received honorary degrees from St. Francis College (Pa. ) and Indiana University. He served as chairman of the board of trustees of the latter. During his lifetime he held prominent positions in numerous civic, veterans, Catholic, and sports organizations.
Connections
McKinney married Margaret K. Warner on November 24, 1932. The couple had four children, including Frank, Jr. , who became a medalist swimmer on two U. S.
