nSince Indiana joined the Union in 1816, residents and visitors alike have pondered the essential question: What is a Hoosier? The final answer may never be determined, but there are, at least, ways to understand the Hoosier character. It was African American pilots taking a stand for equal rights. It was a speech by a presidential candidate that helped keep peace on a tragic night. It was the triumph and near tragedy involving a Mercury Seven astronaut. And it was a sacrifice that ensured a crucial American victory in the Pacific during World War II. As Kurt Vonnegut once said, I dont know what it is about Hoosiers, but wherever you go there is always a Hoosier doing something very important there. Award-winning biographer Ray E. Boomhower tells us why. nn