MILAN, IN — A large crowd turned out Saturday afternoon for the dedication of the new Indiana State Historical Marker commemorating the 1954 state basketball championship “Milan Miracle.”
The marker put up by the Indiana Historical Bureau in downtown Milan was unveiled by Patty Marshall, the last surviving cheerleader from the 1954 squad, along with current Milan High School cheerleaders.
Because of the cold weather that was punctuated by snow flurries, most of the ceremony was moved indoors to the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum, where Milan ’54 Inc., President Tom Kohlmeier, Casey Pfeiffer with the Indiana Historical Bureau, Milan Town Board President Deb Shumate and 1954 Mr. Basketball Bobby Plump, among others, made remarks.
Plump said after the dedication ceremony that he was thrilled by the honor.
“A lot of good things have happened to us and I hope it continues, not only for us as a team and the community of Milan but everybody who’s been touched by this story,” Plumb said. “It’s just a great, great feeling to be recognized after all these years.”
Plump was joined at the event by teammates Gene White, Roger Schroder, and Rollin Cutter.
Milan (enrollment 161) defeated Muncie Central (enrollment 1,662) 32-30 on March 20, 1954, at then-Butler Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to win the Indiana Basketball State Championship.
The team’s win that cold March night inspired the 1986 motion picture “Hoosiers” starring Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman.
This is the 10th Indiana State Historical Marker to be dedicated in Ripley County.