THE LEGACY OF INDIANA'S beloved poet, James Whitcomb Riley, will be honored on October 7, 1999, when Hoosiers and others celebrate his 150th birthday. Riley, who authored many famous children's poems, such as Little Orphant Annie and The Raggedy Man, was the inspiration for the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children. In 1999, the hospital will celebrate 75 years of service to the children of Indiana.

To help honor his birthday, a consortium of Indiana organizations, including IUSM, have formed the James Whitcomb Riley Sesquicentennial Committee. A resolution passed by the 1998 Indiana Legislature declares October 7, 1998, through October 7, 1999, the "Year of Riley." Activities to be held by schools and educators throughout the state will emphasize Riley and his works. The Indiana State Museum is sponsoring a traveling education program. The Children's Museum will run the plan James Whitcomb Riley: The Hoosier Poet in the fall of 1998 and 1999. The Indiana University Press is publishing A Life of Riley, and the Indiana Symphony Orchestra will be honoring Riley during its annual tour of Indiana.