September 6, 1991 

On this day, United States vice-president Dan Quayle, alumnus of the IU School of Law-Indianapolis (now IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law), visited IUPUI to receive the 1991 Distinguished Alumnus Service Award from the law school.

Born James Danforth Quayle in Indianapolis, after college at DePauw University he enrolled at the IU School of Law-Indianapolis while working in various state-government posts in the nearby State House. After graduation in 1974. he became associate publisher of the family-owned newspaper in Huntington, Indiana. He entered politics and won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 as a Republican. In 1980 he bested incumbent Birch Bayh in the contest for U.S. Senator and won reelection in 1986.

In 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush selected Senator Quayle as his running mate, defeating the Democratic ticket of Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen. Bush and Quayle ran for reelection in 1992 but lost to Bill Clinton and Albert Gore.

During the years that he was in office, Quayle make several visits to IUPUI.

For more information on IUPUI's first alumnus to be elected vice president, call on IUPUI Special Collections and Archives  speccoll@iupui.edu.