Ball State's 102-year tradition of innovation and distinction began with the generosity of the five Ball brothers, local industrialists who produced the famous Ball canning jars. To help fill Indiana's need for more and better teachers, they bought the property of a defunct school in Muncie and gave it to the state. What was founded as a small teacher training college in 1918 is now a comprehensive, world-class university.We embrace the Ball family's legacy symbolized by the iconic Beneficence statue on our campus—the enduring values of excellence, innovation, courage, integrity, inclusiveness, social responsibility, and gratitude. These values are the watchwords for our next century.bsu.edu/discover