INDIANAPOLIS — Things are getting back to usual at the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis. Most agencies located inside the 25-story building re-opened earlier this week.
If you’ve ever stepped inside the CCB, you know that it can be a maze of hallways and elevators. A visit to the directory is a must for any first-time visitor.
Back in the 1980s, though, the directory was run by a powerhouse duo that dispensed directions daily—their names: Minerva and Cora.
They answered about 250 inquiries a day from roughly 1,000 visitors passing through the governmental maze.
Former WRTV reporter Derrik Thomas interviewed the women in the summer of 1985 as Cora prepared to retire.
The pair recalled one moment they would never forget.
“We heard a commotion, and it was out towards the Delaware Street entrance, so we looked up and here came a streaker,” said Minerva. “He was laughing real hard, but he just ran by.”
“Were you shocked?” asked Thomas.
“Oh, were we, yes! Of course, I think Cora covered one eye. She didn’t see.”
Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut honored Cora’s 20 years of service with a proclamation declaring August 30, 1985, ‘Cora Virginia Herring Day.’
