Over the holiday break we lost a distinguished friend and alumnus with the passing of Ken Nunn ’67. He was 85.
Anyone who’s ever spent time in Indiana has likely seen or heard Nunn. His appearances in television commercials, on highway billboards, and on radio spots made him one of the most recognizable figures in the Hoosier State. And on days when the weather was just right, it was almost an Indiana University rite of passage to spot him—gray hair, sparkling smile—rolling down Kirkwood Avenue in a convertible.
That visibility, however, belied a journey that was anything but easy.
Nunn grew up humbly in Jeffersonville, Ind., spending much of his childhood without a permanent home. At one point, he dropped out of high school altogether. But a pivotal moment came when he saw To Kill a Mockingbird. In Atticus Finch, Nunn recognized qualities he admired—and hoped to embody. Rooted in poverty himself, he had developed a deep empathy for people who were overlooked or underestimated. When he walked out of the movie theater that day, he had found his direction.
He was going to be an attorney.
“When I learned I was accepted to the Law School, I immediately went to the IU Bookstore to get an IU Law School decal to put on the back window of my car,” Nunn recalled in 2019. “I wanted everyone to know I was an IU law student—I was very proud to be a first-year student.”
The path through law school was not an easy one.
“I knew I wasn’t the best student,” he once wrote, “and I also suspect I graduated at or near the bottom of my class.”
But Nunn understood something essential: graduating in the bottom half of a class did not mean you were destined to remain there in life.
After earning his JD, he did what many young lawyers do—he started his own firm. And while he may never have made the Dean’s List, his ambition, intelligence, and undeniable charisma made him an attorney people trusted. That same personality proved a natural fit for television and radio, helping grow the Ken Nunn Law Office into a national powerhouse in personal injury representation.
Even as his success multiplied, Nunn never forgot where he came from. His connection to his past shaped his commitment to others. He supported local first responders. He gave generously to fund scholarships for IU students. He made sure every child at the local Boys & Girls Club had a bike—and a helmet.
Over the years, Nunn spoke often, and proudly, about his time at the Law School: the professors who shaped him, the friendships he formed, and the enduring value of the education he received.
“Every once in a while, I will park my car and actually go into the Law School and walk around,” he reflected years ago. “Of course it has changed since I was there, but the memories haven’t. As I drive past the Law School each day, I sometimes see students sitting on the steps, and I always wave and beep my horn at them. They probably wonder who the gray-headed man is who is always waving and beeping. I’m also waving at my love for the building, the professors, and the experiences I had during my three years of Law School at Indiana University.”