The major purpose of this study is to present a public biography of Joseph A. Goddard. Joseph Goddard (1840-1930) was a Muncie, Indiana wholesale grocer, business, civic, reform leader and philanthropist during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Goddard and his wife, Mary, were also responsible for establishing a Friends (Quaker) Meeting in the city of Muncie in 1876.Since the late 1940's and early 1950's, American historians have been concentrating on the efforts of ordinary citizens and their roles in building communities and various political, economic, and social movements. This dissertation is an account of one life who was instrumental in transforming Muncie from a rural, agriculturally based town into an urban industrial center. Goddard was like thousands of his fellow businessmen and entrepreneurs in the United States during that era. Most of these individuals were concerned with expandingutilize a portion of their wealth in order to better of others in their community.In order to better their communities, people of wealth sponsored such endeavors as public libraries, hospitals, their own economic base, yet they felt a responsibility to the livescharities, and reform movements. Goddard saw many opportunities to expand his own finiancial position following the gas boom of 1886. As Muncie grew, so did Goddard's supported various organizations and social movements that would make Muncie a better city. Goddard became the first president of the Citizen's industries to Muncie by offering such inducements as inexpensive natural gas. Goddard was also a firm supporter of education. He served on the Muncie School Board from 1886 to 1898, serving as secretary and president at various times. Mary and Joseph Goddard were also members of the Board of Trustees of Earlham College, a Quaker institution in Richmond, of their time and money to Earlham, an auditorium, Goddard Hall, was named in their honor. The Muncie Public Library also received numerous financial gifts from the Goddards. Following Mary's death in 1908, the Mary Hough Goddard Collection of Indiana Authors was created by funds donated by Joseph as a memorial to his wife's concern for education.In order to make Muncie an alcohol-free city, Joseph Goddard was an avid supporter of various temperance organizations. Goddard gave monetary gifts as well as served in a leadership capacity for such groups as the Anti-Saloon League, Personal Workers League, and the Dry League. In 1913 Goddard and other dedicated men to the cause of temperance wholesale grocerybusiness. Throughout Goddard's life, he Enterprise Company, a stock venture which sought to lure Indiana. Due to the fact that the Goddards gave generously formed the short-lived Citizen's Party as part of the "wet" vs. "dry" mayoral and city races of that year.Mary and Joseph Goddard were deeply committed Quakers. Not only did they found the Muncie Meeting, but both served various positions of leadership. Following Mary's death 1908, the Meeting renamed the meeting Friends Memorial Church in 1912 in honor of the many years of dedicated service and devotion which Mary had given to the young meeting. This was a fitting honor to the Goddard legacy. Joseph continued to serve the meeting and the Muncie community until his own by entertwining his life with the lives of others of his day, formed the nucleus of a modern Muncie. / Department of History