Dennis K. Kruse is an auctioneer who was a founder of what became Kruse International. Kruse started working in the local auction business with his father, Russell W. Kruse, and his older brother Dean Kruse. They were later joined by his younger brother, Daniel J. Kruse, and started what became Kruse International Collector Car Auctions in 1971. In 1979, Kruse left the collector car business to focus on local auctions and real estate. A 1964 graduate of the Reppert School of Auctioneering in Decatur, Indiana, Kruse served as president of the auction school, from his purchase of the school in 1996, until its sale to the Christy family in Indianapolis in 2011. Kruse graduated from the School of Education at Indiana University in 1970, and was a licensed teacher in Indiana from 1970 to 1975. He currently serves on the board of trustees at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Kruse was an Indiana State Representative from 1989 to 2004. Originally, he was appointed to the 1st district after the death of incumbent State Representative Orville H. Moody. In 1992, redistricting occurred in the Indiana House of Representatives and he was reelected into the 51st district. He was succeeded by Ron Tabaczynski in the 1st district in 1992. Kruse succeeded Vanessa Summers in the 51st district. He was succeeded by Richard Dodge in the State House. Since 2004, Kruse has been a member of the Indiana Senate for the 14th District. He was appointed to the seat after the death of Charles "Bud" Meeks. He is the chairman of the Education & Career Development Committee, and is a member of the Agriculture & Small Business, Pensions & Labor, and Utilities & Technology Committees. He is a past president of the Indiana Auctioneer's Association, and a member of their hall of fame. Kruse was president of the National Auctioneers Association from 2005 to 2006, and was instrumental in advocating for industry research for the auction profession. In 2013, Kruse was inducted into the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame. Kruse is a creationist and has attempted to allow intelligent design to be taught in Indiana schools in addition to evolution, despite concerns from groups such as the National Center for Science Education that such teaching is unconstitutional. The senator also introduced a bill during the 2013 session that would allow reciting the Lord's Prayerat the beginning of each school day.
