Cultural Manifesto

Last December, Martin University announced it would close, citing years of financial strain and declining enrollment. The closure brings to an end a legacy that began more than 50 years ago with Boniface Hardin. Hardin arrived in Indianapolis in 1965 after being assigned as associate pastor at Holy Angels Catholic Church. He entered a city marked by racial inequality, police violence, and urban displacement. It was in this context that Hardin emerged as a prominent civil rights advocate. In 1970, Hardin and Sister Jane Schilling founded the Martin Center in a house at 35th and College Avenue. That led to the founding of Martin Center College in 1977, created to serve adult learners, low-income and minority students, people with disabilities, and others historically excluded from higher education. In 1987, the school moved to a larger facility in the Brightwood neighborhood, and in 1990 the institution was renamed Martin University.  Martin reached a high point in 2001 with the opening of a new $10 milli