A Mission of Service: Rev. Fr. Boniface Hardin Founder of Martin University Retires

By Ethan Ax

Tucked away in Indianapolis is an uncommon institution in the most unlikely of places. The phrase "a diamond in the rough" is a perfect description for Martin University, the only predominantly Black college in Indiana. With an enrollment of fewer than 1,300 and an annual budget of merely $6.5 million, Martin finds a way to survive in a disadvantaged neighborhood fraught with poverty and violence, where only 6.5 percent of the residents have a bachelor's degree.

Martin is described as a healing university, and anyone you ask will tell you that its primary healer is its president, Rev. Fr. Boniface Hardin, a Catholic priest. Hardin founded Martin University in 1977, named for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and St. Martin de Porres of Peru, the first Black saint from the Americas.

At 73, Hardin has been at Martin University for nearly 30 years, making him the oldest known, if not the only, Black founding president still in position today. Remarkably, Hardin bears an uncanny resemblance to Frederick Douglass, both physically and civically. Hardin won the admiration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his leadership during the civil-rights movement, consulted the Indianapolis Public Schools on their integration policies, and helped such prominent companies as Eli Lilly and AT&T initiate their first affirmative action programs. He has received awards in the fields of religion, health, education, and community service, including "International Citizen of the Year" (International Center of Indianapolis), "Indiana Living Legend" (Indiana Historical Society), special recognition in "Who's Who in Black Indianapolis," and honorary doctorates from eight universities.

In December 2007, Hardin is scheduled to retire, and although his resume is enough to leave even the most accomplished individual feeling a bit inadequate, he'll be the first to tell you that the school's vision has not been realized. "You can't really compare us to other schools," Hardin said. "What we do, other schools may not be interested in."

Civil Rights

In the late 1960s, King was invited to be the guest speaker at the newly constructed Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Rev. Andrew J. Brown, a founder of Indiana Black Expo who worked closely with King to coordinate his appearances in the Midwest, and his wife, Rosa Lee, were in attendance. Mrs. Brown fondly remembers the moment that King met Hardin:

"The evening of Mt. Zion's inaugural service, the church was packed full of people to see Dr. King. I was sitting in the pews, and all of a sudden, from his seat in the pulpit, I could see that Dr. King look startled. He glanced over at my husband, sitting next to him. Andrew looked up, then smiled. Andrew whispered something into Dr. King's ear and they both laughed. I turned around and there was Father,
walking down the aisle, African walking stick in hand, dressed in a dashiki  and other African garb. You have to understand that Father Hardin is a big man, especially with his extravagant hair and long beard. He had a serious look in his eye and walked very slowly and sternly. It was so dramatic - if you could have seen the look on King's face and the church full of people - I'll never forget it. Whenever Dr. King was in town, he would always ask about Father Hardin. Dr. King always said that he embodied the boldness of the civil-rights movement."

Whether on the streets, in the schools or in the workplace, Hardin was at the forefront of the fight for civil rights.

"We were working on affirmative action at the time," said Hardin. "We worked for major companies and taught them what the laws were. It was about justice, about helping people to survive, and fairness."

"He had so much strength in the Black community that the politician's downtown would cringe when they heard his name," remembers Mrs. Brown. "The community was 100 percent behind him. When we protested, no one dared arrest him because they knew the public outcry would be disastrous, that's how strong his support was."

Spirituality

There have never been a large number of Black Catholic Priests in the U.S. In fact, Hardin was only number 88 in the history of this country. Like many civil-rights leaders of the time, Hardin, realizing the power in numbers, brought cohesiveness to all religions of the Black community.

"I found that it was harder to be a leader in the community because I was Catholic," Hardin said. "For right or wrong, that's just the way it was. But I wasn't going to let that get in the way. So I took off my collar so I looked liked everyone else and said OK, I'll be Rev. Boniface Hardin."

"Back then, Black churches were the main focus of our meetings and our thoughts," Mrs. Brown said. "Whether they be Methodist, Baptist, Catholic,  or Pentecostal, Father had the ability to bring ministers together and build programs to say, ‘This is what we want.' Which made sure the downtown boys would never come into the Black community and say, ‘You can't do this.' He is simply a spiritual man with a mission."

Years after the civil rights movement, Hardin's desire to find spiritual peace among all people has not wavered. "If I had a magic wand, once a month, I would shut down all the churches in town, and we would have to go downtown and pray together to the one God," said Hardin, with a youthful smile and the look of a daydreaming schoolboy in his eye. "And they might get to liking it. And if they get to liking it, then maybe they would come to the realization that this one God made all of us, to live in community and love one another. They would probably hang me from the nearest telephone pole, but I'd sure like to try it."

Education

Martin University's entrance is marked by a giant two-story glass globe (see picture to left). The globe itself is the brainchild of Hardin, who decided that if the people in the community didn't have an opportunity to see the rest of the world, he would bring the world to the community.

"People said I was crazy," Hardin admitted with a laugh. "Some probably still think that. A lot of Black people do not believe that other Black people can educate them. We've kicked that stereotype. We're in the ghetto, we're in a poor section, we didn't go out somewhere, and we're available. I saw the gap in the educational system for the poor and those who were older. They were being put upon shelves."

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, education came from various places in Black communities. Black politicians of the time were typically grassroots people. They may have been smart, but didn't necessarily have a degree. Determined to resolve the educational discrepancy, Hardin founded Martin University to open up a world of education for Black leaders.

"Our mission was to serve low income, minorities, and adult learners right from the beginning," said Hardin. "That has never changed. What has been added is that we do it in a healing and freedom-minded environment; we nurture people."

When Martin was founded in 1977, the term "adult learner" wasn't as common as it is today. The University found success in appealing to adults by employing a learning method called andragogy.

"Teaching as most people know it is done pedagogically," said Hardin. "Cut your head open, pour it  in, close it up. That's not the way we do it. Andragogy involves the adult learner in their own instruction. A lot of people who come into our school have knowledge inside of them. They have experience, and sometimes they have more experience than their teacher. In that case, the teacher becomes the co-learner."

Some students will tell you that Father Hardin is the only reason they are in school today. Just ask  Clete Ladd, who is now the vice principal of a charter high school in Indianapolis.

"Before Martin, I worked as a journalist in the National Guard," said Ladd. "I took classes at local colleges, but never completed my degree. After several years, I found myself repairing parking meters for the city. I was coming out of a barber shop when I bumped into Father going to get his shoes repaired. He told me about Martin and offered to give me a tour. It wasn't until later that I found out he was the president of the university. It's not every day that the president of a university gives you a private tour. I enrolled the next semester."

For Ladd, Martin University is truly a family affair. His wife, Carolyn, also a Martin alum, received her degree in business and went on to get her MBA. They were married by Father Hardin in the school's chapel and even gave their son the middle name "Martin."

Lessons

According to Mrs. Brown, Hardin exudes tenacity, humility and determination. "He didn't care what anyone thought and he never does anything for money. He does it for the generosity of spirit. He never says no to the little people. He has always remained a commoner, and he has always been honest."

"Some minorities have a good education, but they don't reach back and pull somebody up with them," explained Hardin. "They think, ‘I worked hard, I pulled myself up by the bootstraps,' but that's not the case. We have to share what we have and share what we don't have. That's what philanthropy is, the sharing of what you have and what you don't have."

This spring, the university will begin the daunting process of replacing the only president it has ever known. While Martin has fought an uphill battle for 30 years, Hardin admits that the last year is going to be the toughest.

"In the beginning, no one helped me," said Hardin. "And in the transformation of the presidency, no one can really help me. All of these people are my family. But you can't take them with you. Only the love, that's all we can take with us after we leave. We can't take the hate because God won't let you in. Only the love."

Martin University is located at 2171 Avondale Place, Indianapolis, IN 46218. For more information, call Martin University at 317-917-3376 or visit them on the web at www.martin.edu.