Rev. Fr. Boniface Hardin Founder of Martin University Retires

Black Collegian, Feb 2007 by Ax, Ethan

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. 1 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 nderstand 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."