1937 - Marian College is Born
In 1937, the college moved to Indianapolis under the direction of Mother M. Clarissa Dillhoff, after securing a
state charter and purchasing the Riverdale estate in 1936. Allison Mansion became the new location of Marian
College. The building housed the library, administrative offices, classrooms, and sleeping quarters for the Sisters
with a full time enrollment of 24 students.
Official dedication ceremonies took place on Wednesday, September 8, 1937. Bishop Joseph E. Ritter celebrated mass
in the college chapel and delivered the sermon. On Wednesday, September 15, 1937 students and faculty assembled in
the chapel for a mass celebrated by Father John J. Doyle; the mass marked the official opening of Marian College.
In recent years, September 8 – 15 has been recognized as Founders' Week.