Marian University

of St. Francis purchased the former James A. Allison estate, "Riverdale," located in Indianapolis, as a site for Marian College.
In 1937, the institution 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. Classes began on September 15, 1937.
In 1948 the institution began an expansion project that included the addition of Clare Hall, the Gymnasium, and Marian Hall. In 1954, as the new Marian Hall was completed, the institution became the first co-educational Catholic college in Indiana. Two years later, the North Central Association accredited Marian College.
The university's Modernist-style library was designed by Indianapolis architect Evans Woollen III and completed in 1966. The library's square form has an exposed structural frame.
The National …