DePauw, Wabash joining Freedom Indiana Coalition

Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Courtesy photo
DePauw University President Brian Casey (right) congratulates Gregory D. Hess after the Wabash College president's inauguration last month.

DePauw University and Wabash College announced Monday that both institutions have joined Freedom Indiana, the bipartisan grassroots coalition opposing Indiana's House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6).

That's the resolution that would permanently alter the Indiana Constitution to define marriage while removing existing protections under law for same-sex and unmarried couples and families.

Freedom Indiana is a statewide organization that includes parents, lawmakers, advocates for liberty, faith leaders, educators, academic institutions and some of Indiana's largest employers who believe that the Indiana Constitution should protect all Hoosiers and our state should be viewed as a welcome place for all who choose to call it home.

In the 2014 legislative session, Indiana lawmakers can choose either to table or vote down the amendment or send it to voters for a statewide referendum next November. If it does not pass or is not called for action, the Indiana Constitution will be protected, and marriage will still be defined as between one man and one woman.

In making their announcement, the presidents of DePauw University and Wabash College noted that although their respective colleges are historic rivals, the institutions stand united on this issue.

"The rivalry between Wabash and DePauw is longstanding and hard-fought," DePauw President Brian W. Casey and Wabash President Gregory D. Hess said, alluding to the historic Monon Bell football game between the two institutions. "But today we stand together to join this coalition and lend our voice to support this campaign.

"Our students come from around the country and around the world," Casey and Hess added, "and our fundamental goal is to educate them to think critically, exercise responsible leadership, communicate effectively, and tackle complex problems.

"This depends on attracting talented faculty and staff, a task that is made more difficult by the passage of this amendment," the two college presidents added. "We are also engaged in the enterprise of fostering ideas and innovation, a mission that inherently depends on an environment of openness and inclusion that would be compromised should this amendment be enacted."

DePauw and Wabash join some of Indiana's leading employers, educational institutions and industry groups as part of the Freedom Indiana coalition. These include Cummins Inc. and Eli Lilly and Co., along with the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indiana University and the Human Rights Campaign, among others.

DePauw, founded in 1837, educates 2,300 undergraduates. In addition to its college of liberal arts, DePauw is home to one of the nation's first schools of music.

Dr. Casey, DePauw's 19th president, holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, Stanford University, and Harvard University. Before he became president of DePauw in 2008, he served as associate dean for academic affairs at Harvard University.

Wabash College, a liberal arts college for men, was founded in 1832 and currently educates just over 900 undergraduates.

Dr. Hess, the 16th president of Wabash, holds degrees from the University of California-Davis and from The Johns Hopkins University. Before taking office earlier this year, Hess served as dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs at Claremont McKenna College. 


Freedom Indiana is a bipartisan statewide organization that champions liberty for all Hoosiers. It was formed in August 2013 to oppose an amendment to the Indiana Constitution that would permanently alter the state's definition of marriage and potentially affect hundreds of protections related to marriage under current Indiana law.

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