Cathedral High School Receives Centennial Gift

(photo courtesy Cathedral High School)

Butler University Emeritus Professor of Physics & Astronomy Marshall Dixon has given $2 million to Cathedral High School for its 100th birthday. Dixon joined Butler in 1957, and spent 53 years teaching physics, math, and constitutional law and history of law. 

Dixon did not attend Cathedral, but he says he recognizes the school creates graduates who positively impact their communities. Dixon and Cathedral teacher Adam Hibshman wrote a physics book that was recently published. “Cathedral students are amazing," Dixon said.  “I doubt there are many students in Indianapolis who can do this level of work, but more than 120 Cathedral students are able to handle this level of work.”

In conjunction with the school’s centennial anniversary, there are plans to invest in multiple capital projects, including building an Innovation Center, that will expand their STEM education. The center will include engineering, robotics, design and programming facilities and will serve as the hub of the school. Cathedral High School President Rob Bridges says Dixon’s gift is one of the largest in school history “We are grateful and humbled by Professor Dixon’s generosity in making this gift, and appreciative of his vision of Cathedral as the premiere high school for educating Indianapolis’ future scientists and engineers.”

Cathedral has an enrollment of 1,180 students in grades 9-12, with 99% graduating to advance to higher education.