Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings and the Indianapolis Indians will be inducted into Marian University’s Clayton Family Circle of Honor April 23, during a fundraising dinner in Marian’s arena and convocation center. Money raised at the annual Clayton Dinner supports scholarships for Marian University student-athletes. 
Tamika Catchings, Indiana’s “do-everything” forward, completed 16 seasons in the WNBA, stepping away from her future hall-of-fame career following the 2016 season. Since her playing retirement, she serves as general manager for the Indiana Fever. She operates the cozy Tea’s Me Café on the north side of downtown Indianapolis and continues her service as an ambassador with the NBA and WNBA. She serves on a developmental committee with USA Basketball and as an SEC ESPN women’s basketball analyst. Her naming as recipient of the very first ESPN Humanitarian Award in 2015 and a 14-year run of community service by her Catch the Stars Foundation are testament to her work off the court.
On the court, Catchings’ legacy is cemented as one of the greatest women ever to play the game. She retired as the league’s number two scorer and rebounder of all-time, and is career leader in free throws and steals. In postseason play, nobody appeared in as many WNBA playoff games as Catchings or started as many. She retired as the WNBA postseason leader in points, rebounds, free throws, steals, double-doubles, and minutes played.
The Indianapolis Indians have been in continuous operation since 1902. The organization believes in creating affordable and memorable experiences for fans so they can grow closer with family, friends, and the community through the game of baseball.
Max Schumacher joined the Indians’ front office as ticket manager in 1957, and a few years later he added the duties of publicity director in 1959. He then became the club’s general manager in 1961 through 1997. Max was named the team’s president in 1969, and he remains engaged as the chairman emeritus of the Board of Indians, Inc. Max and his wife, Judith, have been supporters of Marian University for many years. Judith was an education professor at Marian University.
Cal Burleson, senior vice president of community affairs, will accept the award on behalf of the Indianapolis Indians, and Randy Lewandowski, president and general manager, will represent the Indians in the question and answer portion at the April 23, 2020 event.
Indianapolis Indians Charities partner with local organizations to support youth development, family success, education, and neighborhood development. They collaborate with Special Olympics, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Teacher’s Treasures, the YMCA, and many more to offer programs that help promote personal growth, build stronger family bonds, and encourage community engagement.
Marian University will have much to celebrate during this year’s Clayton Dinner. In December, Marian’s volleyball team captured the program’s first NAIA national championship, the women’s soccer team finished second in the NAIA national tournament, and the football team advanced to its fourth NAIA national championship game of the decade.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our student-athletes,” Steve Downing, director of athletics, said. “There aren’t many colleges at any level that can say they competed in the national championship in three sports during the same semester. Obviously, you have to have exceptional coaches to make that happen. But you also have to have support from your administration and donors. I look forward to celebrating our successes with those supporters at the Clayton Dinner on April 23.”
The Clayton Family Circle of Honor was created in part to honor, but also to inspire. Joseph Clayton and his wife, Janet, agreed to lend their names to these awards because they believed in the character-building qualities associated with athletics in a university community. At Marian University, the faith tradition and values are activated in many ways, including athletics. On the fields and courts of competition, student-athletes learn respect, fair play, and teamwork. These values carry over into all areas of their lives—personal relationships, careers, parenthood, and community service.
For event and ticket information, visit marian.edu/clayton or email RSVPClayton@marian.edu. For more information about event sponsorships, email Ethan Hemer at ehemer@marian.edu.
About Marian University Indianapolis
Founded in 1937, Marian University is the only Catholic university in Indianapolis and central Indiana. In 2019, Marian is serving more than 2,400 undergraduate and 1,160 graduate students earning degrees in the arts, business, education, engineering, math, medicine, nursing, ministry, and the natural and physical sciences. The university’s high-impact, experiential curriculum is designed to provide hands-on, collaborative learning opportunities for students from 45 states and 23 nations. Marian climbed in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Midwestern rankings to be named #6 Most Innovative Regional University, #15 Best Value University, and #30 Best Regional University. Marian University opened its College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013, making it the first new school of medicine in the state of Indiana in 110 years. Marian’s national champion varsity athletic programs include the 2012 and 2015 NAIA Football Championship, the 2016 and 2017 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship, the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship, and more than 40 USA Cycling national championships.