Class of 2026.
The 2026 Franklin College Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, May 23 in Spurlock Center Gymnasium on campus.
Dr. Martha Hoover served as the commencement speaker. The Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee provided the sermon for the Baccalaureate Service on Friday, May 22 in the Richardson Chapel.
Martha Sanders Hoover is a visionary entrepreneur who defied expectations by transitioning from a legal career as a sex-crimes prosecutor to revolutionizing the hospitality industry. In 1989, with no restaurant experience (and unknowingly pregnant with her third child), she launched Cafe Patachou, an elevated neighborhood café that grew into a beloved Indianapolis chain. She later expanded her impact with acclaimed concepts like Napolese, Public Greens, Bar One Fourteen, and Petite Chou.
Long before “values-driven business” was a buzzword, Hoover championed farm-to-table dining, sustainability, and community engagement. Her leadership earned her six James Beard Foundation finalist nods, Eater’s Empire Builder of the Year, and recognition as one of Food & Wine’s most influential women in food.
Committed to social impact, she founded A Longer Table (formerly The Patachou Foundation) in 2013 to combat childhood food insecurity, providing over 1 million meals to Indianapolis students and gaining national attention for its innovative hunger relief model.
After successfully exiting her company in 2024, Hoover launched The MSH Collective, fostering intergenerational mentorship and supporting women-led businesses. Coming soon, her newest project, Second Rodeo by Martha Hoover, proves that going from underestimated to unprecedented can happen at any age.
A sought-after speaker, Hoover inspires audiences on entrepreneurship, leadership, and bold innovation. Through keynotes, panels, and mentorship, she challenges individuals to think bigger, lead with intention, and redefine possibilities for women in business and beyond.
The 2026 Commencement ceremony was held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23 in the Spurlock Center Gymnasium on the Franklin College Campus. The event was live-streamed on our website.
Please use the map below of the Franklin College campus to park and get to the Spurlock Center.
On average, the commencement ceremony lasts two hours.
Yes, a ticket is required to attend the commencement ceremony. Eight tickets were distributed to each graduate to be used at their discretion. Guests without tickets may view the ceremony virtually.
Yes, children that will not be held (utilizing a seat or bleacher space) will require a ticket. We respectfully ask that all children be accompanied by an adult during the entire commencement ceremony.
Yes, accessible seating is available. To reserve accessible seating please contact Libby Deckard in the Franklin College Office of the President at ldeckard@FranklinCollege.edu or 317.738.8010.
We ask guests to respect the dignity of the occasion and hold their applause and cheers until the opportunity for all graduates to be acknowledged together. This courtesy allows each graduate’s name to be heard clearly.
Parking for graduates and guests will be available in these campus lots: Hamilton, Park Avenue, Goodell, Facilities, Spurlock, and Grizzly Park. The doors will open at 9 a.m. for guest seating.
The Franklin College Baccalaureate service was held on Friday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. in the Richardson Chapel on campus. No tickets were required for this event.
A reception for graduates and guests was held in the Napolitan Student Center immediately following the baccalaureate service. Hors d’oeuvres were served.
For questions not answered here, please contact Angie Gonzalez in the Office of the President at 317.738.8009.
GradImages® is proud to support one of the biggest moments in a graduate’s life: walking across the stage and into the next chapter. With over 40 years of experience, we understand the importance of this moment and the desire to preserve these memories for a lifetime. Finding your graduate’s photos after the ceremony is easy. Visit gradimages.com to view and purchase custom photo products like prints, plaques, specialty gifts, and more.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your photos, please contact our Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. We have a large team of customer care representatives ready to help graduates and family members with anything they may need.
The 2026 Baccalaureate Service was held on Friday, May 22 in the Richardson Chapel. The Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee delivered the sermon.
David P. Gushee is widely regarded as one of the most important Christian ethicists of the past thirty years, distinguished by both his prolific scholarship and his global influence.
He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than thirty books, including works that have shaped classrooms and congregations across multiple continents:Kingdom Ethics, The Sacredness of Human Life, Introducing Christian Ethics ,After Evangelicalism, and the landmark Changing Our Mind. His books have been translated internationally and continue to frame moral conversations well beyond U.S. contexts.
Dr. Gushee has served in significant leadership roles, including the presidency of the American Academy of Religion—one of the highest honors in the field—and the Society of Christian Ethics. His scholarship addresses the most urgent moral challenges of our time: democracy and political integrity, trauma and moral injury, LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, human dignity, and the moral formation of Christian communities in the way of Jesus.
He is currently Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and Chair in Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit (Free University, Amsterdam). He is a widely sought-after preacher, teacher, and commentator on religion and public life.
Prof. Gushee and his wife, Jeanie, live in Atlanta, Georgia and Chipping Campden, England. They are the parents of three adult children and grandparents of three little ones.
Want to see more photos? See more photos from the big day in our Google Photos gallery.
Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.