Purdue leaders, alumni celebrate IUPUI split at Monument Circle

INDIANAPOLIS — The long-planned divorce of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is quickly approaching.

Purdue alumni in Indianapolis broke out the black and gold best to celebrate their upcoming independence day.

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Purdue University hosted an event on Monument Circle Thursday featuring the band's giant drum and various products from West Lafayette.

Purdue University will establish its own Indianapolis campus separate from the now-named Indiana University Indianapolis on July 1, at which point IUPUI will cease to exist. Purdue's half of the campus will be renamed Purdue University in Indianapolis.

Purdue University president Mung Chiang and immediate past president Mitch Daniels both attended the celebration on the circle. Both believe the separation will reverse Indiana's "brain drain" and allow Purdue to reach its full potential in Indianapolis.

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"Purdue has never had the autonomy, the brand, the operation and the resources to operate by ourselves in our capital city until today," Chaing said. "You're going to see the infant and toddler growing rapidly."

"For young people who want a wider array of choices coming out of school, this is the right move at the right time, but it takes nothing away from the great legacy of IUPUI," Daniels said.

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IUPUI was established just west of downtown Indianapolis in 1969. The two universities voted to separate the joint project in August 2022.