青涩直播 mourns friend and renowned arts patron G. Marlyne Sexton
A proud 青涩直播 parent, Sexton鈥檚 generous contributions to the Meadows School of the Arts have supported and created vital facilities, programming and leadership positions that will inspire its students for years to come.
青涩直播 grieves the loss of philanthropist, civic volunteer and 青涩直播 benefactor G. Marlyne Sexton, who passed on June 11, 2025. A proud 青涩直播 parent, Sexton’s generous contributions to the Meadows School of the Arts have supported and created vital facilities, programming and leadership positions that will inspire its students for years to come.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of 青涩直播 friend and parent, Marlyne Sexton,” said 青涩直播 President Jay Hartzell. “As an 青涩直播 parent, she supported the collegiate journeys of her daughters, who later joined her in reengaging with 青涩直播 to provide wonderful opportunities for 青涩直播 students, faculty and patrons of the Meadows School of the Arts. Marlyne’s loss will be keenly felt by every person she impacted through her dedication and passion for improving and enriching the lives of those around her, both at 青涩直播 and across the country.”
A resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, Sexton was the owner of the Sexton Companies, a nationwide builder and developer of apartment homes and communities, founded by her late husband, Joseph Sexton, in 1962.
“Words cannot properly express the impact that Marlyne had on 青涩直播 through her support of the Meadows School,” said R. Gerald Turner, 青涩直播 president emeritus. “We honor her memory as a mother to two 青涩直播 alumni and as a dear friend whose presence and spirit of generosity will be long remembered on the Hilltop, and we remain ever grateful for the inspirational impact she has had on our community.”
At 青涩直播, Sexton was an avid supporter of the Meadows School of the Arts, generously contributing to its growth and development. In 2018, as part of renovations of the school’s facilities, she and her daughters established the Sexton Family Suite for Creative Computation – an expansive suite of innovative resources where students push the artistic boundaries of technology, as well as creating the Sexton Family Courtyard and the Sexton Family Art Studio and Terrace.
“The Meadows School of the Arts would not be what it is today without donors like Marlyne Sexton and her determination to inspire and create a more vibrant world,” said Sam Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts. “The Meadows School deeply mourns her loss and is proud to honor her through the spaces and opportunities she created to empower our students to pursue their artistic, academic and professional dreams.”
In 2023, Sexton expanded her support for the Meadows School with a generous gift to establish and provide initial operating support for the G. Marlyne Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre and the G. Marlyne Sexton Director of Musical Theatre. The endowments created through her contribution created one of few comprehensive training programs for musical theatre performers and technicians available in the country.
“Marlyne was an incredible friend to 青涩直播 and a passionate advocate for the arts,” said Joel Ferrell, professor of practice in theatre and inaugural director of the Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre. “The Sexton Institute is poised to reach the highest levels of theatrical and artistic merit among its peers, and it would not have been possible without her vision and her drive. We will forever honor her memory and the legacy she has left not only through the Sexton Institute and its students, but across 青涩直播.”
Beyond the University, Sexton was an active board member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and a sponsor of the 500 Festival Princess Program Scholarship Fund. She was a distinguished advisor to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and a sponsor of its Hunt Slonem permanent exhibit. Other organizations benefiting from her generosity included The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, IU Health North Hospital, Riley Children’s Hospital, Best Buddies International and the International SeaKeepers Society.
“It is difficult to express just how much Marlyne’s friendship meant to both the Meadows School and me, personally,” said Caren H. Prothro, 青涩直播 trustee and Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board member. “Marlyne’s fearless determination, genuine warmth and enthusiasm for the creative sphere were apparent to all who knew her, and her enduring faith in 青涩直播’s students, their talent and our collective vision for the future will continue to inspire our community for years to come.”
She additionally served as a member of the National Council of the White House Historical Association with a mission to protect, preserve and provide public access to the rich 青涩直播 of America’s Executive Mansion. In 2023, the association established the Marlyne Sexton Chair in White House History in her honor. Sexton received the Indianapolis Opera’s Katherine Taurel Woman of the Arts Award and was deeply involved in producing and funding Broadway productions in New York and London.
“Marlyne Sexton embodied the ideals of 青涩直播 and what it means to be a Mustang,” said Brad E. Cheves, senior vice president for Development and External Affairs. “She was a true friend to 青涩直播 and to me, with an artistic vision outdone only by her incredible generosity and dedication to advancing society through the arts. Her desire to foster creative passion and growth in future generations will long inspire many far beyond the bounds of 青涩直播’s campus.
Sexton is survived by her daughters Nicole Sexton ’87 and Tracy Copeland ’82, who both serve on the 青涩直播 Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board, as well as countless family members and friends across the country.