MU | Features
were stationed at every door and window and plainclothes officers were dispersed through the crowd .
Busloads of National Guardsman were reported to be a few minutes away , poised to respond if needed .
For Magaro , the day was “ like an out-ofbody experience .” Her older sister , Bunny , was away at college . A friend of her mother ’ s picked up Magaro at Manchester High School and brought her to the gymnasium . For her own safety , she wasn ’ t allowed to sit with her mother . Magaro was there to hear Dr . King and witness history , but “ the whole time I was thinking about my dad .”
In the end , though , the day went smoothly . King spoke on “ The Future of Integration ” and received a standing ovation . Newspapers and radio and television stations across northern Indiana covered the event . There were a few protesters , but no violence . Manchester ’ s students , says Magaro , “ were in wonderful form .”
As for her dad , says Magaro , “ he was brave .” Manchester ’ s president from 1956 to 1986 , Helman grew up poor in Pennsylvania and worked in coal mines before he could go to college . “ My dad spent three years in the coals mines dreaming big things for people ,” says Magaro .
He wanted Manchester students to have a global vision , to reach beyond themselves and discover their best selves through a deeper understanding of humanity . For everyone who heard King that day , says Magaro , “ I want them to know how deeply he wanted that experience for them so they too could hear and be inspired by someone who so inspired him and who would change the world .”
Magaro , a retired educator who lives in Florida , says her dad believed the importance
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