Meet some of the friendly faces around campus. This piece was previously published in University Guide, the official guide to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Read the magazine online.
Lincoln's Bust in Lincoln Hall
Lincoln’s nose is shiny bright from the thousands of students who have reached out for good luck before exams. Originally dedicated in 1912, then renovated and rededicated 100 years later, Lincoln Hall memorializes President Abraham Lincoln, who signed legislation creating land-grant universities such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Over the years, Lincoln Hall has emerged as the second-most-used classroom building on campus. Almost every student will have taken a class in Lincoln Hall by graduation.
Computing a Future (Grainger Bob)
“Computing a Future,” affectionately known as Grainger Bob, is a bronze statue of a man sitting outside Grainger Engineering Library. Grainger Bob is always photo-ready and often poses with a student or two. The artist J. Seward Johnson Jr. spent hours meticulously detailing life-like clothing, hair and skin made entirely of bronze. With an electric tool much like a dentist’s drill, Johnson was able to imitate textures such as corduroy, tweed and cable-knit sweater patterns.
Quintessential Engineer (Quinn)
“The Quintessential Engineer” is located outside the Micro & Nanotechnology Laboratory on the North Quad. Her friends call her Quinn for short. Quinn is a product of a campaign started by engineering alumna Sakshi Srivastava. In 2017, The Grainger College of Engineering dedicated the statue to honor and inspire both current and future female engineering students. Statue creator Julie Rotblatt-Amrany made Quinn to be engaging for students and observers. She reflects the era from which she is from, allowing observers to interpret what her future holds.
Red Grange
Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1924, with an infamous football game against the University of Michigan. Fighting Illini Harold “Red” Grange scored four touchdowns against Michigan in the first 12 minutes, then ran for a fifth touchdown and threw for a sixth. In 2009, the 12-foot statue of Red Grange was dedicated as the capstone of Memorial Stadium’s “Illinois Renaissance” renovations. The statue was created by Illinois alumnus and sculptor George Lundeen. Harold Edward “Red” Grange, nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost,” will forever be a focal point as fans enter Memorial Stadium. Since its arrival, Fighting Illini fans have flocked to the statue for game-day-photos.
Alma Mater
Standing tall with her arms stretched wide, Alma Mater welcomes new and returning students to campus. Alma is with you through it all—she’s in your first photo on campus during freshman registration and she poses with your family on graduation day. Designed by university graduate Lorado Taft, the statue was unveiled on June 12, 1929. Alma Mater is shown as a woman in academic robes flanked by two figures representing the university’s motto, “Learning and Labor.” An inscription reads: “To thy happy children of the future those of the past send greetings.”