blog posts

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  Illini Cheerleading is a 122 year tradition. He was the first

  Aug 26, 2021 8:00 am4 views

  'I just busted out on the sidelines like the measles, and started hollering with my head up, my arms waving, and my legs jumping. The more gyrations you did, the louder you could get the fans to yell.'

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  Daily Illini veterans fondly recall the building where they launched their careers

  Jul 14, 2021 9:15 am11 views

  Late nights under deadline. Smoky rooms. Protesters. Eagerly awaiting the roll of the presses. This is part of the history of Illini Hall, which for many years housed the offices of The Daily Illini but is now slated for demolition.

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  Remembering when the Rolling Stones came to Champaign

  Jul 8, 2021 10:00 am16 views

   Mick Jagger "looked up at the shape of Assembly Hall (now the State Farm Center) and said, ‘I feel like I’ve been swallowed by a giant clam.’”

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  A midnight horse ride, a powerful orator, and breaking ground for Altgeld Hall

  Jun 22, 2021 9:30 am2 views

  '[John Peter Altgeld] wanted all the boys and girls of the state to have the same educational opportunities as the children of the wealthy,' wrote former U of I President Andrew Draper, who served when Altgeld was governor.

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  Chair reveals how Altgeld Hall was once the campus seat

  Apr 2, 2021 10:30 am2 views

  The chair is a clue to Altgeld Hall’s past. It once served as the campus library and housed the presidential suite, as well as offices for the Board of Trustee, bursar, registrar, etc.  The chair was used by President Draper from 1894-1904.

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  Tim McCarthy: From walk-on to starter to American hero

  Apr 1, 2021 10:15 am35 views

  Illini football letterman Tim McCarthy has earned the title of 'hero.' Nearly a decade after his playing days, on March 30, 1981, McCarthy took a bullet in defense of President Ronald Reagan.

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  First soccer games at Illinois? 1909

  Dec 23, 2019 10:30 am1 views

  The first match at U of I may have been a 'curtain raiser' match 110 years ago, meant to introduce the sport to fans who'd gone to Memorial Stadium for an Illini Football game. 

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  How U of I librarians shaped the U.S. western frontier

  Dec 2, 2019 8:15 am431 views

  The School of Information Sciences at Illinois sent the first librarians to the United States’ western frontier in the early 1900s to establish libraries and educate the growing population.

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  The 1909 Cherry Mine disaster and Illinois rescue and relief fund work

  Nov 18, 2019 9:15 am20 views

  On November 13, 1909, a fire trapped 300 miners in Cherry, Illinois, killing 259 workers - citizens, immigrants, and children. Meanwhile, Illinois international students raised funds to help support the devastated families.

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  George Huff: Transitioning the Illini into a respected power

  Jul 17, 2019 8:00 am12 views

  Part two of three: The story of George Huff and his influence on U of I history. He grew from a strapping farm boy into a dominating athlete, then into a strategically talented coach annd visionary administrator.

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  UI Archives: Love Letters of Illini, Olympian Harold Osborn

  Sep 29, 2017 8:45 am6 views

  In the 1920s, the Illini Athletics HOF inductee corresponded with Margaret Estelle Bordner, chronicling their long-distance romance and courtship

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  Chancellor’s Medallion awarded to three who have preserved U of I history

  Jun 23, 2017 8:00 am11 views

  The Chancellor’s Medallion is the highest campus honor, having been awarded just six times since it was first presented in 1999.

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  A rich trove: Roger Ebert at the University of Illinois

  Apr 21, 2017 10:30 am3 views

  Roger Ebert was not a typical University of Illinois student. His time here laid a foundation for his future, as they do for most students. But, unlike most students, they also shaped the university.

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  What did a University of Illinois student handbook look like in 1934?

  Apr 20, 2017 11:15 am6 views

  The handbook allowed Illini to plan which class dance they’d attend, pencil in a class schedules and check guidelines on curfew. (Yes, there was a residence hall curfew.)

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  America's first sports psychologist was an Illinois professor

  Nov 2, 2016 2:30 pm76 views

  In 1938, Chicago Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley hired experimental psychologist Coleman Griffith — and didn’t listen to a thing he said.

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  The Snoot Boot, college craze of the 60s, started in Illinois' Busey Hall

  Jan 14, 2016 11:00 am67 views

  The inventors were photographed for Life magazine and featured on Chicago’s WLS Radio Station after knitting one for popular DJ Dick Biondi, who in turn promised to give a plug to the “nostril hostels.”