blog posts Altgeld Hall: The lost office of Dr. N. Bourbaki Oct 28, 2021 11:00 am A prank in the 50s is still talked about today. When it mysteriously appeared in 1955, the office was equipped with a rickety table, chair, quill pen, candle, an empty Chianti bottle, and a sign reading, 'Dr. Bourbaki.' Illini Cheerleading is a 122 year tradition. He was the first Aug 26, 2021 8:00 am '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.' Daily Illini veterans fondly recall the building where they launched their careers Jul 14, 2021 9:15 am 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. Remembering when the Rolling Stones came to Champaign Jul 8, 2021 10:00 am 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.’” A midnight horse ride, a powerful orator, and breaking ground for Altgeld Hall Jun 22, 2021 9:30 am '[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. Chair reveals how Altgeld Hall was once the campus seat Apr 2, 2021 10:30 am 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. Tim McCarthy: From walk-on to starter to American hero Apr 1, 2021 10:15 am 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. First soccer games at Illinois? 1909 Dec 23, 2019 10:30 am 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. How U of I librarians shaped the U.S. western frontier Dec 2, 2019 8:15 am 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. The 1909 Cherry Mine disaster and Illinois rescue and relief fund work Nov 18, 2019 9:15 am 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. George Huff: Transitioning the Illini into a respected power Jul 17, 2019 8:00 am 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. UI Archives: Love Letters of Illini, Olympian Harold Osborn Sep 29, 2017 8:45 am In the 1920s, the Illini Athletics HOF inductee corresponded with Margaret Estelle Bordner, chronicling their long-distance romance and courtship Chancellor’s Medallion awarded to three who have preserved U of I history Jun 23, 2017 8:00 am The Chancellor’s Medallion is the highest campus honor, having been awarded just six times since it was first presented in 1999. A rich trove: Roger Ebert at the University of Illinois Apr 21, 2017 10:30 am 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. What did a University of Illinois student handbook look like in 1934? Apr 20, 2017 11:15 am 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.) America's first sports psychologist was an Illinois professor Nov 2, 2016 2:30 pm In 1938, Chicago Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley hired experimental psychologist Coleman Griffith — and didn’t listen to a thing he said. The Snoot Boot, college craze of the 60s, started in Illinois' Busey Hall Jan 14, 2016 11:00 am 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.”
