ROBERT BONE WAS BELOVED PRESIDENT OF ILLINOIS STATE
Known for His Engaging Personality, Personal Touch During Presidency from 1956-67
By Tom Emery
The best leaders often have a personal touch. Few personified that more than Robert Gehlmann Bone.
A Springfield native, Bone was the ninth President of Illinois State University, and one of the most popular leaders in campus history.
During his time as President from 1956-67, Illinois State rose from a small teachers college to a well-rounded national university. The evolution was reflected in the change of the name of the institution from Illinois State Normal University to Illinois State University, which was adopted in 1966.
Born in Springfield on June 2, 1906, Bone had taught around the world before coming to Illinois State. His first teaching experience was in law and English at the American School of Alexandria, Egypt. He also played a pivotal role in founding American University in England, serving as the new school’s history department chair.
By the mid-1950s, Bone was a longtime history professor at the University of Illinois who had also served as the Acting Dean of the College of Education and Assistant Provost.
In 1956, the Teachers College Board approached Bone about assuming the Presidency of Illinois State. However, he was reluctant, and actually removed his name for a while before reconsidering. He was inaugurated as Illinois State President in 1956.
Legions of Illinois State students, faculty, and staff are glad Bone changed his mind. When Bone arrived in Normal, campus enrollment hovered around 3,200 students. At his retirement eleven years later, enrollment had jumped to 11,000.
During Bone’s tenure, the name of the school, “Illinois State Normal University,” was changed to Illinois State University at Normal in 1964, then again to the present-day Illinois State University in 1967.
On Oct. 5, 1965, the Illinois Board of Higher Education authorized academic programs that did not require teacher certification. The change was made on the 108th anniversary of the first classes at Illinois State. The Board of Governors authorized a number of the new academic programs, which became effective in September 1966 and made Illinois State a true liberal-arts institution.
The physical campus also grew exponentially under Bone with the erection of the South Campus complex, the Tri-Towers, the East Campus complex, Watterson Towers, Schroeder Hall, Centennial Hall, Turner Hall, Horton Field House, Hancock Stadium, and University High School, as well as a new incarnation of Cardinal Court.
However, Bone is best remembered for his engaging personality, as he knew many students by their first names, memorizing their names from the yearbook and repeated contact. At sporting events, Bone often appeared in a bright red vest, a measure of school spirit. Many alumni of the era speak still speak reverently of him.
Today on campus, the Hand of Friendship, a statue in Bone’s honor presented by the ISU Class of 1967, is a striking tribute to his tireless devotion to the university.
In addition, the ISU student center was named in Bone’s honor in 1982 during ceremonies to honor the university’s 125th anniversary. Bone died on Jan. 13, 1991 and is buried in Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln also rests.
Today, Bone’s sweeping legacy is seen not only in the myriad of physical improvements at ISU during his tenure, but also in the countless lives that he touched with his warmth and grace.
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
