Category: Emery

FAIRCHILD WAS SECOND-LONGEST SERVING PRESIDENT AT ILLINOIS STATE Twenty-Two Years as President, Through Depression and World War II By Tom Emery Raymond Fairchild was the second-longest serving President in Illinois State University history, guiding the school from 1933-55. In his…

MOTHERS HAVE PLAYED CRITICAL ROLE AT ILLINOIS STATE Mother’s Day Was Big Celebration on Campus for Years By Tom Emery Today is Mother’s Day, a time to celebrate the importance of motherhood in our lives. At Illinois State, the holiday…

APRIL 8 IS ANNIVERSARY OF AARON’S 715th HOME RUN Illinois State’s Capra Earned the Save in the Historic Game By Tom Emery  Hank Aaron’s 715th home run remains a seminal moment in American sports history. An Illinois State University alum…

ROUTE 66 ROLLED STRAIGHT THROUGH ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY  Rolled Down Main Street, Through the Heart of Campus  By Tom Emery Celebrations are being held across the area this year for the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Among the many attractions…

ILLINOIS STATE GRAD BOGGUSS IS MOST RECENT INDUCTEE INTO GRAND OLE OPRY   By Tom Emery   An Illinois State University graduate is the newest inductee into the Grand Ole Opry, the legendary center of country music in Nashville. Suzy…

LEBANON’S COTTS PLAYED KEY ROLE IN WHITE SOX’ 2005 CHAMPIONSHIP RUN  Appeared in All Four Games of Series; Earned the Win in Game 2  By Tom Emery Game 2 of the 2005 World Series will forever be remembered for Scott…

ILLINOIS STATE JOINED NATION IN THE SHOCK OF SEPTEMBER 11   Rally on ISU Quad Two Days Later is Seminal Moment in University History   By Tom Emery   Thursday marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11, a massive terror…

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 MARKS 165TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST COMMENCEMENT AT ISU  Ten Students Received Degrees That Day  By Tom Emery               Commencement at Illinois State University is one of the busiest days of the year, as thousands of graduates…

JOHN WESLEY POWELL LED FIRST OFFICIAL EXPLORATION OF GRAND CANYON Former I.C. Student; Was on Staff at ISU at Time of Expedition By Tom Emery In 1869, an expedition led by John Wesley Powell sailed out of the Grand Canyon…

KIM HAS LEFT LASTING IMPACT AT ILLINOIS STATE By Tom Emery May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans in United States history…

TEACHER’S REGIMENT HOLDS SPECIAL PLACE IN ILLINOIS, CIVIL WAR HISTORY Unique Regiment Originated at Illinois State University in Normal By Tom Emery In Illinois as elsewhere, Civil War troops came from a wide variety of occupations. In one regiment, many…

CARLINVILLE RESEARCHER WINS AWARD WITH  ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY  FROM STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY               A Carlinville historian and researcher has been honored by the Illinois State Historical Society for his work on a web-based project with Illinois State University….

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…

“MORE OF A LIFE COACH THAN A BASKETBALL COACH” Will Robinson Was First Black Basketball Coach in Division I History By Tom Emery One of his star players called him “more of a life coach than a basketball coach.” Another…

BLEI WAS FOREMOST ILLINOIS WRITER OF LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY Much Work Was Done from Old Chicken Coop He Converted Into Writing Office By Tom Emery Among the foremost Illinois writers of the late twentieth century was Norbert Blei, who is…

ISU’S TIDYE PICKETT WAS FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN  TO COMPETE IN OLYMPICS Ran 80-Meter Hurdles in Berlin in 1936 By Tom Emery Tidye Ann Pickett stood only 5-feet-2, and barely weighed 100 pounds. But nine decades ago, she stood tall in…

ISU’S JACKSON WAS FIRST BLACK TO LEAD A U.S. OLYMPIC TRACK TEAM Head Coach of American Women’s Team in Both 1956 and 1972 By Tom Emery Dr. Nell Jackson was a trailblazer in many ways. That’s why she’s a member…

EQUALITY IN EDUCATION WAS ISSUE IN ILLINOIS IN CIVIL WAR ERA 1867 Assembly in Normal Fought for Desegregation in Local Schools By Tom Emery Equality in education was an issue in Illinois even before the Civil War. After the assassination…

“MORE OF A LIFE COACH THAN A BASKETBALL COACH” Will Robinson Was First Black Basketball Coach in Division I History By Tom Emery One of his star players called him “more of a life coach than a basketball coach.” Another…

BETSEY MIX COWLES WAS DEVOTED FEMALE ABOLITIONIST Life was Defined by Freedom for All By Tom Emery Though often forgotten today, some of the most fervent abolitionists of the mid-nineteenth century. One of the most famous female abolitionists was an…

February 1 is 175th Anniversary of Death of Eddie Lincoln: Pushed Aside by Most Scholars By Tom Emery Among the beloved images of Lincoln in American history and lore is that of a family man, playfully devoted to his four…

JOHN WESLEY POWELL LED FIRST OFFICIAL EXPLORATION OF GRAND CANYON Former I.C. Student; Was on Staff at ISU at Time of Expedition By Tom Emery In 1869, an expedition led by John Wesley Powell sailed out of the Grand Canyon…

BATEMAN FOUGHT FOR EQUALITY IN ILLINOIS EDUCATION IN 1800s Friend of Lincoln; Called “The Most Influential Proponent of Black Education in the Midwest By Tom Emery His short stature belied a ferocious determination. Over 125 years after his death, Newton…

FRIDAY MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY  OF ISU’S APPEARANCE IN FCS TITLE GAME by Tom Emery The Illinois State University football program fields competitive teams nearly every season. A decade ago, the program nearly won it all. January 10 marks the 10th anniversary of…

December 21 Marks Anniversary of Memorable Appearance in Normal By Tom Emery Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, and stands alone among American sports icons. Before his decade of excellence with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson was…

JOHN COOK WAS FIRST PRESIDENT OF NIU One of State’s Most Respected Leaders in Higher Education; Buildings in His Honor at Two Universities By Tom Emery John Williston Cook left a towering legacy on higher education in Illinois at the…

STATEHOUSE PRESSROOM OF 1960s AND 1970s WAS JOURNALISM AT ITS FINEST Hyper-Competitive Pressroom Corps Broke Scandals with Tenacious Investigative Reporting By Tom Emery Today, the pressroom of the Illinois State Capitol is a barren place, with few reporters and minimal…