Category: Emery

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…

NEW RELEASE PROVIDES DETAILED LOOK AT WOMEN’S HISTORY IN ILLINOIS  Book Celebrates State’s Historic Women from Numerous Occupations  A new, full-length book celebrates the history of dozens of leading Illinois women who left their mark across every region of the…

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…

FORMER A.L. PRESIDENT GENE BUDIG HAD BEEN HEAD OF ILLINOIS STATE Last Man to Serve as A.L. President Had Led Illinois State from 1973-77 By Tom Emery In 1999, Major League Baseball owners voted to abolish the position of presidents…