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General History
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General History

A Brief History of Illinois State
Office of the President, Illinois State University
Includes a link to A Concise History of the University, which is organized chronologically.

Kinneman, John A. "The Social Sciences at Normal" Teacher Education, XXV, 4 (April 1963), 1-64.
Floor 1 Shelves LB 1705 .T36
Also available online.

BOOK SERIES

The history of Illinois State University is told through a series of eight books. Seven of the eight are available online in full text.

A History of the Illinois State Normal University
John W. Cook and James V. McHugh (1882)
Online full text of the first campus history ... the story of the university from 1857 to 1882.

Semi-Centennial History of the Illinois State Normal University, 1857-1907
Illinois State Normal University (1907)
Online full text of the second campus history ... the story of the university from 1857 to 1907.

Grandest of Enterprises: Illinois State Normal University, 1857-1957
Helen E. Marshall (1956)
Online full text of the fourth campus history ... the story of the university from 1857 to 1957.

The Eleventh Decade, Illinois State University
Helen E. Marshall (1967)
Online full text of the story of the university from 1957 to 1967.

A Place of Education: Illinois State University, 1967-1977
Roger J. Champagne (1978)
Online full text of the story of the university during the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Thirteenth Decade: Illinois State University, 1977-1987
Roger J. Champagne (1989)
Online full text of the story of the university from 1977-1987.

The Fourteenth Decade: Illinois State University, 1987-1997
Mark Wyman (1999)
Online full text of the story of the university from 1987 to 1997.

FOUNDERS DAY VIDEO SERIES

The history of Illinois State University is told through a series of 12 video presentations collectively spanning the period 1857-2006. The series was started in 1995 and completed in 2006. Productions were introduced annually at the Founders Day celebration in February. Each presentation is available online in streaming video.

A three-disc DVD compilation of the productions ... entitled Illinois State University Historical Video Series: 1857-2007 ... is available for checkout at the Learning Resource Center on Milner Floor 6 (ask for Video DVD 1756). Videotapes of individual productions in the series are available in the Learning Resource Center for viewing in the center.

The Founding (1995, 14 minutes)
Discusses establishment of the university in 1857.
Online streaming video

The Noblest Building: Go Forth to Danger (1996, 13 minutes)
Discusses completion of the Old Main Building and experiences of soldiers from Illinois State in the Civil War.
Online streaming video

A New Era at Normal (1997, 14 minutes)
Discusses the post Civil War era at the university and President Richard Edwards.
Online streaming video

The Challenges of Change (1998, 14 minutes)
Discusses events of 1867.
Online streaming video

Defending the Grandest Enterprise (1999, 14 minutes)
Discusses events of 1868-1876.
Online streaming video

The Era of Transition (2000, 15 minutes)
Discusses events of 1877-1890.
Online streaming video

The Turn of the Century (2001, 21 minutes)
Discusses events of 1890-1900.
Online streaming video

From Normal School to Teachers College (2002, 22 minutes)
Discusses events of 1900-1930.
Online streaming video

The Era of Uncertainty and the Post War Renewal (2003, 25 minutes)
Discusses events of 1930-1956.
Online streaming video

A Vigor Uncoiling, 1956-1967 (2004, 23 minutes)
Discusses the administration of the university's ninth president, Dr. Robert G. Bone, and the expansion of the university from a teachers' college with 3,000 students to a university with nearly 10,000 students.
Online streaming video

Unrest, Controversy, and Rethinking the Plan (2005, 32 minutes)
Covers the period 1967-1977, including administrations of Samuel Braden, David Berlo, and Gene Budig. Discusses campus unrest in the late 60s and early 70s.
Online streaming video

Academic Retrenchment and Social Redirection (2006, 43 minutes)
Covers the period 1977-2006.
Online streaming video

BOARD PROCEEDINGS

In its nearly 150-year history, Illinois State University has been governed by six boards. Proceedings of two of these boards .. the first and the last ... are available online.

Board of Education (1857-1917)
The first governing board of Illinois State Normal University was also the first board of higher education in Illinois. Proceedings of the board are available online as part of the Illinois State University History digital collection. Searches of the digital collection will retrieve pages from the Board Proceedings (as well as other materials such as history books, videos, and images).

Board of Trustees (1996-)
Minutes of recent meetings (2005/2006) are available online via the Board of Trustees web site.

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About People

The Presidents
Mark A. Plummer, Emeritus Professor of History, Illinois State University (2005)
Brief descriptions of the 17 Illinois State University presidents with photographs.

Women of WWI
Jo Rayfield, University Archives, and Morag Boyd and Toni Tucker, Milner Library,
Illinois State University (2002)
Archival materials related to the World War I experiences of 31 women associated with the university.

Faculty Research at Illinois State University:  A Bibliography of Historical and Current Scholarly Works
Morag Boyd, Susan Braxton, Vanette Schwartz, and Bruce Stoffel, Milner Library,
Illinois State University (2006)
List of scholarly publications by faculty employed at Illinois State during its first 100 years.

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About Places

Classic Grounds and Academic Shades:
The Physical Development of Illinois State University
Mark A. Plummer, Emeritus Professor of History, Illinois State University (2001)
A brief chronological history of campus facilities.

Historic Illinois State
Office of Facilities Planning, Illinois State University (2001)
An illustrated architectural tour of the Quadrangle.

A Tribute to Perseverance: The Construction of Milner Library at Illinois State University
Morag Boyd, Milner Library, Illinois State University (2001)
A brief illustrated history of the planning and construction of Milner Library from 1968 to 1976.

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Return to Subject Resources: Illinois State University History