Illini 411: What do you know about that sycamore by the Main Library?
A: Believe it or not, that sycamore is the oldest tree on campus. When the University opened in 1868, it consisted of nothing more than the original building, 10 marshy
Illini 411: Who was the U of I’s first Olympic gold medalist?
A: Edward F. Lindberg, 1909 ENG. At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm—the fifth modern games, since their start in 1896—Lindberg was part of the world record-setting 4 x 400
Illini 411: I lived at 804 W. Green St. during college and heard it was John Milton Gregory’s house. Is that true?
A: Only if he’d been re-animated! Gregory, the University’s first regent, or president (1867–1880), died in 1898, while the house at 804 W. Green wasn’t built until 1920. However, it
Illini 411: Where are the Mortar Board tablets that used to hang in the Illini Union?
A: They’re in the University Archives—kind of. Given the tablets’ size and number, the Archives could not keep them all, according to Student Life & Culture Archivist Ellen Swain, MS
Illini 411: Does Def Leppard hold Assembly Hall’s attendance record?
The 1988 Def Leppard show was a big one—16,606—and lead singer Joe Elliott announced from the stage that it had broken Elvis Presley’s all-time attendance record. Only—dramatic pause!—it hadn’t. Whether
Illini 411: Who are the oldest living alumni?
A: According to our records, at of March 2024 the oldest alumni are Mabel Craf, ’30 ED (109), of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; followed by Otto Klein, ’37 ACES (108), of
Illini 411: Did U of I students fight for women’s suffrage?
A: You betcha—and from way back, too. During the University’s early years—we’re talking 19th century, here—suffrage was one of the most popular debate topics between the women’s and men’s student
Illini 411: Remember when goal posts were made of wood?
A: Based on your graduation year, I bet you remember the 1964 Rose Bowl—a 17-7 victory over the University of Washington—where Illini fans “gathered in the end zones in the
Illini 411: What’s the coldest day ever recorded on campus?
A: Get out your toboggans, friends! And your down vests and long underwear and hand warmers and all that other cold weather razzamatazz. Or, better yet, just stay inside beside
Illini 411: Why’s the U of I in Urbana?
A: Because of backroom deals so brazen, they could even make a politician blush! The credit goes to Clark Robinson Griggs, a state representative and former Urbana mayor, who in
