Focal Point Artifact Plinth

The Focal Point Artifact Plinth features a rotating exhibition of large, three-dimensional objects that help to tell stories about student life and the history of the University. Current artifacts include the racing wheelchair Jean Driscoll used to win the 1990 Boston Marathon (her first of seven consecutive Boston Marathon victories); the “Illini Hall” sign that once hung over the building’s front door; Daily Illini newspaper boxes, old and new; a PLATO V computer terminal; a student-made model of University Hall, which served as the U of I’s main classroom building from 1873 to 1938; and a typewriter that belonged to Joseph Pedott, the legendary marketer of the Chia Pet and the Clapper.