2023 Hall of Fame
George Kerr, Men’s Track & Field, 1958–60 Kerr won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1959 and 1960 in the 800-meter and was a seven-time Big Ten champion in middle distances
Agent of Change
I first stepped foot on campus in 2002—a high school freshman from downstate Illinois, there to prove my mettle in a marching band competition. I got off the bus outside
Illini 411: Did Richard Nixon campaign on campus in 1960?
When Nixon was Eisenhower’s vice president (1953–61), he visited Champaign-Urbana for campaign stops in 1954 and 1956. During his own 1960 presidential campaign, Nixon visited the small Illinois town of
Memory Lane: Foellinger Auditorium Takes the Stage
The first concert at Foellinger Auditorium was right after it opened, as part of its Nov. 5, 1907, dedication program. The headliner was an orchestra led by Theodore Thomas, founder
Illini 411: Following my great-grandfather’s death during World War I, the University planted a memorial tree on campus in his honor. Is the tree still alive and, if so, where is it?
A: In 1920, the University planted 173 World War I memorial trees around the perimeter of the Armory, and extending down Sixth Street and up Pennsylvania Avenue. Unfortunately, some of
Alumni Interview: Amanda Vanek
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. My father was a policeman: Sergeant Larry Augustine, a career cop I idolized. Dad used to tell us police
Globe Trotter
When Scott Ziffra, ’94 ENG, crossed the finish line of the December 2022 Antarctic Ice Marathon, he raised his arms—hands covered by thick black gloves—in victory. The moment marked not
100-Year Remembrance: Ghost Story
Memorial Stadium opened in 1923, but its formal dedication came a year later—at the next season’s Homecoming game. The mighty Michigan Wolverines hadn’t lost in two years, but after pregame
100 Years of Memorial Stadium: The House That Illini Built
When charismatic Illinois football Head Coach Robert Zuppke talked, people listened. Perched on a platform in the Gym Annex, the diminutive Zuppke, his arms gesticulating wildly, pitched the idea of
The Big Picture: Drop and Give Me 20!
The Fighting Illini Army ROTC Push-Up Crew proudly takes to the turf every time the home team makes a touchdown or a field goal. While the U of I offense
