Then and Now: Founders Day
Founders Day traditions endure during the the annual celebration of the University's founding.
An annual celebration of the founding of Illinois State University began with the first Founders Day in 1909. The tradition grew in 1913 with a full slate of events to honor the University’s first president, Charles Hovey. The annual event was merged with convocation during the Great Depression and World War II, but it’s been a full-fledged celebration of the University’s founding since the 1950s, including when President Robert G. Bone rang the historic Old Main Bell at the centennial celebration in 1957. Traditions today include a faculty and staff appreciation luncheon and awards ceremony, and ringing of both the historic Old Main Bell and a replica that accommodates indoor bell ringing, as President Aondover Tarhule did in 2024.
Latest Publications
- Building intellectual property awareness: Faculty lead first wave of campus integrationIntellectual property (IP), such as a manuscript or design, is a work or invention that is the result of creativity, IP can be protected by a patent, copyright, or trademark. In today's workplace, an entrepreneurial mindset is not only valued by employers, but essential to success.
- 2025-26 Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS) award winners announcedThe associate vice president for Research and Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS) awards.
- 2025 Researchers to Know: ISU professors recognized for innovative researchThe Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) has named three Illinois State University professors as Researchers to Know. Researchers to Know is an annual recognition from the ISTC that honors faculty from Illinois universities and research institutions whose work is driving discovery, solving real-world problems, and creating inclusive opportunities for innovation.
- HR news and notes for June 2025HR news and notes features information about Personal Plus Time, dependent tuition waivers, and a reminder about the new year of benefits.
- Research and Honors, July 2025Presentations and publications by Illinois State University faculty and staff members.
- Dr. Ashley Waring-Sparks named interim director of CeMaSTIllinois State University (ISU) has named Dr. Ashley Waring-Sparks as the new Interim Director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST). Waring-Sparks brings a strong background in STEM education and leadership, along with deep institutional knowledge and experience within CeMaST.
