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
- Illinois DCFS selects Illinois State as partner for Central Illinois regional simulation training hubIllinois State will become one of four regional training hubs for the State of Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) when the ISU Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) opens in early November 2024.
- Young adult authors to visit Milner LibraryPablo Cartaya and Michelle Quach will visit Illinois State University in the coming weeks and will give presentations at Milner Library on writing, creativity, publishing, and more.
- Fall virtual speaker series on research methodologiesThis fall, the 2024 Theory + Method virtual speaker series will host five leading scholars whose work advances innovative and inclusive methodologies and community-engaged research.
- Professor interprets artifacts for Stowaway with the Ewings: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Their World TourWhile sitting in an office in Ewing Manor reading a century-old personal journal, Dr. Miranda Lin sometimes laughed out loud. At other times she was surprised to read about a place in China or Thailand she’d been to.Born in Taiwan and fluent in Mandarin, the School of Teaching and Learning professor was tapped to interpret some of the writings and artifacts from Davis and Hazle Buck Ewing’s 1924 trip around the world.
- Meet the September 2024 GradBird Scholar: Alina NiftulaevaThe Graduate School has selected Alina Niftulaeva as its September 2024 GradBird Scholar recipient. GradBird Scholar is an initiative to recognize graduate students for their scholarly endeavors at Illinois State University.
- Dr. Ali Riaz re-elected as AIBS presidentDistinguished professor Ali Riaz has been re-elected as the president of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) for the 2024-2028 term.
