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Milner Library

Illinois State (Normal) University Histories

Three people in front of a brick and concrete wall with the ISU seal and 'Illinois State University - Founded 1857 - Normal'

The oldest public university in Illinois, ISNU emerged out of the tumultuous years leading up to the Civil War. In 1857, the state legislature first dedicated funds to establish a normal college to train much-needed teachers following the 1855 passage of the Free School Act which established school districts and mandated free, universal, tax-supported education for the children of Illinois. The word “Normal” was dropped from the name 110 years later in 1967 to reflect ISU’s journey towards becoming a comprehensive liberal arts university.

Efforts have been made many times over the decades to summarize the history of this institution in whole or in part; most have utilized a top-down approach focusing on IS(N)U’s presidents, buildings, and major initiatives. For a more bottom-up perspective, consult primary source collections such as oral histories or The Vidette Digital Archives.

Explore Our History

Book Series

Explore nine texts detailing the history of the university, published between 1882 and 2007.

Unit Histories

Several campus constituents have also penned historical retrospectives focusing on the evolution of their programs.

Founding Celebration Video Series

This series was begun in 1995 and completed in 2006. New productions were introduced annually at the Founders Day celebration in February. Videos are available to stream via ISU ReD (with summaries) and YouTube (with captions).

Virtual History Tour Videos

In 2022, University Marketing and Communications partnered with University Archivist April Anderson-Zorn to tell the story of some of ISU’s most iconic buildings through short, engaging videos.

Related Materials

  • Presidential Profiles

    Read biographies of IS(N)U’s twenty past presidents and explore the changes they wrought upon the campus during their tenures.

  • Charles E. Hovey Presidential Papers

    ISNU’s first present, Charles Hovey, led the university from 1857 until the advent of the Civil War, when he left to command the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an army unit comprised primarily of ISNU students and faculty.

  • Oral Histories

    Listen to personal narratives of IS(N)U alumni, faculty, and staff preserved through intimate, one-on-one interviews. Those profiled include graduates of the class of 1929 through today.

  • ISU Photo Archives

    Drawn primarily from the archives of former Photographic Services Director Nelson Smith (1921-1998), these images capture moments from IS(N)U’s history and happenings with an emphasis on the latter half of the 20th century.

  • ISU Governance

    Explore the documents guiding the evolution and administration of Illinois State (Normal) University, including Academic Senate minutes, Board reports, and strategic plans.

  • ISU Traditions

    Delve into programs, speeches, and other records documenting the time-honored traditions that continue to mark milestones at Illinois State University, including commencement, IS(N)U's Founding Celebration, and the president's annual State of the University Address.

  • The Vidette Digital Archives

    IS(N)U’s student newspaper The Vidette has been in continuous publication since 1888, though print production ceased in 2021. This database, which extends to more than 100,000 pages, currently contains all issues published through February 2000.

Additional Links