Milner Library works continuously to digitize select materials from the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives and make them available online. Below you will find dozens of digital collections and document series that describe the history and governance of Illinois State (Normal) University through the eyes of its employees, students, and alumni.
Illinois State University Archives
Online Collections
Highlighted Collections
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Commencement Programs
These documents list the names and majors of all participating graduates from IS(N)U’s first commencement ceremony in 1860 through the present day.
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The Vidette
Digital ArchiveIS(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.
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Yearbooks
Annual retrospectives containing student headshots and group photos. IS(N)U, Mennonite College of Nursing, Thomas Metcalf School and University High School have published several distinct yearbook titles between the late 19th century and today.
ISU ReD: Research and eData
Illinois State University’s institutional repository, ISU ReD, preserves, promotes, and provides open access to the scholarly and creative works of the university’s faculty, staff, and students. It also serves as the primary platform for digitally archiving the university's administrative records and outreach materials.
All Digitized Collections
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Anna Ropp Diaries
Between 1933 and 2002, Anna Ropp, a 1931 graduate of the Mennonite Hospital School of Nursing (now ISU’s Mennonite College of Nursing), recorded short daily entries detailing her farm, family, and work life in personal diaries.
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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.
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Course Catalogs
In addition to course descriptions, these guides – historically issued in IS(N)U’s quarterly Bulletin – provide extensive information on the university’s structure, policies, and services. All catalogs profile that year’s faculty and administrators; editions published prior to 1933 also list the names of the previous term’s students and recent graduates.
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Elmer Cavins Collection
ISNU faculty member Elmer Cavins (1864-1938) taught penmanship and orthography in the English Department for more than 40 years. He visited Europe in 1911 and 1919, recording his experiences in lengthy letters to his family.
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Governance
Explore the documents guiding the evolution and administration of Illinois State (Normal) University, including Academic Senate minutes, Board reports, and strategic plans.
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Ken-Way Studio Collection
University High School alum Kenneth Berglund (1917-2003) founded Ken-Way Studio with his brother Robert at the end of World War II. For the next 56 years his photography business documented the minutia of life and work in Central Illinois.
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Illinois State University Histories
Full-text downloads are available for nine of the historical retrospectives written about IS(N)U between 1882 and 2009, as well as twelve short documentary films produced 1995 and 2006.
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Jesse Fell Civil War Paymaster Records
Jesse W. Fell (1808-1887) is credited as a founder of Illinois State (Normal) University. During the Civil War he spent 18 months serving as a paymaster in the Union Army.
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Journals
Open-access scholarly periodicals published at Illinois State University or by ISU affiliates.
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Magazines and Newsletters
Alumni publications, marketing materials, departmental newsletters, and more dating from the early 20th century through today.
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Manuscripts
at MilnerFrom daily diaries and circus travelogues to medieval religious texts and ledgers detailing the operations of Illinois State Normal University in its infancy, this collection gathers together some of Milner Library’s many unique exemplars of handwritten codex-format texts.
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Normal Editions Archive
Founded in 1976, Normal Editions is a printmaking research facility in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts where visiting artists and faculty members partner with students studying fine art printing to produce original limited edition works of art.
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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.
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Performing Arts Programs
Documentation of thousands of music recitals, dance performances, and theatrical productions staged at IS(N)U, including those pertaining to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and the School of Music’s Madrigal Dinners.
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Photo Archives
Drawn primarily from the archives of former ISNU Photographic Services Director Nelson Smith (1921-1998), these images capture moments from the university’s history and happenings with an emphasis on the latter half of the 20th century.
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Presidential
ProfilesPortraits and biographical sketches of the university’s twenty past presidents, from Charles Hovey to Terri Goss Kinzy.
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Student Handbooks
Between the 1890s and 1960s, these handbooks were published for students, by students. The university assumed this responsibility and expanded their scope in 1967, however they ceased producing physical copies in 2002.
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Theses and Dissertations
Most IS(N)U graduate student theses and dissertations published between 1945 and 2012 are only available in print; consult the Digitization Center for digitization-on-demand services. Abstracts and/or full-text versions of those published between 2013 and the present can largely be accessed online via ProQuest or ISU ReD.
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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.
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WGLT Radio
ProgramsDiscover hundreds of digitized audio recordings broadcast by ISU’s campus radio station between 1972 and 2003. Highlights include the locally produced history program The Past is Prologue and Conversations with Dr. Watkins, an interview-format show hosted by 80s-era university president Lloyd Watkins.
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Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program Collection
Posters and other materials produced in conjunction with WGSS programming, 1996-present.
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World War I Illinois State Normal University Service Records
Hundreds of ISNU affiliates served the war effort in various capacities between 1917 and 1919. This collection, created by the university’s first librarian Ange Milner, preserves meticulous records of their movements, correspondence, and newspaper appearances.