Written by Caitlin E. Crane
One hundred years ago, the University of Illinois graduating class of 1915 prepared to receive their diplomas at the 44th annual Commencement ceremony. While the class of 2015 will throw their caps at Memorial Stadium, the 1915 commencement ceremony took place in the Armory, with further formalities held on the Main Quad [1].
Continue reading “One Hundred Years to Commencement: The 1915 Graduation at Illinois”
Written by Caitlin Stamm
Each year, people around the world celebrate May Day and the arrival of spring. At the University of Illinois, this celebration took the form of the May Fête, a mid-month celebration with a maypole dance and pageant. Celebratory May activities held at the University began in 1899, although activities like Field Day began earlier, in 1883.[1] Later, the May Fête became a central part of the University Interscholastic, a multi-day event with popular sporting events and field days featuring the U of I athletes and teams from area high schools, a circus featuring the various student groups on campus, open-air concerts, operas and dramatic performances, a parade, and general merriment.
Written by Anna Trammell
As the end of the academic year draws near, Illini all over campus are daydreaming about summer travels on the horizon. Since the end of the 19th century, one of the primary hallmarks of travel has been the postcard. The first American postcard was copyrighted by John Charlton in 1861.[1] In 1873, government issued “postal cards” with a one-cent postage fee debuted.[2] At the 1893 World Colombian Exhibition in Chicago, picture postcards were sold as souvenirs.[3]
From there, postcard collecting and mailing increased in popularity and public demand eventually forced congress to grant the one-cent rate to privately printed cards in 1898.[4]
Postcards reached the height of their popularity in the first decades of the 20th century with over nine hundred million cards mailed in 1913 alone.[5] Continue reading “Greetings from Illinois: A Journey Through Postcards”
Written by Nick Hopkins
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has put a good deal of effort into promoting its football program. The success of this can be seen in the volume of UI football merchandise across the state, or by simply asking a local Champaign-Urbana resident. One lesser known promotional event in the history of UI football is the Glasnost Bowl, a contest between the University of Illinois and the University of Southern California. This unprecedented event was to be held in Moscow, USSR on September 2nd, 1989 and would have been the first American football game played in the Soviet Union.
Continue reading “Illinois in the Soviet Union: Glasnost Bowl 1989”
Written by Caitlin E. Crane
Some 30 miles to the southwest of the University of Illinois lies approximately 6,000 acres of farmland and prairies; of formal gardens and statues. The site is known as Allerton Park and Retreat Center, and is the former estate of Robert Allerton, a multimillionaire who donated the Park to the University of Illinois in 1946. The gift, which more than doubled the University’s land holdings at the time, lies 5 miles to south of Monticello, IL [1]. Today, Allerton Park and Retreat Center, otherwise simply called ‘Allerton’, has evolved into a site which is used by the University for conferences, retreats, and educational purposes. The University Archives holds multiple collections related to Allerton, including but not limited to, the Allerton Family Collection (R.S. 31/13/20); the Allerton Park Collection (R.S. 31/13/5); and the Robert Allerton Park Brochures and Newsletters (R.S. 31/13/805)