1876: Morrow Plots established
“Don’t throw shade on the corn” is a common saying for those familiar with the Morrow Plots, the oldest continuously used experimental agricultural field in the U.S., second oldest in the world. The Morrow Plots, 150 years later, are still used to examine crop rotation, fertilizer effects on crop yield and changes in soil. Widely cited as one reason for building the Undergraduate Library underground, the plots established a legacy of Illinois researchers taking root and innovating agriculture. Today, scientists at Illinois tweak photosynthesis to boost crop yield and address future food insecurity, while entrepreneurs build startups creating sensors for farmers to more easily check their stored grain quality.
1901: Squirrels purchased to bring “influence”
Did you know that squirrels were imported to campus in 1901 due to a shortage? Then-university president Andrew S. Draper thought the addition of squirrels, seen scampering on other campuses, would add prestige to the university. The Board of Trustees approved the recommendation on July 6, 1901. In 2017, squirrels are abundant and can be counted on to disturb your noon nap on the Main Quad lawn.
1922: Professor develops sound on film
Before 1922, no one had figured out how to get sound to be heard on film. Electrical and computer science professor Joseph Tykociner developed a method to allow sound to sync with the pictures moving onscreen, producing one of the first “talkies.” Although Tykociner’s particular method was never patented and commercialized, his was one of the first to successfully incorporate sound.
1924: Red Grange scores four touchdowns in first 12 minutes in victory over Michigan
How a student knows fall has arrived on campus: the changing of leaves, pumpkin spice everything and Illinois football. Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1924 in front of 67,886 fans and celebrated with an epic victory over Michigan. Football great Red Grange, whose statue you can visit in front of the stadium, scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes, leading the Fighting Illini to a 39-14 victory. He later scored a fifth touchdown and threw for a sixth.
1941: Illini Union opens as a central hub for campus
Opened on Feb. 8, 1941, the Illini Union welcomed a VIP guest on its first anniversary – first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who cut the cake. Today, the Illini Union exists as a gathering place for the campus community to grab a bite to eat, caffeinate, meet up for study groups, host academic conferences and concerts and, of course, catch a catnap between classes. Watching snow fall from the parlor facing the Main Quad was a favorite memory of Molly Messner, who attended Illinois 2012-16. “Always so beautiful and peaceful, even better when someone was playing piano,” she said.
1948: Accessibility pioneer creates first rehabilitation center for students
Tim Nugent, a former Illinois professor and visionary in accessibility and wheelchair athletics, created one of the first rehabilitation programs for students with disabilities, aimed to address the needs of World War II veterans. Nugent advocated for curb cuts, wheelchair-accessible buses and residence halls, as well as the first service fraternity for individuals with disabilities. Many of his ideas were adopted nationally. He started the first men’s wheelchair basketball team associated with a school, leading to a long legacy of Illinois Paralympians. Illinois is still a leader in accessibility, producing record-breaking wheelchair athletes, innovations for racing gloves and wheelchairs, and related research.
1969: Krannert Center opens
Student Megan Vescio, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, joined the Krannert Center Student Association as a first-semester freshman. “Volunteering as an usher has given me the opportunity to see dozens of shows per year for free, including many I might not have known about otherwise,” she said. “The meetings and social activities place an emphasis on bringing students together to appreciate all art forms, and this creative community has given me the greatest sense of ‘home’ on campus.” Illinois theater professor Lisa Gaye Dixon said Krannert helps center the arts on campus, bringing together music, art and dance. “I’ve been a part of many projects that started out being a ‘hallway chat’ as folks were passing by each other, and ended up being fully realized productions,” she said. “It is one of the few places in the country where music, dance, theater and opera all not only coexist, but co-create together.”
1970: Altgeld named to National Register of Historic Buildings
With its iconic tower, Altgeld Hall is one of the most easily recognized buildings on campus. Originally built to house the university library collection, Altgeld Hall is home to the math library, classrooms, faculty member offices and the iconic Senior Memorial Chimes. Installed and dedicated during Homecoming 1920, the bells were given to campus as a gift from the classes of 1914-21. Thousands of students have enjoyed daily chimes concerts of songs as they walked between classes.
1971: First Quad Day held, now a campus staple
Quad Day serves as a massive information fair for more than 1,400 registered student organization groups to introduce themselves to freshmen and new students at the beginning of the fall semester. The first Quad Day, in 1971, encouraged a sense of community when protests and unrest permeated the campus, featuring a volleyball game, a hot dog stand and a student and faculty talent show. In 2016, Quad Day featured a performance by the Marching Illini and cheerleaders, about a dozen food vendors and hundreds of booths.
1986: National Center for Supercomputing Applications opens
Answering the need for supercomputing power for researchers, Illinois astrophysicist Larry Smarr and seven colleagues proposed a new center at Illinois. The National Science Foundation agreed and the NCSA opened in 1986. NCSA has been not only a hub for research, but also an engine of economic impact for the state and the nation. One of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, Blue Waters can perform more than a quadrillion calculations per second, has assisted in research on bacteria, HIV and solar superstorms.
2003: Leggett wins Nobel Prize for Physics, Lauterbur wins for Physiology or Medicine
While Illinois is no stranger to its alumni, faculty members and staff earning prestigious awards, two faculty members won the Nobel Prize in the same year. Sir Anthony “Tony” Leggett is a world leader in the theory of low-temperature physics. In 2003, he earned the Nobel Prize in Physics “for pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids.” The late Paul C. Lauterbur, an Illinois chemistry professor and developer of the MRI, shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 with Sir Peter Mansfield for “seminal discoveries concerning the use of magnetic resonance to visualize different structures.”
2013: Illinois MakerLab becomes world’s first 3-D printing lab in a business school
Founded in 2013, the Illinois MakerLab provides students with resources to teach them how to design, manufacture and market 3-D products. Courses like “Making Things” joins students from business, engineering and design to prototype a new product. MakerLab offers the space for private workshops for student organizations and the Champaign-Urbana community. They’ve even 3-D printed Nutella.
2017: Celebrating 150 years of excellence
We’re celebrating our 150th through 2018! To find out more about Illinois’ history, visit our sesquicentennial website at 150.illinois.edu or follow the social media conversation using the hashtag #ILLINOIS150.