Illinois State University
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Illinois State University, originally named Illinois State Normal University, was founded in 1857 by Jesse W. Fell (1808-1887), and was the first public institution of higher education in the state. Normal schools were schools specifically designated for the education of teachers.
ISU is located in Normal, Illinois, a town of McLean County in the central part of the state. The town of Normal took its name from the school, which the school later dropped as it became more diversified. It remains a top school in teaching in Illinois. Its athletic teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference and the Gateway Football Conference, and are known as the Redbirds.
Illinois State is also home to the world's tallest (but not largest) dormitory, Watterson Towers, which houses upwards of 2,000 students. The building was completed in 1967.
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Academics and Organizations
ISU, originally a teachers' college, has matured to a university offering a range of programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels.
The university produces the WGLT "News, Blues and All That Jazz" public radio station, available via webcast at www.wglt.org.
Illinois State University has one of the most successful forensics individual events (public speaking) teams in the country. In 1995, 1999, and 2000 it won the National Forensics Association team championship and in 2005 its team won the American Forensics Association team championship.
Notable Alumni
Famous alumni include Academy Award nominee John Malkovich, actor Gary Cole and Emmy award winner Sean Hayes.
External links
- Illinois State University Homepage (http://www.ilstu.edu)
- WGLT.org (http://www.wglt.org)
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