Illinois Statealumni magazine

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Illinois State

page 24

Making music andmemories with theBig Red MarchingMachine.

Marching through time

It takes hard work practicing in the heat, followed by pain as

performances are played in freezing temperatures. And yet members

of The Big Red Marching Machine will attest that there is no sweeter

experience than the years spent making music in the University’s

marching band. Cover: Illinois State band members have played with

pride for decades.

Contents2 U N I V E R S I T Y N E W S

8 D E L A Y E D B U T N O T D E F E A T E DLisa Daniels ’99, M.S. ’00, watched her classmates head off to

college after high school. As a teenage mom, she wasn’t able to

follow the traditional academic path. Daniels was 29 when she

arrived at Illinois State. Now part of an international firm, she

empowers struggling students with her success story.

1 6 I S T H E E A R T H W A R M I N G ?Geography-Geology Professor Emeritus James Carter answers the

question debated by so many experts that the general public is

left to ponder the need for panic. Carter’s examination of

inevitable climate change provides insights into what’s

happening across the planet.

2 0 T A C K L I N G T H E N A T I O N ’ S I L L SChris Wiant ’72 is immersed in two of the country’s toughest

problems—health care woes and environmental safety concerns.

Now the CEO of a $170 million foundation dedicated to improving

Colorado’s health care, Wiant is lauded nationally as the man who

negotiated the Rocky Mountain Arsenal clean-up.

2 4 D A Y S L E S S G L O R I O U S While most remember their collegiate years as carefree and

grand, wars, civil unrest, and economic downturns left their mark

on the campus community. Each season of struggle proved the

resolve and dedication of past generations.

2 8 S E S Q U I C E N T E N N I A L C A L E N D A R

3 0 A L U M N I S E R V I C E S

3 3 H O M E C O M I N G C A L E N D A R

3 6 C L A S S N O T E S

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E D I TO R I A L A DV I S O RY G RO U PDeb Gentry, Ed.D. ’90; Pete Guither; Amy Humphreys; Joy Hutchcraft;Lynn Kennell; Katy Killian ’92; Todd Kober ’97, M.S. ’99; Claire Lieberman; Marilee (Zielinski) Rapp ’63; Jim Thompson ’80, M.S. ’89;Mark Troester ’74, M.S. ’79; Toni Tucker

PUBLISHER, Stephanie Epp

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, Susan Marquardt Blystone ’84, M.S. ’03

ALUMNI EDITOR, Annette States Levitt ’96, M.S. ’02

DIREC TOR, University Marketing and Communications, Bob Aaron

CLASS NOTES EDITOR, Leisa Barbour, M.S. ’06

COPY EDITORS, Bob Aaron, Susan Marquardt Blystone ’84, M.S. ’03,

Elaine Graybill

LE AD DESIGNER, Dave Jorgensen, M.S. ’03

DESIGNERS, Laura DiMascio, Teresa Henry, Michael Mahle

PRODUC TION COORDINATOR, Mary (Mulhall) Cowdery ’80

WRITERS, Bob Aaron, Kate Arthur, Elaine Graybill, Jennie King, Tom Nugent

Illinois State (USPS 019606) is published quarterly for members of the Illinois State University Alumni Association at Bone Student Center 146, 100 North University Street, Normal, Illinois 61790-3100. Periodicals postage paid at Normal, Illinois, and at additional mailing offices.

Magazine editorial offices are located at Bone Student Center 146, 100 North University Street, Normal, Illinois 61790-3100; telephone (309)438-2586; facsimile (309) 438-8057; e-mail alumni@IllinoisState.edu;Web site www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Illinois State, Illinois State University, Campus Box 8000, Normal, IL 61790-8000.

Voluntary subscriptions of $25 per year to help defray the mounting expenses associated with publishing Illinois State are greatly appreciated.Checks payable to the Illinois State Foundation can be sent to Alumni Relations, Campus Box 3100, Normal, IL 61790-3100. Call Alumni Relations at (309) 438-2586 with any questions.

Material may be reprinted with prior approval, provided no commercial endorsement is implied and credit is given to the author, to Illinois State University, and to Illinois State.

Web site: www.IllinoisState.edu

An equal opportunity/affirmative action university encouraging diversity08-0005

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R SDon Shafer ’76, PresidentGreg Ayers ’90Derek Beckman ’97Richard Clemmons ’72Linda Meints Cooper, M.S.N. ’99Bob Freitag ’84Bill Johnston ’43Dan Kelley ’70Ann Kenyeri ’93Emily Miller Kimmey ’99, M.S. ’01Tom Lamont ’69Lynda Lane ’66Mary Ann Louderback ’74, M.S. ’80, Ph.D. ’84Rob McLear ’06Lois (Rademacher) Mills ’62, M.S. ’69Kathy Coyle Murdoch ’86Bob Navarro ’91, M.S. ’93, Ph.D. ’02Marilee (Zielinski) Rapp ’63Joe Rives, M.S. ’90, Ph.D. ’94Gary Schnurrpusch ’69Kristen Emmert Shaner ’86Terrence Sykes ’93Gary Tiffany ’74Jana Whitman ’90Janessa Williams ’89Mike Willis ’82Jerry Wright ’62Carl Kasten ’66, Board of Trustees Alumni Liaison

A L U M N I R E L AT I O N SStephanie Epp, Executive DirectorGina Bianchi, M.S. ’99, Assistant DirectorSheila Hawk ’06, Program CoordinatorShanay Huerta ’03, M.S. ’05, Assistant DirectorAnnette States Levitt ’96, M.S. ’02, Assistant DirectorJamie (Kelly) Sennett ’99, Assistant Director

alumni magazineVolume 8, Number 1, Summer 2007

Illinois State

WordThe First

August is alwaysan exciting time at Illinois State, as students return to campus and onceagain settle into a semester’s routine. At the same time members of theincoming class are welcomed to the University and begin their collegiatejourney, often with a mix of trepidation and enthusiasm.

The excitement felt by new students is contagious. These young adultsanticipate more independence and eagerly await the opportunities theyknow exist on a campus the size of Illinois State.

The anxiety is inevitable, as these same new students must acclimateto a more intense academic experience while adjusting to a roommate anddealing with mundane tasks such as laundry. Some may initially feel as ifthey have landed in a world that feels like anything but home.

It is impossible for incoming students to grasp how an environmentthat seems so foreign will quickly become a place where relationships blos-som and confidence soars. They cannot fully comprehend how their yearsat Illinois State will positively change their lives. They are unable to predictwhich courses and professors will make a lasting mark, just as they cannotbegin to calculate how many of their peers will become lifelong friends.

Such unknowns intrigue me because they are universal, and yetunique. All the graduates I meet have at least one moment of astonishmentthat surfaced during their days at Illinois State. Some chose a career pathnever before contemplated. Others gained life skills through social organi-zations or academic clubs they did not even know existed when their firstsemester started. Still others found a spouse.

I have no doubt that connections will be made and another generationof students surprised as this semester unfolds, just as has happened dur-ing every academic term since the University first opened its doors 150years ago. As the cycle begins again this fall, take a moment to reflect onwhat transpired during your days at Illinois State. Contemplate how theevents you never anticipated shaped you into the person and professionalyou are today.

And if you happen to have the opportunity to speak with incoming Illi-nois State students, give them the comfort of knowing that there is indeedgreat pleasure and reward in expecting the unexpected.

Al BowmanPresident, Illinois State University

”Tim Jankovich became head coach of the men’s basketball team in March. He left an assistant coachingposition at the University of Kansas to become Illinois State’s 18th head coach. He replaced Porter Moser,whose contract was terminated at the end of last season.

“We are excited to be hiring a coach with the experience and expertise of Tim Jankovich,” AthleticsDirector Sheahon Zenger said. “His coaching pedigree is unmatched and he has a basketball mind of thehighest level. He is a man of great intellect and I believe Tim will be a great fit for Redbird basketball andthe Redbird family.”

Jankovich completed four seasons at Kansas under coach Bill Self, helping theJayhawks reach the Elite Eight in this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Associ-ation championship tournament. He coached with Self for one season at theUniversity of Illinois.

“I’m pleased and honored to be selected as the next head basketball coachat Illinois State, a prestigious university with a tradition-rich basketball pro-gram,” said Jankovich, who has built a reputation as a top recruiter.

“This is such a tremendous time in Missouri Valley Conference history,”Jankovich said. “Not since the days of Wes Unseld and Oscar Robertson has theconference been playing at such a high national level. There are a lot of greatcoaches in this league and I’m friends with a number of them. It is easily one ofthe best coaching conferences in the country.”

Jankovich has served as an assistant coach at Texas, Oklahoma State, andColorado State. He was also at Vanderbilt, where he worked under for-

mer Illinois State head coach Kevin Stallings. Jankovich was headcoach for four years at North Texas and two seasons at HutchinsonCommunity College.

He took over a North Texas squad that had posted a 5-22 markand recorded the second-biggest turnaround in the nation that

year, advancing his team to the Southland Conference Tournamentchampionship game. He guided Hutchinson Community College to

20-win seasons. A dual graduate of Kansas State University, Jankovich completed an undergraduate degree in business

finance and a master’s degree in radio/television. While at the university he was one of the winningestplayers in that school’s history. He holds records in assists per game, free throw percentage, and careerfield goal percentage. His record for single-game assists in the Big Eight Tournament still stands at 14. Asa student-athlete Jankovich was a three-time Academic all-American.

2 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

UniversityNews

‘‘Tim will be a great fit for Redbird basketball.

Tim Jankovich was introduced as

the new men’s basketball coach

in March.

The

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ASHBY NAMED UNIVERSITY

ADVANCEMENT VICE PRESIDENT

Dianne Ashby was named vice presidentof University Advancement in May follow-ing a national search. She had served twoyears as interim vice president for the divi-sion, which includes Donor and Informa-tion Services, Alumni Relations, Develop-ment, Internal Campaigns, and UniversityMarketing and Communications. She isalso the executive director of the IllinoisState University Foundation.

Ashby received her Ph.D. in educa-tional administration from Southern Illi-nois University, her master’s degree ineducational administration from the Uni-versity of Illinois at Springfield, and herbachelor’s degree in speech and theaterarts from MacMurray College.

She came to the University in 1991 asthe Illinois Postsecondary HIV PreventionEducation Project coordinator. Ashby lat-er served as University High School prin-cipal, chair of the Department of Educa-tional Administration and Foundations,and dean of the College of Education.

During her tenure as interim vicepresident, Ashby established a precedent-setting relationship between the Universi-ty and the Foundation to purchase andmanage property that will become analumni center and parking lot. Sheworked toward the creation of Green Gar-dens at Ewing, energized the StudentFoundation, and spearheaded the 150thcelebration with a fund-raising focus onstudent scholarships. She also redesignedalumni outreach and development infra-structure, including an ongoing process ofadopting a new database.

INTERIM DEAN NAMED FOR

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Assistant Provost Charles McGuire hasbeen named the interim dean of the Col-lege of Business. He replaces Dixie Mills,who retired in July after serving as deanfor the past decade. A member of the faculty for 27 years, Mills was honored ata reception in June.

McGuire became assistant provost inJuly of 2005. Prior to that he was chair ofthe Department of Finance, Insurance andLaw for 17 years. As a faculty member inthe department, McGuire’s teaching,research, and publications focused on

insurance law, ethics, and regulation. He was instrumental in establishing

the college’s Katie School of Insuranceand Financial Services, and the Institutefor Insurance Ethics. McGuire alsoplayed a key role in planning the Collegeof Business Building.

McGuire was chosen as interim aftera search for a dean was halted. Thesearch will be renewed in January, afterthe appointment of a new provost andvice president for Academic Affairs.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS RANKED

AMONG NATION’S BEST

BusinessWeek magazine has listed IllinoisState’s College of Business as one of thebest undergraduate business schools inthe nation. The College of Business was41st among public universities and 75thoverall in the publication’s nationwideranking of undergraduate programs. The

magazine’s rankings, which werereleased in March, put the college in aleague with many of the nation’s topbusiness schools.

The rankings were based on numer-ous factors, including the overall acade-mic quality of schools and feedback fromcurrent students and employers. Currentstudents were surveyed on the quality ofteaching, facilities, and services offeredat the schools. Companies that recruitnationwide were also asked which pro-grams turn out the best graduates, andwhich schools have the most innovativecurricula and most effective career services.

Student feedback reflected a highlevel of satisfaction with the dedicationof faculty members, academic programs,employment services, and the College ofBusiness Building. Students describedtheir educational experiences as “satisfy-

3ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Milner Library is one of only seven libraries nationwide to be awarded the 2007 John

Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award. The award recognizes the work of Milner’s

staff in raising campus and community awareness about the life and professional

contributions of Angeline Milner, the University’s first librarian.

The prestigious award has been

given annually since 1946 to recognize

and honor outstanding achievement in

library public relations. Milner was the

only academic library in 2007 to receive

the honor, which includes a $3,000

development grant from the H.W. Wil-

son Foundation to support future public

relations initiatives at the library.

The campaign coincided with the

150th anniversary of Milner’s birth. It

featured a public presentation about

Milner’s life and career, as well as a birth-

day ceremony complete with cake. The

highlight was the dedication of a head-

stone on Milner’s previously unmarked grave in a Bloomington cemetery.

Toni Tucker, assistant to the dean, organized that campaign with Beth Schobernd,

associate dean; JoAnn Rayfield, university archivist; and Angela Bonnell, an associate

professor at Milner.

Milner Library capturesnational public relations award

A headstone now marks the grave of Illinois State’s first

librarian, Angeline Milner.

ing and rewarding” and an excellent prepa-ration for careers in business.

The rankings place the college in goodcompany with some of the nation’s bestundergraduate business schools, includingthe University of Alabama, University ofOregon, North Carolina State, Howard Uni-versity, University of Iowa, Tulane Universi-ty, Florida State University, University ofPittsburgh, and Louisiana State University.

FEDERAL GRANT SUPPORTS

DEAF EDUCATION PROGRAM

Illinois State will address the need to helpchildren with hearing loss use spoken lan-guage in addition to, or instead of, sign lan-guage. Special Education Professor Mari-beth Lartz has received a $778,941 grant

from the U.S. Department of Educationto create a graduate level early interven-tion training program for teachers andrelated personnel who serve deaf/hardof hearing children.

Lartz’s program will help teachers,speech pathologists, and audiologistsacquire the graduate specialization cer-tificate in early intervention auditory-oral education. She hopes the programwill attract 70 Illinois professionals whowill be trained to provide early interven-tion services to families with childrenwho are from birth to three years of ageand have hearing loss. The program willlead to certification as a DevelopmentalTherapist-Hearing for deaf babies andfamilies.

“Many veteran educators neverreceived professional preparation in thearea of cochlear implants,” Lartz said.

Because the need is prevalent in theChicago area, the program will be delivered through on-site and video con-ferencing instruction that will connectChicago-based educators in Des Plaineswith Illinois State educators.

The medical director of Illinois’largest pediatric cochlear implant pro-gram has offered support for the grant.Dr. Nancy Young will allow students toobserve cochlear implant surgeries,cochlear implant mapping by audiolo-gists, and hearing therapy by Children’sMemorial Hospital speech pathologists inChicago. Dr. Michael Novak, chiefimplant surgeon for the Carle ClinicCochlear Implant Center in Champaign,will provide downstate students with sim-ilar surgery and therapy observationopportunities.

PROFESSOR CHOSEN AS

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR

Marketing Department Associate Profes-sor Gary Hunter has been chosen to be a visiting Fulbright Scholar this fall at Paderborn University in Paderborn,Germany. While there he will teach aboutretail systems, focusing on strategy, finan-cial analysis, and issues of consumerbehavior in a retail environment. He willalso conduct research on German retailmarkets and consumer empowerment.

Hunter visited Paderborn Universityin May of 2006 as part of a facultyexchange, which was the start of an academic collaboration. He returned thissummer by invitation to teach a course onretail systems prior to the start of hiswork as a Fulbright.

“The Fulbright Scholar visit will giveme an expanded opportunity to teachabout American retail business practices,while learning a great deal about retailmarkets in Germany,” Hunter said. “Thattype of cross-cultural business study willhelp to enrich my teaching when I returnto Illinois State in the spring of 2008.”

Hunter is one of approximately 800U.S. faculty and professionals travelingabroad through the Fulbright ScholarProgram. It is America’s flagship interna-tional education exchange program and issponsored by the U.S. Department ofState, Bureau of Educational and CulturalAffairs.

4 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

UniversityNews

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Craig McLauchlan has received a Faculty Early Career

Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation. The award is one

of the most prestigious awards in support of early career development activities of

teachers and scholars who most effectively inte-

grate research and education within the context of

the mission of their organization.

McLauchlan will receive approximately

$500,000 over a five-year period. He will use the

grant to research vanadium coordination complex-

es and create educational programs to present the

research. The educational program will include use

of smart room technologies and student response

systems.

Illinois State welcomes many transfer stu-

dents, so McLauchlan devised a plan to incorporate

community colleges in his educational programs.

His “Clicker System in a Bag” contains 30 student

clickers, a laptop computer, receiver, and software

and will be loaned to community colleges to

help persuade them to invest in smart room

technologies.

McLauchlan is the third chemistry faculty member to receive the CAREER award.

Associate Professors Lisa Szczepura and Gregory Ferrence are past recipients, as well as

Biological Sciences Associate Professor Craig Gatto.

Chemistry professorreceives prestigious award

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Craig

McLauchlan appreciates NSF support.

5ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

AlumniALUMNI SESQUICENTENNIAL

DIRECTORY PLANNED

In honor of the University’s sesquicen-tennial celebration, the Alumni Associa-tion and Alumni Relations office have partnered with Harris Connect, Inc., toproduce a special alumni directory calledIllinois State University 150th AnniversaryAlumni Edition.

Scheduled for release in January,this directory will be an up-to-date andcomplete reference of the more than167,000 Illinois State graduates. Thiscomprehensive edition will include con-tact and employment information forour alumni. Alumni will have theopportunity to submit a personal notefor inclusion in the directory, as well asphotos.

E-mail and printed questionnairesfor information verification were sent inearly March. Please respond quickly tothe notices so that the production of thislandmark publication can be completedon schedule. Call the Harris customer service department at (800) 230-9492with any questions.

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

FOR ALUMNI AWARDS

Do you know of an alumnus whodeserves to be recognized? Alumni Relations staff members want to hearfrom you!

Nominations are being sought forfuture recipients of the Alumni Associa-tion Awards program, which recognizesthe professional and service accomplish-ments of alumni as they progress in theircareers. Members of the University com-munity, alumni, colleagues, or friends ofthe University may make a nomination.

Forms are available online atwww.alumni.ilstu.edu/about_us/awardsand can be completed within minutes. Inaddition to the required form, the Website details award categories. Nomina-tions for the 2008 awards must bereceived by September 17. Recipients willbe honored during Founders Day events

on February 14, which will be the culmi-nation of Illinois State’s sesquicentennialcelebration.

Questions about the Alumni Awardsprogram may be directed to Alumni Rela-tions staff at alumni@IllinoisState.edu orcall (309) 438-2586.

ANNUAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

MEETING SET

All alumni are invited to attend the Alum-ni Association annual meeting at 10 a.m.on Saturday, September 15, in the BoneStudent Center Old Main Room. Agendaitems include the election of members tothe Alumni Association board of directorsand board officers.

Alumni with active membership sta-tus in the Alumni Association are eligibleto vote at the annual meeting. To be activealumni must have made a gift to the University through the Illinois State University Foundation in the current orpreceding fiscal year.

For more information contact Alumni Relations at (309) 438-2589 or(800) 366-4478 or by e-mail atsaepp@IllinoisState.edu.

DevelopmentCATERPILLAR GIFT FUNDS INTEGRATED

MANUFACTURING LABORATORY

A $1.2 million gift from Caterpillar Cor-poration has allowed the Department ofTechnology to create a state-of-the-artlearning facility featuring robotic technol-ogy. The Caterpillar Integrated Manufac-turing Laboratory (CAT-IML) in Turner Hall gives students hands-onexperience using the same types of manu-facturing equipment found in high-techindustrial settings.

Ten integrated workstations includeindustrial quality ABB robots, program-mable logic controllers, a conveyor belt,machine vision systems, a computer net-work, and pneumatic materials handlingdevices. An adjoining smart classroomcan be used in conjunction with the laboratory workstations.

Much of the CAT-IML equipmentwas paid for with money from the Cater-pillar gift, but that equipment needed tobe specially adapted for use in the lab.Students and faculty members designedand built the individual workstations forthe integrated manufacturing systems, aswell as specialized parts for the program-mable robots.

“Illinois State is able to provide students with a state-of-the-art learningenvironment thanks to the generosity ofCaterpillar,” President Al Bowman said.“In return companies such as Caterpillarwill benefit by being able to hire highly-qualified graduates who will be theindustry leaders of tomorrow.”

AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP

ESTABLISHED TO HONOR GRADUATE

Alumna Jill Walker ’88 has been remem-bered through an agriculture scholarshipestablished in her memory. Walker, whodied last summer, was the wife of IllinoisState Agriculture Professor Paul Walkerand mother of Samantha and Leslie.

The Jill Walker Agriculture Memori-al Scholarship was created and endowedby contributions from Paul Walker, fami-ly members, and friends. The scholar-ship will award $1,000 each year to an incoming freshman majoring in agricul-ture and specializing in animal science,agronomy, or agriculture education. Thefirst recipient will be named during thisfall semester.

Jill Walker was a committed sup-porter of young people and a recognized

Students learn to use technology in the CAT-IML.

leader in her community of Danvers.She was a blood drive coordinator forthe Red Cross, honorary member of theOlympia FFA, and Illinois SimmentalAssociation 2002 Member of the Year.

DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS TIED

TO 150TH CELEBRATION

A fund-raising initiative tied to the Uni-versity’s special sesquicentennial cele-bration year was launched on FoundersDay to support four student scholarshipfunds. Dollars for Scholars seeks gifts of$150 in celebration of the University’s150th year—just $1 for each year sincethe University was founded as the firstpublic university in Illinois.

Each donation will help grow theendowments of four scholarship funds,including the Bowman Fellows, BoneScholars, Presidential Scholars, and theOlamide E. Adeyooye Memorial Scholar-ship Fund. A $150 gift will help ensurefinancial assistance is available throughthese funds, each of which is explainedin detail online at www.universityad-vancement.ilstu.edu/about/Dollars-forScholars.shtml. Online giving is avail-able through the Web site.

Dollars for Scholars will concludeon Founders Day in February of 2008.For more information or to make yourdonation over the phone, contact Inter-nal Campaigns Executive Director Bar-bara Todd ’79, M.S. ’84, at (309) 438-2592 or by e-mail at bttodd@ilstu.edu.

AthleticsFISCHER SETS RECORD

FOR COACHING WINS

Softball coach Melinda Fischer ’72, M.S.,’75, became the winningest coach in university history this spring when theRedbirds were victorious over Drake.The April 14 game gave Fischer her714th coaching victory at Illinois State,which is the most wins of all coaches inany sport at the University.

Fischer gained the title by surpass-ing the late B.H. “Duffy” Bass, who won713 games as a Redbird baseball coach.She credited each person that has beenassociated with the Redbird softball pro-gram for her success.

“This isn’t about me at all. This isabout each and every person who hasdone so much for Illinois State softball.It all goes back to me coming back here22 years ago, to a place that I love, to aplace that is my life, and being given theopportunity to do something great. It’sbeen a great experience,” Fischer said.

She is particularly appreciative ofBass, noting she has fond memories ofher mentor. “I had him as a professor inundergrad and then again in graduateschool, and I also had the pleasure ofcoaching with him in my first years atIllinois State. He was a tremendous per-son and did a lot of great things for Illi-nois State and for our community. Itmeans a lot to me to be associated withhim,” Fischer said.

LEGENDARY BASEBALL

COACH MOURNED

Illinois State’s legendary coach, B.H.“Duffy” Bass, died on March 14 at theage of 81. Bass was an alumnus who ledthe University’s baseball team from1964 to 1988, compiling a 713-457-18record.

His campus connection began as astudent and athlete. Bass was a catcherat Illinois State from 1946 to 1950. Hegraduated in 1950 and completed a mas-ter’s in 1951. Prior to accepting thecoaching position he taught at Universi-ty High School, which is part of the Lab-oratory Schools.

As Illinois State’s coach, Bass tooksix teams to National Collegiate AthleticAssociation tournament play and camehome with the national title in 1969. Hewas named national Coach of the Year in1970.

Bass was general manager of theTwin City Stars, which is a Central Illi-nois Collegiate League team he foundedin 1982. He also traveled to Japan andCuba on trips related to youth baseball.

A resident of Normal, Bass was amember of the McLean County Boardand served since 1979. His wife, Helen(Matone) ’48, died on June 11. He is sur-vived by three children, three grandchil-dren, and two siblings.

THREE REDBIRDS NAMED TO

CONFERENCE CENTENNIAL TEAM

Former Illinois State women’s basketballplayers Cathy Boswell ’83, Cindy Kauf-man ’91, and Jenny Schmidt ’99 havebeen named to the Missouri Valley Con-ference (MVC) All-Centennial Team. Thehonorary team commemorates theMVC’s century anniversary.

Boswell led the Redbirds to 90 winsin her career, along with a National Col-legiate Athletic Association (NCAA) bidin 1983. The all-time leading scorer inIllinois State history, she scored 2,005career points. Boswell was a member ofthe 1984 women’s Olympic gold medal-ist basketball team. She is in the Univer-sity’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Her retiredjersey hangs in Redbird Arena.

Kaufman is the second-highest scor-er, with 1,684 points during her fouryears. She led the Redbirds to three postseason appearances, including the1988-1989 NCAA tournament. Schmidtis fourth in all-time scoring with 1,558points total, and is third overall for steals with a total of 249. She also compiled a second-best program recordwith a free throw percentage of .823 atIllinois State.

6 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

UniversityNews

B.H. “Duffy” Bass ’50, M.S. ’51

7ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Editor’s Note: Letters on issues discussed in Illinois State or relating to universitynews or policies are welcome. All letters should be limited to 250 words or lessand are subject to editing. Send e-mail to sjblyst@IllinoisState.edu; fax to (309) 438-8411; or mail to Illinois State, Illinois State University, Campus Box 3420, Normal, IL 61790-3420.

To the Editor, Imagine my surprise when I received my latest alumni magazine and readthe story about the legacy family (Winter 2006-2007 issue). Phillip and KenBaylor are my first cousins. I too am a graduate of Illinois State. I met myhusband, Roger Cohn, M.S. ’76, at Illinois State. My father, Leland Bear, gothis associate’s degree there back when it was still Illinois State Normal Uni-versity. My uncle, Earl Page, who is also an uncle to the Baylors, is also agraduate. It certainly is a small world.

Ruth (Bear) Cohn ’76

Letters

ATHLETICS COMPLETES EFFORT

TO UPGRADE MARQUEE

After years of patching the electronicmarquee adjacent to the primary Han-cock Stadium parking lot off of MainStreet, administrators within the Athlet-ics Department took steps to replace thetired sign.

This spring a bigger, better, 21st-century light-emitting diode (LED) marquee was installed. Complete withcolor and animation capabilities, thesign promotes campus and communityactivities, as well as athletic events. Aspart of the improved signage effort, Ath-letics also replaced the Redbird Arenascoreboard in the spring. The Hancock Stadium scoreboard was replaced thissummer.

FOOTBALL TEAM READY TO TACKLE

TOUGH OPPONENTS

With the departure of Western Kentuckyfrom the Gateway Football Conference,nonconference scheduling proved to bechallenging for Illinois State. But headfootball coach Denver Johnson complet-ed the 2007 slate by turning to futureGateway opponent North Dakota State.

North Dakota State, along withSouth Dakota State, will officially jointhe conference starting with the 2008season. The Redbirds will get a previewof their future Gateway foe when theyface the Bison in November.

“We are excited about the scheduleand readily accept the challenge,” John-son said. “Our ambitions are to play fora national championship and if you aregoing to do that, you are going to have toplay tough teams like North DakotaState along the way.”

The season, which begins with ahome game against Drake on August 30,includes the Big 12 Missouri Tigers forthe first time. For a complete schedule,go online to www.GoRedbirds.com. Ticket information is available on theWeb site or by calling (309) 438-8000.

NFL DRAFT ADDS ANOTHER

REDBIRD TO THE PROS

Laurént Robinson ’07 was selected bythe Atlanta Falcons in the third round ofthe 2007 National Football League(NFL) Draft in April, becoming the 12thRedbird selected to play professionallysince wide receiver Clarence Collins in1984.

Robinson’s success creates for thefirst time in more than two decadesthree consecutive years where a memberof the Redbird football team has beenchosen in the NFL Draft. Boomer Grigs-

by was the choice of Kansas City Chiefstwo years ago, and Brent Hawkins wentto Jacksonville Jaguars last year. FormerRedbird Aveion Cason also plays in theNFL as a member of the Detroit Lions.

Robinson was the first player chosen from the Gateway Football Conference, the second player selectedfrom the Football Championship Subdi-vision (FCS), and the 11th receiverpicked in the draft. He leaves IllinoisState with nearly every school receivingrecord, despite battling a nagging ankleinjury during the majority of his seniorseason. He ended his career with 3,007receiving yards and 29 touchdowns on192 catches, while being named theGateway's Offensive Player of the Year in2005.

During the 2005 season, Robinsonracked up 1,465 receiving yards, 12touchdowns, and 86 catches. He was afinalist for the Walter Payton Award,which is presented to the top offensivefootball player in the FCS. An All-Gate-way first team selection in 2005 and asecond team honoree in 2006, Robinsonwas a consensus all-American followinghis junior season. He ended his careerby playing in the 2007 Hula Bowl.

A new marquee sign stands adjacent to Hancock Stadium.

Ove

Lisa Daniels ’99, M.S. ’00, came

to Illinois State more than a

decade after graduating from

high school. She enrolled as a

mom determined to change

her future by completing a

degree. Today Daniels is a

communications manager in

an international firm. She’s

also an adjunct faculty member

who knows how to motivate

struggling students.

Phot

osby

Mim

iJan

osy

BY KATE ARTHUR

Pushing a stroller at 17, it never occurred to Lisa Daniels that 20 years later she’d be pushing time zones.

A month after Daniels ’99, M.S. ’00, walked across her high school stage to accept her diploma, her

son, DeMarco, was born. College never crossed her mind. She hated high school, partly because

she thought her parents were too strict and they wouldn’t let her join a lot of activities. Years later she

realizes that with seven children, they simply didn’t have the time to run her around.

After graduation Daniels went to work in a nursing home for six years. “All I wanted to do was

work and take care of myself and be the type of grown-up we all thought we wanted to be,” she said.

“It didn’t register that I would have the struggles I had ahead of me.”

At 19 she married her son’s father, but the marriage didn’t last. For the first time she was on her

own, supplementing her income with government aid. She became a flight attendant for American

Airlines, relying on family support for her son. That job ended during a lay-off.

She was hired as a secretary with a Rockford school district and someone took notice. An adminis-

trator, Albert Harold, said she had potential and should go to college. “My response was, ‘Yeah and how

will I support my family?’ I didn’t think it was possible.”

She learned there were scholarships for nontraditional students and single parents. At night she sat

at the kitchen table, filling out all the lines and boxes. At 29, when her son was in the midst of junior

high, she stepped onto Illinois State’s campus.

It was the perfect choice. She was within driving distance of her family, but far enough to break

away from her childhood experiences. The transition was smoother than expected for her son, who

made both the football and basketball teams and joined student council at his new school.

“I told him, ‘Mom has to get through college. I really need you to be a good boy and stay out of

trouble and this will pay off for us both,’ and he kept his end of the bargain,” Daniels said.

Sometimes dinner was a burger at a residence hall food court. He had to sit through lectures when

she had no place else to take him. Sometimes she took him along to her job in the Financial Aid Office,

where he made copies and coffee runs.

At night she started the mom shift, doing the dishes that had collected in the sink, sliding a pizza

9ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

One nontraditional student’s inspiring saga

rcoming obstacles

into the oven, pulling a pile of laundry out of the dryer. Whenher son slept, she went back to a little desk that was given toher and started her homework. She had to be up at 4:30 a.m.to get DeMarco to basketball practice by 5 a.m. Daniels lookedforward to Saturday nights as a chance to sleep herself.

The routine was draining but Daniels didn’t give up herdream. On Mother’s Day of 1999, she walked across the Illinois State commencement stage. Her family applauded asshe celebrated the completion of a bachelor’s degree in pub-lic relations and English writing. She continued her educa-tion immediately, completing a master’s degree in communi-cations in just one year. “I thought I needed an advanceddegree because I was older and because I wanted to be ascompetitive as possible,” she said.

Daniels was eager to start a new career path, but sad toleave the nurturing campus environment. “I was a nontradi-tional and first-generation college student. My college careeropened doors for me to improve my lifestyle and it provideda great opportunity to do so many things. I owe much of mysuccess to Illinois State,” Daniels said. She still keeps in touchwith former professor Pat Grogg, and her Senior Professionalsmentor, Joe Jackson. Both attended her graduation.

“The college community was small enough you didn’tfeel overwhelmed, but you also didn’t feel smothered. It wasthe best time of my life, it really was. You hear people say thatbecause they partied and hung out. As a mature college student it was amazing in a different way, in the hope itbrought to me.”

Daniels focused her job search on the East coast, notonly for the opportunities but because she wanted her son tohave a broader experience. DeMarco had just finished hisfreshman year in high school and initially shared her excite-ment when she took a communications job in New Jersey.

The day before they were supposed to leave, with the U-Haul parked in the driveway, she found him on his bed crying. The 15-year-old didn’t want to leave his friends. Hedidn’t want to start over.

“It was tough because we were changing regions andeverything that was trendy and in style in Illinois wasn’there,” said Daniels, who now works in Philadelphia. “He hadthe wrong shoes and the wrong clothes and even the wronghair. It was tough.”

DeMarco not only adjusted, he thrived and headedstraight to college after graduation. “I think it’s because Iimmersed him in the Illinois State community. I didn’t realize

the impression it was making on him until he graduated. Heknew what was expected of him.” He is now a senior at Mary-land’s Towson University

About a year ago, Daniels felt the need for anotherchange. Discouraged by the bottom-line focus of the corpo-rate world, she began applying for doctoral programs. Thenshe noticed a blind ad for a communications manager. Sheexplored the possibility and accepted a position with SCAAmericas.

Based in Sweden, SCA is a $14 billion global paper com-pany. It employs approximately 51,000 in 50 countries, withmore than 8,000 employees in the Americas. Daniels isresponsible for the development of all corporate internal andexternal communications activities for all the Americas.

“I travel internationally now, which I could not haveimagined at 17. I can influence people in decision-makingroles in a global company. That’s pretty fascinating when I didn’t even think I’d get past 12th grade.”

The journey has been remarkable and rewarding forDaniels, who left campus with the goal of doubling the$20,000 annual income that was her salary for a decade. Shehas far surpassed that mark, and yet the financial rewards arenot the most significant outcome to her success at IllinoisState and beyond. What she really values are the investmentsof time and effort others made on her behalf. She treasuresthe crystal paperweight in the shape of a globe on her desk—a gift from a Rockford school administrator, Joyce Harring-ton, who thought she had potential.

Now she is the one instilling hope in students as theystrive for a bright future. She motivates and mentors in herrole as an adjunct communications faculty member at Burling-ton County Community College and Temple University.

Daniels knows the struggles many of her students arefacing. She shares with them her own difficult days when shewas a single mom juggling classroom assignments and herson’s activities. She never gave up on her belief that life wasgood, which is still her mantra today.

“When the sun comes up, there’s always this new senseof hope,” she said. “It’s almost like my battery getsrecharged every day. You just hangonto that hope that deepinside you know life is supposed to be great.”

10 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“I can influence people in decision-making roles in a global company.

That’s pretty fascinating when I didn’t even think I’d get past 12th grade.”

11ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

BY SUSAN MARQUARDTBLYSTONE

othing stirs Redbird pride like thesight and sound of the Big Red

Marching Machine parading throughthe heart of campus while playing theUniversity’s fight song. Alumni of allages applaud the rendition and appreci-ate the musical tradition that is aningrained part of Illinois State’s history.

Although not the first prioritywhen the University opened in 1857,music became a key part of campus lifeby the early 1900s. Since that time therehas been a consistent presence of vocalensembles and orchestras. Bands havebeen traced back to the same era byRobert Allan, ’50, M.S. ’66, who is a pastdirector.

One of the first was Varsity Band,which played at athletic rallies andgames. “This was a student organizedand operated group that preceded anyofficial marching band, pep band, orconcert group,” Allan said. “The onlyconcert band was a very sometimesthing, apparently determined by avail-able students to play in the group.Some years there would be a small bandof 20 or so players, and some yearsthere would be none.”

Frank Westhoff was in charge ofthe earliest bands. He was the onlymusic teacher at the University formany years. By the early 1930s indus-trial arts faculty member KenyonFletcher took over as director. Each ofhis successors has worked to nurtureand advance the legacy of the band pro-

gram, which includes wind symphony,symphonic winds, symphonic band,university band, pep band, and jazzensemble. The most noticeable of themall is the marching band.

That was especially true under theleadership of George Foeller, who ledthe marching band through significantchange. Once a trombonist with the AirForce Band, Foeller earned a bachelor’sand master’s degree in music. He lefthis home state of Connecticut to teachat a Texas high school. He was hired in1960 as an instructor and to serve asthe director of Illinois State NormalUniversity’s All-Girls’ Marching Band.

“During WWII the male popula-tion was depleted, so Wayne Sherrardformed an all-girl marching band,”Foeller said. The men returned and two

ONE BIG,RED MACHINEONE BIG,RED MACHINEMarching band members exemplify Redbird pride

N

12 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“We never practiced on the realfootball field. When I first came themarching band practice field waswhere Turner Hall is now,” Foeller said.With that land lost to construction, hehad to scramble for a space close tocampus and large enough for the 120-by-55-yard grid. It was then the bandmoved to an elementary school justwest of campus, which worked muchbetter than an administrator’s sugges-tion that the band rehearse on theQuad.

Despite such frustrations, Foellerdeveloped a devotion to the Universityand his students. He gave up the banddirector position in 1978, but stayed inthe School of Music until his retirementin 1990.

“I have been proud to be associat-ed with the people in band at IllinoisState. I learned from them and I stillhear from them,” Foeller said. Manyhave visited his home near Blooming-

ton, where he arranges scores for Euro-pean bands. He also organizes and con-ducts Foeller’s Illinois State Alumniand Friends, which is a group of 40who gather annually to create a record-ing as part of a Heritage of the Marchseries.

He is equally remembered for band for-mations that acknowledged the namechange from Illinois State Normal University.

“We were famous for the big ISNU.It took some maneuvering to get fourletters out of 100 people. That’s noteasy,” Foeller said. “At the last perfor-mance a band member was carrying ‘N’on a stick and marched off the field asthe ‘U’ moved over.”

Foeller had to adjust to otherchanges as well during his 18 years as

band director. The women marched inskirts when he arrived. While he man-aged a uniform transition, he never didwin a fight to earn physical educationcredit for band members. Travel waslimited by a measly budget, and prac-tice was often complicated because ofthe expanding campus.

distinct bands were formed, whichfrustrated Foeller when he came to Illinois State.

“The girls’ band was enormousand mostly woodwind. The men’s bandwas small and mostly brass. I put thewomen on both sides of the field andthe men in the middle. Eventually Imeshed them together and it becameone band,” Foeller said.

Under Foeller’s direction the ISNUMarching Band was initially held to100. The number worked well for the

shows that Foeller insisted changeevery week so that Redbird fans wouldnot see the same performance twice. Ittook nearly five hours for the band tolearn a new show. Basic marching bandprotocol learned in orientation drillsessions made the task easier.

Foeller charted productions thatwere memorable, if not controversial.He literally played off the times whenhe wrote a parody of the popularWendy’s commercial that asked“Where’s the beef?” Band membersformed a bun, with the dance linemembers dressed in red to serve as themeat.

“We built the burger, and boy didthat hit the papers,” Foeller recalled.

The women marched in skirts and without men during

WWII, above. Band members changed their routine when

the University’s name changed, right.

13ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“There would be a monster void inmy life without music,” said Foeller,who is convinced that bands are “50percent music and 50 percent social.”

Ed Livingston, Foeller’s successor,is in complete agreement.

Livingston came to Illinois State in1967 when made aware by Foeller thatthe department was adding a tubainstructor position. A past member ofthe U.S. Army Band, Livingston is adual graduate of Western MichiganUniversity. He completed a bachelor’sin music education and a master’s inperformance music. He also earned adoctorate from the Royal College ofMusic in London and had made a livingplaying his tuba for commercials, Ringling Brothers Circus, and at RadioCity Music Hall. But teaching was hispassion.

“Teaching is a noble profession. Iwanted to turn kids into lovers ofmusic,” Livingston said. He had thechance at Illinois State, where he servedas director of bands from 1977 to 1983.It was under his leadership that thename Big Red Marching Machine wasintroduced, as well as a band thatswelled to more than 400.

“I told kids we had the greatestband in the world,” Livingston said,reflecting on how he managed to enlist250 members in 1977 when the bandhad totaled 192 the prior year. Thenumbers continued to climb to 454,which led to the world’s largest march-ing band title.

“We didn’t march real well at firstbut boy were we loud. It was anabsolute thrill to stand on the podium

in front of 450 kids and have them layit on you. It was the greatest sound Iever heard, unbelievable,” Livingstonsaid. “It gave us a certain boost in repu-tation.”

The attention led to unique perfor-mance opportunities, such as thechance to play at a Cleveland Brownsfootball game on Thanksgiving Day.That televised performance resulted in11 invitations the next year and morepro game shows in Cincinnati andChicago.

Closer to home Livingston wasknown for the flaming tuba routine,which was always performed to Horse.

“I gave them the horrible idea,” Liv-ingston confessed, noting he had donethe same with his tuba while marching

Band bonds remain unbroken Every graduate of the marching band has countless memories,

but Scott Woodford ’92 undoubtedly has one of the most unique.

He’ll never forget the day he left the field and proceeded to shed

his hot uniform. He’ll also never forget the shocked band mem-

bers who, unlike Woodford’s former drum corps peers, waited to

disrobe in private.

“I was used to the Phantom Regiment,” Woodford explained,

noting wardrobe etiquette wasn’t the only difference between

the competitive drum corps and Illinois State’s Big Red Marching

Machine.

Now employed by Walgreens and living in Schaumburg,

Woodford joined the Phantom as a horn player at age 10. He

came to Illinois State planning to study accounting and take a

break from band. By his second year he was a parks and recre-

ation major and a member of the Big Red Marching Machine.

“It was the best decision I ever made,” Woodford said of the

day he joined the marching band. He was under the direction of

Dan Farris, who gave Woodford a pass on the basic camp

required of incoming members. Still Woodford remembers the

hours spent memorizing charts that detailed each step.

“We learned by falling over each other,” he said. The effort

was rewarded with every performance, be it on the Redbird field

or before Bears’ fans at halftime in Chicago. Applause offset

moments of misery, such as marching in subzero temperatures.

“There were times my instrument was solid ice,” Woodford

said. “But you warm up and you get over it. Once you put the uni-

form on and get out and perform, it’s the best. You look good for

the University and for yourself.”

It’s that unique role

of musician and ambas-

sador that creates such a

tight bond among band

alumni. Woodford knows

how strong the connec-

tion is from his role as

president of the Universi-

ty’s Alumni Band Club.

The club, which

formed in 1996 through

the efforts of Vince Aut-

en ’85 and Terry Kosnick

’86, is open to all music graduates. Alumni play at a men’s basket-

ball game and gather for a Drum Corps International event held

on campus. Then there is the opportunity to play at Homecom-

ing. Club leaders are hoping 150 alumni musicians will come back

for this year’s parade on October 13.

Woodford knows that even if that 150 goal is reached, the

numbers will dwindle as the parade reaches a certain nostalgic

landmark.

“Once we get past the grandstand we lose about half our

members,” Woodford said. “They stop at the Pub II.”

Editor’s note: Learn more about the Illinois State University Alumni Band

Club online at www.alumni.ilstu.edu/involved/clubs_chapters/club/

marching_band.shtml or e-mail Scott Woodford at prmoose@yahoo.com.

14 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

as a student at the University of Michi-gan. “Now there are sophisticated elec-tronics. In my day in the 1950s we usedgunpowder in an envelope with a three-

second fuse and we had a lighter. I wasable to tell everybody for years thattuba players are hot guys.”

Such humor was key to Liv-ingston’s success, as he anticipated thewild stunts band members attempted—

including mooning a lobby of hotelguests from a glass elevator while on a road trip. He also recalls being wakened in the middle of the nightafter students turned a fountain into abubble bath.

“I knew the mentality because Ihad been one of them,” Livingstonsaid. That meant he also had an appre-ciation for the physical and mentalwork required of every member, beginning with the introduction of newmusic on Monday. Marching charts followed.

“The music was marked accordingto where the routine would take them.Forward eight steps was two measuresof music,” Livingston explained. Such basics were taught in mandatoryband camp that was held prior to theacademic year, which made for a longsemester.

“They would go from band campwhere it’s 100 degrees and 10 hours aday in the sun until the end of Novem-ber. It was a long haul and hard workthose kids put in,” he said.

And yet there is no greater loyaltythan that found among band members,who form such a tight team that thebonds remain strong years after gradu-ation. Now operating a tour companyon Washington Island, Wisconsin, Livingston still hears from graduatesscattered across the country.

“They are why I stayed all thoseyears,” Livingston said. “Illinois Statestudents were wonderful kids whowanted to be taught.”

Steve Steele and Dan Belongia canattest that the same is still true today.Both men marvel at the commitmentfrom students who work long hours,endure the elements, give up theirweekends to perform in a crazy uni-form, and have to pay for the privilege.

“The most common question I getis how much are the students paid,”said Belongia, who directs the Big RedMarching Machine. As director ofbands, Steele gets the same inquiry and

Blood and sweat, but no tears Marching band has been a part of Ruth Sowers’s life since she picked up her dad’s trum-

pet in fifth grade. She played through high school before enrolling at Illinois State. Initially

a music education major, she came to campus eager for her band days to continue.

While her major shifted to geography education, her commitment to the band never

wavered. After 22 years as a theatre tech for Walt Disney World, Sowers ’79 now lives

in Tennessee and works in live nursery maintenance at Lowe’s. She remains active with

the Illinois State University Alumni Band Club. She serves as vice president, director of

geographical diversity, and Homecoming cochair.

It’s a labor of love for Sowers, who was in the band’s original flag corps. She also

played trumpet and remembers auditioning for her

place among the 100 members. She started under

the direction of George Foeller, who didn’t believe in

repeating a performance.

“We never memorized anything because we did

a different show every week. That was part of the

music education.” Sowers said. “We made a square.

It’s a quintessential thing in marching, and there is

nothing like it today.”

The band became the Big Red Marching Machine

under Ed Livingston, who arranged more road trips.

Sowers remembers buses breaking down, as well as

marching in the mud during a Cleveland Browns’

football game.

Weather was a constant variable that made

marching band a serious effort.

“Performance days were either freezing or hot. We’d pour rubbing alcohol on our

valves so they didn’t freeze. We had earmuffs inside our hats, and you can just imagine

what the tuba players had in their bells,” Sowers said.

“It was hard work, especially during August rehearsals when you’re sunburned.

People passed out. Some actually shed blood,” Sowers said. “If you’re playing a piccolo

trumpet and a mellophone hits you as it passes by, it’s like a Mack truck taking out a

motorcycle.”

And yet Sowers declares the moments spent marching were priceless. “We loved

it, even though it was grueling,” she said, adding that the friendships were especially

cherished.

Camaraderie still exists today, which is why Sowers is hopeful 150 alumni will

participate in this year’s Homecoming parade. Past members of pep, marching, and

concert bands are welcome. Practice is limited to the morning of the parade. The

University provides instruments and music.

And as Sowers is quick to note, marching is not required because a truck is available.

Those who don’t ride “stroll in step.” The pace is perfect for Sowers, who admits she is

“an old band geek.”

Editor’s note: Are you an alumnus from the School of Music interested in participating in this year’s

Homecoming parade? Contact Ruth Sowers by e-mail at ruthtunes@juno.com for more information.

have a positive experience that will ulti-mately enrich their collegiate years.That is, after all, the Big Red MarchingMachine tradition.

Editor’s note: To learn more about the Big Red

Marching Machine, go to www.isubands.org/

brmm.shtml on the Web. E-mail Dan Belongia at

dabelon@ilstu.edu or Steve Steele at ssteele@

ilstu.edu. George Foeller and Ed Livingston would

love to hear from past students. Foeller’s e-mail

address is foellerg@mtco.com and Livingston can

be reached at cherrytraintours@ itol.com.

15ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

witnesses surprise every time hereports that students are not paid onepenny.

“Many universities scholarshiptheir athletic bands. Here students haveto pay because it’s one credit hour. Ifthey thought about the workload percredit hour they wouldn’t participate,”Steele said.

Marching band students commit aminimum of six hours each week dur-ing three regular class sessions, with asmany as 16 hours required when thereare performances. Practices are held ata middle school adjacent to campus.Band members play at football, volley-ball, and men’s and women’s basketballgames. Some weekends in the late fallare double booked, as football seasonhas not yet ended.

“They pay a high price but they doit with a smile on their face,” said Belon-gia, who speaks with complete convic-tion and affection when he declares thatband kids are “slightly weird andwarped.” He knows this from personalexperience, having performed himselfin The Cavaliers and The Star of Indi-ana drum and bugle corps.

Belongia earned a bachelor’s andmaster’s degree in music education andperformance at University of Miami, as

well as a doctorate in musical arts fromMichigan State. He was a public schoolband director prior to joining theSchool of Music faculty two years ago.

Among his teaching and directingduties is responsibility for the marchingband, which will have 280 membersthis fall. Members do not audition, withthe exception of dancers and percus-sionists. The majority are not musicmajors, although most who join haveparticipated in high school marchingbands.

“Music is something everyoneshould have the opportunity to enjoy,”Steele said, explaining why the march-ing band is open to all majors. “Theonly requirement is that students be ingood academic standing in their depart-ment. Beyond that they must learn theshow, play the show, and entertainwell.”

These mandates reflect the fact thatmarching band members come togetherto create the largest spirit organizationon campus. In addition to all home foot-ball games, they perform at highschools across the state and communityevents. Performances at professionalgames ended long ago because, asSteele explained, the money to trans-port to entertain at such events just isn’tin the budget.

Belongia is, however, working toincrease travel. He took 107 membersto Ireland this year after receiving aninvitation to perform in a St. Patrick’sDay parade in Dublin. Participants paidtheir own travel expenses.

Belongia hopes to arrange similaropportunities as he looks to the future.Finding scholarship funds is a top pri-ority as well. He is also determined tobolster membership, with 300 targetedas the ideal number. Retention is criti-cal to reach the goal, which is one rea-son Belongia involves students in select-ing music and provides opportunitiesfor members to help chart routines.

More than anything Belongiawants the students he works with to

Friendships are what make marching band memorable, as

Jessica Pruemer ’06, left, and senior Tricia Jones can attest.

A salute to the directorsMany individuals have dedicated years ofhard work to create the University’s bandlegacy. The following list identifies those whohave served as director of bands throughoutthe years.

Frank Westhoff 1912 to the early 1930s

Kenyon Fletcher Early 1930s to 1937

Leo Dvorak 1938

Wayne Sherrard 1938 to 1954

Arden Vance 1954 to 1965

George Foeller 1965 to 1977

Ed Livingston 1977 to 1983

Robert Allan 1984 to 1987

Stephen K. Steele 1987 to present

Assistant directors, who are also integral tothe band program, are as follows.

Don Peterson 1964 to 1967

Roger Faulman 1967 to 1980

Russell Vroman 1974 to 1985

Lawrence Frank 1979 to 1988

Dan Farris 1988 to 2001

Rene Rosas 2001 to 2003

Matt Luttrell 2003 to 2005

Dan Belongia 2005 to present

Special thanks to Robert Allan for his assistance in compiling and providing this historical information.

?17ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

BY JENNIE R. KING

Professor answers global warming questions

Retreating glaciers and dying coral reefs.

Intense storms, flooding, drought, and famine.

Shrinking polar ice, and disappearing species of flora and fauna.

The list is ominous and seems to get longer everyyear. Every item on it may be evidence that signif-icant changes are occurring in the world’s climate.

Is there a crisis looming in our planetaryfuture? Are there more natural disasters on a cata-clysmic scale ahead? How far ahead? Is there asound scientific basis for concern? And if so, isthere anything we can or should do to avoid cata-strophe?

These are questions tackled by Geography-Geology Professor Emeritus James Carter, whoretired from Illinois State in 2005 after 15 years ofteaching weather and climate courses.

“Climate change is real,” Carter said, but it’snothing new. The climate has been changing sincebefore the days when there were people around tonotice it. Take glaciation, for example. “Eighteenthousand years ago Central Illinois was coveredwith a continental glacier,” Carter noted. “Obvi-ously there’s been warming since then.”

That general warming trend has been inter-rupted from time to time. Carter cites the “LittleIce Age” that descended on Europe and North

America roughly around 1400 andstuck around until about 1850.

But along with many of his colleagues in thefield of climate science, Carter thinks we can defi-nitely say that the earth is getting warmer—andthat human activity is a factor in the change.

In January of this year the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration released areport declaring that 2006 had been the warmestyear in the 48 contiguous states since 1895, whenregular temperature recording began. In anotherreport also issued earlier this year the Intergov-ernmental Panel on Climate Change said thathuman activity was “very likely” contributing toincreases in global temperature.

And yet there are still lingering doubtsamong the general public about the data, how itcan be interpreted, and especially about theextent of our human role in climate change.Carter has taken it upon himself to promotegreater awareness of the issues and strengthenthe public’s understanding of the scientific prin-ciples involved.

crisis

It’s a large and complex task because, as hestated, “There are many dimensions to the con-sideration of climate change.”

Regardless of the causes,Carter is convinced that theeffects of global warming couldbe far-reaching. “Most peopledo not want to see a change inclimate,” he said. “We wantthings to remain as they are.”

But climate change isinevitable, in part because ofgreenhouse gases (GHGs), whichbecome a central part of anyglobal warming discussion ordebate. “The greenhouse effect isreal and we should be thankfulthat our atmosphere works thisway,” Carter explained.

Short-wave radiation fromthe hot sun passes through the

earth’s atmospheric gases and warms the earth’ssurface. Being much cooler, the earth radiates inthe long wave spectrum. Some atmospheric gases(the GHGs) absorb those long waves and arewarmed by them. Without them, nighttime onPlanet Earth would be a lot colder than it is.

In balance greenhouse gases are fine, but likemany good things they can be dangerous in excess.“With the growth of our industrial society we gen-erated a continuous increase in the concentration of

greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide,”Carter said.

It’s one example of the “Law of UnintendedConsequences,” a concept Carter invokes to illus-trate how good intentions can go awry, or howdevelopments that seem like progress are nowplaying havoc in the world we live in. “The use offossil fuels such as coal and petroleum permittedus to develop a great life, but in the process wehave modified the chemistry of the atmosphereand the oceans,” Carter said.

There are fundamentals that underlie globalclimate patterns and affect weather from one loca-tion to another, he explained. Latitude, elevation,and proximity to water determine temperatureand temperature ranges. Precipitation is generatedby the uplift of warm, moist air. Warm tropics andcold poles drive continuously circulating currentsof air and water. There is consequently a con-stantly moving system of interrelated forcesalways seeking a balance.

One index of changing weather is tempera-ture. Using data collected from a variety ofsources, scientists have been able to compile anestimate of temperature changes stretching back athousand years, Carter said. He is convinced thatthe record is essentially correct.

A graph of these temperatures takes the formof a relatively straight line with a sharp upwardbend beginning about 1850, coincident with thedawn of the industrial age. It’s the “hockey-stickcurve” featured in Al Gore’s documentary, AnInconvenient Truth.

18 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Professor Emeritus

James Carter continues

to research global

climate change.

Using data collected from a variety of sources, scientists have been able to compile

“Is the warming caused by human enhance-ment of the greenhouse effect? I certainly believemuch of it is, but we still don’t know all we need toknow about what’s happening,” Carter said. He’sthankful that there’s a lot of good climate sciencebeing done, in part by his Illinois State colleagues.Global climate models, for example, are beingdeveloped to interpret and extrapolate the data.

The results of such research stir everythingfrom controversy and panic to practical recom-mendations. Various experts have offered myriadsuggestions about how to curb global warming, orat least how to address some of the indicativesymptoms.

There’s a lot more to learn, according toCarter, who notes irony in the fact that some pol-lutants may be countering the greenhouse effects.“It appears that the sulfates we add to the atmos-phere may be contributing to some cooling,”Carter said. Most of what we know comes fromthe land, but 70 percent of the earth’s surface iscovered by ocean. “We need to learn more abouthow oceans store and move heat,” he said.

Despite the conclusions he has drawn fromthe scientific evidence, Carter is not a prophet ofdoom. “I am not very optimistic that we willreduce the concentration of GHGs significantly,”he said. “Neither am I convinced that the worldwill soon come to an end.”

Carter is certain, however, that warmer tem-peratures will cause sea levels to rise, challengingpopulations in low-lying areas. “Many species of

plants and animals will probably disappear andwe are likely to see shifts in patterns of precipita-tion,” he said.

His list of potentially vulnerable spots spansa variety of disciplines. “You do not want to haveto fight invasions of new diseases that move intoan area because it’s now warmer. You don’t wantto have more intense droughts when you alreadyhave problems getting fresh water for a growingpopulation. If you’re an insurer, you want to beable to predict the risks for your policyholders.”

Carter is careful to note that such shifts areinevitable, whether or not they can be directlyattributed to climate change. He is also quick toarticulate the ethical implications of a human rolein climate change. He’s equally clear in explainingthat there are costs attached to whatever we do,and whatever we don’t do. Where economics areinvolved, so are politics.

And yet Carter focuses his concern on theimpact that climate change might have on thestructure of society throughout the world.

“Far too many people, particularly young peo-ple, do not have an opportunity to get an educa-tion or a job and cannot hope to compete in ourglobal world,” Carter said. “The consequences ofany dramatic climate change would only exacer-bate this human concern.”

Editor’s note: To learn more about Professor Carter’sresearch on issues of climate change, as well as hisunique interest in ice flowers, go online towww.ilstu.edu/~jrcarter.

19ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Scientists have charted

past temperatures and

estimates of average tem-

peratures for the Northern

Hempishere, below, to

show a dramatic rise in

temperatures during

the 20th century. Go to

www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/

info/milltemp for a full

explanation of the findings.

an estimate of temperature changes

stretching back a thousand years.

Environmental safety and quality health care consistently capture headlines. Likeso many other working Americans, Chris Wiant ’72 is painfully aware of the polit-ical and economic gridlock that makes progress on either front appear impossible.What sets Wiant apart from the average concerned citizen is a career bestdescribed as a quest for solutions to the complex issues of how to protect preciousresources and meet the mounting need for medical services.

From his first job after earning a chemistry degree at Illinois State to his cur-rent position as president and CEO of the Caring for Colorado Foundation, Wianthas been involved in public health and environmental policy. He’s tackled every-thing from disaster readiness and toxic substance control at the Illinois Depart-ment of Public Health to protecting the health and welfare of 1.5 million citizensas the executive director at Colorado’s Tri-County Health Department. He nowoversees a nonprofit entity that manages a $170 million fund established to bolsterhealth care across Colorado.

Each career move has created unique opportunities for Wiant to serve onlocal, state, and national boards, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s

20 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Alumnus works to cure health care, environmental woes

BY SUSAN MARQUARDT BLYSTONE

Crisis management

Chris Wiant ’72 labored for many months to

help convert a toxic Colorado site into a wildlife

refuge. Today the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is an

inviting place where residents relax and stu-

dents learn. An elementary class was complet-

ing a field study on one of Wiant’s recent visits.

National Drinking Water Advisory Council. He served aschairman of the NSF International Council of Public HealthConsultants, and he is past president of the National Envi-ronmental Health Association (NEHA).

Known for his uncanny ability to move divided partiesbeyond debate to action, Wiant is a master at facilitatingagreements between communities and federal, state, or localgovernmental agencies. It was through his negotiationefforts, for example, that a pact was reached to clean up theRocky Mountain Arsenal (see sidebar).

The NEHA showed appreciation for Wiant’s work bybestowing upon him its most prestigious honor—the WalterMangold Award. Wiant was nominated by his peers from theColorado Environmental Health Association and received theaward this summer. He is also the recipient of the Walter F.Snyder Award for Achievement in Attaining EnvironmentalQuality, which was presented by the NEHA and National San-itation Foundation International. The University has alsoacknowledged Wiant’s accomplishments. In addition toreceiving an Alumni Achievement Award, he is a member ofthe University High School and College of Arts and SciencesHall of Fame.

Despite many personal achievements and professionalaccolades, Wiant is a humble man who considers himself for-tunate to have grown up on the Illinois State campus underthe wing of a dad who served as a university administrator.

David Wiant moved his family to Normal in the 1950s,when Chris was in second grade. David came at the requestof President Robert Bone, who enlisted the elder Wiant to runthe University’s personnel office.

“The Wiant boys had to behave because around everycorner was somebody who knew my dad,” Chris said in onlypartial jest. He graduated from U-High in 1968 and enrolledat Illinois State to pursue his love of science.

As he matured Wiant had a close view of several univer-sity presidents, from Bone to Samuel Braden, David Berlo,and Francis Geigle. Wiant worked on a food service team andfor University Photographer Nelson Smith. It was Smith whoput Wiant atop Cook Hall with a camera to watch for vandal-ism during the era of Vietnam campus protests.

Such work experiences are as memorable to Wiant asany textbook assignment. It was outside the classroom thathe learned valuable life lessons, such as the art of negotia-tion. He appreciates insights gained from his dad’s campusresponsibilities.

“I was quietly observing as my dad negotiated with theunions and earned the trust of people,” Wiant said. “I foundthe human dynamics fascinating.”

The intrigue remains for Wiant, who has excelled in jobsmost would shun for the potential controversy and publicscrutiny. It was on his first job with the Illinois Department

of Public Health that he established himself as an expert inemergency preparedness and response. By the time he leftIllinois Wiant had been promoted to chief of the environmen-tal chemistry section within the Office of Health Regulationand was responsible for programs that addressed humanhealth effects of exposure to toxic substances.

Wiant’s knowledge grew through the completion ofgraduate courses as well. He earned a master’s in health ser-vices administration from the University of Illinois at Spring-field, and a second master’s degree in public health from theUniversity of Illinois Medical Center. He was consequentlymore than ready for the challenges that awaited him as direc-tor of environmental health services at Tri-County HealthDepartment. He and his wife, Cindy (Ferrell) ’75, moved toColorado in 1984 with their children, Jenn and Jeff.

In his new role Wiant served counties surrounding Den-ver by addressing public health issues that ranged from pre-ventive medical care and immunizations to managing publichealth emergencies. He expanded from the fundamentals,such as restaurant compliance, to tackle industrial hygiene,air and water quality control, and protection programs.Always the student himself, Wiant completed a Ph.D. in pub-lic administration from the University of Colorado while onthe job that he found gratifying.

“I thought I would be there the rest of my life,” saidWiant, who rose to the level of executive director at Tri-Coun-ty. He turned down an opportunity to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia, noting he hasalways chosen to work where he can make the greatest impact.

When Wiant did leave Tri-County in 2000 it was throughthe persuasion of colleagues who convinced him his talentswere needed to launch a health care conversion foundation.Caring for Colorado Foundation formed in 1999 when thenonprofit corporation Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Coloradowas sold to Anthem Insurance, which was a for-profit corpo-ration. The sale generated $155 million, which by Coloradolaw had to be used to benefit the people of the state. Caringfor Colorado, which is located in Denver, fulfills the mandateby providing grants that improve access to basic health careservices in underserved areas across the state.

“I was the first employee. For the first 30 days I was theonly guy in the office,” Wiant said. He relished the opportu-nity to “put his fingerprint” on the initiative as he wrote the mis-

21ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“I was quietly observing as my dad

negotiated with the unions and earned

the trust of people. I found the human

dynamics fascinating.”

sion statement, drafted personnel and financial policies, ham-mered out grant guidelines, and developed a strategic plan.

Caring for Colorado now distributes an average of $7 million annually. Proposals number about 200 each year,with one-third typically funded. Each request is evaluatedbased on the foundation’s mission to “ensure that the peopleof Colorado are the healthiest in the nation.”

“We go out to communities, assess what the needs are,and find possible solutions. It’s incredibly rewarding becausewe’ve got the checkbook,” Wiant said. “I love sending thechecks.”

Wiant reaps great satisfaction with the completion ofprojects such as one in Creede, Colorado, which is a commu-nity of about 800. “It sits in the middle of no-man’s land.There are two or three mountain passes just to get to medicalcare,” Wiant said. That changed with a $200,000 capital cam-paign contribution from the foundation. Mineral CountyHealth Clinic in Creede is now open, providing residentsemergency care and a rotation of physician specialists.

Wiant is equally proud of an ongoing oral health pro-gram that ensures children in low-income families receivedental care. With the foundation’s assistance, the NorthwestColorado Dental Clinic in Craig, Colorado, cares for childrenwith decay as great as what is found in Third World coun-tries. Many never had an oral exam before the clinic opened.

Caring for Colorado is also working to improve thestate’s mental health care. A foundation study found that

only one-third of those needing treatment receive it, in partbecause the mental health care system is fragmented. Thesolution is a five-year, $4 million cooperative initiative titledAdvancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care. Six communitiesare integrating mental health systems to improve access andeffectiveness in treating mentally ill patients.

Such projects are a two-edged sword for Wiant, whofinds satisfaction in filling medical voids across Coloradoand yet is reminded with each proposal of the larger healthcare concerns looming across the country.

“Our health care system is in big trouble. It’s ultimatelygoing to fall in on itself if we’re not careful. There are so manythings that aren’t right about the system that it is a simplisticnotion to think if we just give everyone health insurance allwill be well. Universal insurance is not a panacea,” Wiantsaid, noting that insurance doesn’t eliminate the obstacle ofgetting quality care.

22 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Wiant negotiated arsenal clean-upBefore Chris Wiant’s name became linked to health care in

Colorado, he was known as the man who found a way to

clean up the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. He received the

Commander’s Medal for Public Service from the assistant

secretary of the U.S. Army for leading a two-year effort to

find a plan that would revitalize a community plagued by

toxic waste.

The arsenal is located approximately 10 miles north-

east of downtown Denver, near Commerce City. Roughly

the size of Manhattan Island, the arsenal was built in 1942

and is where chemical weapons were manufactured dur-

ing World War II. After the war a pesticide company used

the land, followed by Shell Chemical Company, which pro-

duced agricultural chemicals there from 1952 to 1982.

“Everybody knew about it and supported it during

the war time,” Wiant said of the arsenal. That was before

anybody realized the amount of toxins dumped at the site

and the problems that would surface in later years. By the

mid 1950s contaminated groundwater caused crop dam-

age near the arsenal. Chemicals in the water supply

sparked an increasing level of fear and outrage in the

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, as shown in this photo

from the 1960s, became an environmental nightmare.

The task of clearing the site has been a rewarding chal-

lenge for Wiant, shown at left with Charlie Scharmann,

who is the program manager responsible for imple-

menting the clean-up for the U.S. Army.

Completion of the

Mineral County

Health Clinic in Creede,

Colorado, is just one

example of how the

Caring for Colorado

Foundation provides

medical care to fill

voids. Wiant is CEO of

the foundation, over-

seeing $170 million.

“One of the things I find most discouraging is the num-ber of people who can’t get access to the basics, whether fortransportation or cost or an availability of quality care.” He isequally troubled by the pattern of excluding patients as deci-sions are made by providers and insurers. Cost and qualityare too often negotiated between the latter two, leaving theconsumer in the lurch.

He advocates tackling tough policy issues that so oftendetermine who receives care and at what cost. One exampleis undocumented immigrant health needs. “The fact is we’veallowed these individuals to come to our country. As a dis-ease control mechanism, as well as humanitarian care, I don’tknow how we can turn them away,” Wiant said.

Wiant also points to the need to alter the mindset ofpatient and doctor. “So often we treat an illness but don’t pro-mote health,” he said. Prescribing insulin for a diabetic solvesonly one problem, as the patient must help manage the dis-ease or risk life-threatening complications. He points to theincreasing rate of obesity as another example of how inter-vention today can eliminate health problems tomorrow.

“It’s easier to build a healthy child than repair an adult,”Wiant said.

Such a proactive stance is characteristic of Wiant, whomaintains an optimistic attitude despite his proximity tointense political battles over the years. He gladly remains atthe frontlines of the fight for better health care, wiser from

experiences that have convinced him complex problems canbe resolved by applying good science and assessing risk.

“You have to protect the present and the future,” saidWiant, who understands the need to negotiate in increments.It’s also helpful if the negotiator doesn’t mind being in thehot seat, which is true of Wiant.

“I’m actually pretty comfortable being on the firing line.I see it as a challenge,” he said. “I like to be standing on thebeach at the nexus between the calm views of the beach andthe trauma of the waves.”

It is consequently no surprise that Wiant is appreciatedby so many in Colorado. As the citizens of that state canattest, there is no better advocate to have at the center of thehealth care storm.

Editor’s note: To learn about Chris Wiant’s work at Caring forColorado, go online to www.caringforcolorado.org.

23ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

community as years passed.

By the time Wiant was an administrator at Tri-County

Health Department, the U.S. Army and Shell were charged

with cleaning up the land. As Wiant recalls, there was no

progress because lawyers on all sides were embroiled in a

legal fight.

“I was appointed to be the liaison and lead the effort

to get the community together,” Wiant said, noting it was

unprecedented for a local health department to become

involved in such a case. “I led the effort to get the commu-

nity together. I became a broker.”

After studying the situation for nearly a year, Wiant

helped the community craft a plan. A judge called a halt to

negotiations and the community’s blueprint to restore the

land was put on the table. Those recommendations led to

an agreement that was sealed in 1995.

“Part of the negotiation was a new water supply for

Commerce City,” Wiant said. As a result the community

that had no new houses constructed for more than a

decade is now one of the fastest growing regions in the

Denver metropolitan area.

It took an intervention by Wiant with the Colorado

Congressional delegation to lobby for funding to keep the

work on track, but the clean-up is now just four years from

completion. As land is restored it is transferred to the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service for use as a national wildlife

refuge. There are already more than 330 species at the

site, as well as 10 miles of trails.

The transformation is especially rewarding for Wiant,

who knows from his work on national and local water

boards that such fights are essential. “We have to balance

today’s issues with quality in later years,” Wiant said.

“What legacy are we leaving for the next generation

when there is uncontrolled abuse of the environment

taking place?”

“One of the things I find most discouraging is

the number of people who can’t get access to

the basics, whether for transportation or cost

or an availability of quality care.”

A bitter civil war, two bloody world wars, anda grim economic depression are just some of thecrises that have buffeted Illinois State throughoutits 150-year history.

The University endured and prospereddespite calamities, growing from 43 students anda fledgling teacher’s college in 1857 to a compre-hensive university with more than 20,000 stu-dents. And yet the affects of national and globalcalamities have been felt across campus repeated-ly over time, beginning in the 1860s.

John H. Burnham, class of 1861, wrote of“great political excitement” as two Illinoisans—

attorney Abraham Lincoln and U.S. SenatorStephen A. Douglas—vied for the White House in1860.

“Looking back at those days,” Burnhamrecalled, “I wonder our political interest was sosmall. We discussed the slavery question with analmost purely academic interest. We little realizedhow deeply the country was soon to be convulsedwith the great question of war or peace.”

When the war came in 1861, Burnhamobserved, “we could scarcely keep our minds onour studies. The regular studies partiallyengrossed our attention, while the excitement of

24 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

Tests of timeUniversity persevered through national adversitiesTHIS FEATURE

IS PART OF A YEARLONGHISTORICAL SERIES

CELEBRATING ILLINOIS STATE’S

HERITAGE

Libr

ary

ofC

ongr

ess,

Prin

tsan

dPh

otog

raph

sD

ivis

ion

BY BOB A ARON

General William T. Sher-

man, leaning on breach

of gun above, led Union

troops during the Civil

War. While these soldiers

fought on in 1864, the

Illinois State campus was

strained as well. The male

population was depleted

as men volunteered to join

the fight.

the outside world distracted our thoughts to agreater or less extent.”

As the war ground on, “everyone not physi-cally disabled volunteered for the army,” Burnhamwrote in a reminiscence published in 1907. As themen went off to war, the teaching profession wasthrown “almost entirely into the hands of thewomen.”

In the aftermath of the Union Army’s disasterat Bull Run, “President [Charles] Hovey [the Uni-

versity’s first president] wasColonel Hovey,” Burnhamwrote, “with authority to raisea regiment of troops for therebellion.”

The student-training unitcalled the Normal Riflesbecame Company A, Thirty-

third Regiment of the Illinois Infantry Volunteers.The Schoolmaster’s Regiment, a moniker chosenby Hovey, initially included 46 university stu-dents. The unit saw action in several battles,including Vicksburg, where it lost 30 officers andmen, with nearly 100 wounded.

Sadness darkened the campus in February of1862, when Lt. Joseph G. Howell, a member of theclass of 1860 and principal of the Model School,fell in battle. He was the University’s first warfatality. Noting his death, Burnham wrote that“Normal’s heart was almost broken with grief,shared by the whole community.”

World War I likewise had a tremendousimpact on Illinois State. When the United Statesentered the conflict in 1917, a movement waslaunched to introduce military training on campus.

University historian Helen Marshall wrote ofthe training in Grandest of Enterprises. “Two hoursof daily drill was offered to all men who cared totake it, but there was no equipment, and enthusi-asm for broom-stick parades soon waned. Manymen left school, some to enlist, some to join unitsof the Students Army Training Corps on othercampuses, and others to return to the farm.”

Wartime enrollment declined from 834 forfall term of 1916 to 350 in the winter of 1918-1919.Commenting on the sagging enrollment, Presi-dent David Felmley wrote—using his beloved sim-plified spelling—“It is evident the normal schoolsar going to hav hard sledding this fall. Our senior

class numbers only a little more than a hundred.We shal not have students enuf properly to carefor classes in the Soldiers and Orphans home, inNormal University High School and ElementaryTraining School…Our faculty is needlessly large(seventy-two)…all our teachers but three or four arunderworkt.”

The “underworkt” teachers were free to startcorrespondence courses while the Universitydealt with secondary struggles. “A shortage ofcoal, a flu epidemic that closed the school forthree weeks, and a smallpox scare were amongother worries of the war years,” Marshallobserved.

As the men fled campus for military serviceand other wartime endeavors, the Universitybecame a “women’s world” and beehive ofwartime activity. A Red Cross auxiliary wasformed in April of 1917. Home economics courseswere modified to meet wartime needs by, forexample, teaching food conservation. Female stu-dents brought their sewing to Lillian Barton’srhetoric class. Knitting needles were at work asProfessor Frank Westhoff led the singing of popu-lar war tunes. Wartime gardens were planted andthe University joined groups like the StudentFriendship Fund, YMCA War Emergency Fund,Fatherless Children of France Campaign, and var-ious loan drives.

University librarian Ange. Milner created acatalog of several hundred former students whoserved in the military during World War I. She

25ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“A shortage of coal, a flu epidemic that closed the school for three weeks, and a smallpox scarewere among other worries of the war years.”

President Charles Hovey,

left, became a colonel

during the Civil War. He

led the Schoolmaster’s

Regiment, which included

Illinois State students.

One campus response to

WWI was the creation of

a victory garden, below.

Women worked the soil,

as male students were

once again few in number.

maintained a correspondence with them andtheir relatives, keeping separate files on eachindividual—files containing a photo, news arti-cles, information about battles in which a soldierwas wounded, letters home, and autobiographi-cal synopses.

By the time the guns fell silent in Novemberof 1918, Illinois State’s service flag counted 626stars—including 14 gold stars to honor the Uni-versity’s fallen heroes.

The Depression was yet another challengingseason on campus, as the 1929 stock market crashjolted the U.S. economy into a tailspin. Fifteenpercent of Illinois’ population was on relief by1933. Despite the hard times, enrollment in teach-ers colleges increased, according to Marshall. Lowtuition and the lack of employment opportunitieselsewhere fueled the trend. Most students workedto put themselves through school.

“Some brought food from home and lived inthe cheapest of furnished rooms, cooking theirmeals on gas burners in basements or on singleelectric plates in their rooms,” Marshall wrote.“Clothing was often shabby and worn. Patchedblue jeans were not uncommon and sox weresaved for special occasions. Haircuts were luxu-ries and often a boy had to borrow money for asuit to wear on an interview for a position. The Fac-ulty Women’s Club gave benefits to provide schol-arships and loans to needy students. There weremore requests for loans than could be granted.”

As the economy plunged, Marshall noted that“demands for retrenchment were incessant. Therewere rumors that the faculty might have to be

employed on a month-to-month basis, andsalaries be subjected to cuts as finances of thestate dictated.”

The Home Study Department, which hadenrolled 333 persons in 1930, was dropped. Sup-plies were doled out carefully and in 1933, all uni-versity salaries of more than $100 a month wereslashed by 10 percent. Plans were scuttled in 1932

for a celebration of the University’s 75th anniver-sary. By 1935 an improved economic situationpermitted a Diamond Jubilee celebration of theUniversity’s first graduating class.

The Great Depression was ever-present in theminds of Illinois State students of the era, even asPresident Raymond Fairchild used Depression-fighting federal funds to improve campus with theconstruction of walkways, drives, tennis courts,and playing fields.

Graduating seniors commented on the diffi-cult times in the 1933 Index: “Ah, yes—one otherchap who figures prominently all through ourfour years at Old Normal—Old Man Depression.We hope he graduates too.”

Economic woes eased but hard times hit yetagain after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Warresulted in the campus population plummetingfrom 1,820 during the first semester of the 1940-1941 school year to about 729 students during thespring semester of 1944—including only 56 civil-ian males.

“As classes became smaller and the ratio ofteachers per student became disproportionate,many of the faculty were troubled lest they findthemselves without employment,” Marshall wrote.“President Fairchild remained ever hopeful andencouraging. No new teachers would beemployed, but he would keep a place for all whowished to remain on the staff and find construc-tive work for them to do. There would be anupsurge in enrollment after the war, and it wouldnot be easy to build up a strong faculty. Extensioncourses were offered in as many centers as publictransportation and the restrictions on gasolineand tires permitted.”

Several war-related organizations were activeon campus. They did everything from supervisingfund drives and collecting information about uni-versity personnel serving in the military to send-ing the Vidette to former students in the armedforces and Red Cross canteens.

In the spring of 1943 word came from Wash-ington, D.C., that Illinois State would receive aunit of up to 300 men from the Navy V-12 pro-gram. Three 16-week terms a year were set up forthe men to study physics, English, advancedmath, chemistry, engineering, history, U.S. naval

26 ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“Clothing was often shabby and worn. Patched bluejeans were not uncommon and sox were saved forspecial occasions…haircuts were luxuries”

The nation suffered an

economic jolt during the

Depression years, which

forced students to become

even more frugal.

history, economics, and foreign languages. Aftercompleting their college work, students with goodrecords went on to midshipmen schools, and sub-sequently were commissioned as ensigns in theU.S. Navy. Those who failed went to boot camp orthe fleet.

“On the whole the V-12 boys were a superiorlot,” Marshall wrote. “When their full schedulespermitted, they participated in universityextracurricular activities, music, sports, and dra-matics. In their trim uniforms of winter blue andsummer white they added color and life to a cam-pus that deplored complete feminization.”

Six hundred and four seamen were trained atIllinois State before the V-12 unit was disbandedin June 1945. That month the Vidette observedthat “in every field sailors have been outstanding.If they had not been interested in the welfare ofthis school many of the traditions of the Univer-sity would have fallen by the wayside during thisperiod of world turmoil and strife.”

An editorial from the Sept. 29, 1943, Videtteoffers a glimpse into life on campus during thewar, noting that textbooks, meat, pie, and cakewere in short supply. “It is the patriotic duty ofevery college student to do his best to keep up themorale on the homefront,” the Vidette stated. “Oneof the best ways to do this would be for everyoneto start an ‘anti-gripe’ campaign of his own.”

Despite the rigors of war, some vestiges ofpeacetime campus life continued. The Homecom-ing football game in 1944 attracted a crowd of3,500. George Hamilton and his orchestra pre-sented their “rich, rhythmic and right for dancingmusic” at the Homecoming dance. A new all-girlmarching band was formed. Jane Caviezel, stu-dent council president, told the Vidette in Septem-ber of 1944: “To have genuine school spirit we

need a marching band. Let’s add pep to this year’sfootball season with an All-Girls’ Marching Band.”

Such a response to tough times is evidence ofthe keen insights and courage demonstrated bymembers of the Illinois State community through-out the University’s history. Unrest that rockedthe nation during Civil Rights protests and the

Vietnam War era created tensions across campus.The ongoing war in the Middle East is likewiseimpacting the University today, as members of theUniversity family have been called to service. Fourgraduates made the ultimate sacrifice, losing theirlives while on active duty in Iraq.

Legions of students, faculty, staff, and alumniacross the generations have grown stronger everytime adversity strikes, including events as recentas September 11. Their legacy of leadership andperseverance is perhaps best described by Profes-sor Manfred J. Holmes, who honored the Sons ofNormal in a 1918 letter at the end of World War I.His sentiment applies to others in the IllinoisState family across the generations consumed byforeign or domestic crises, but never defeated.

It’s under the Banner of Nations,You’ve rallied in Freedom’s name now;And Man will rejoice that Humanity’s voice,Above all Nations, called for your choiceTo make Peace and Good Will the world’s

high goal,And banish the rule of all tyrants’ control.

27ILLINOIS STATE SUMMER / 2007

“It is the patriotic duty of every college student to do his best to keep up the morale on the homefront.”

Members of the U.S. Navy’s

V-12 training program were

welcomed to Illinois State in

1943. The arrival of 252

apprentice seamen invigorated

campus social life, and created

additional funding for acade-

mic programs and buildings.