User:Dgiovag/sandbox/Illinois State University in the 1960's

Illinois State University was heading into the second century the University is faced by rapidly increasing numbers and an expanding school. Also with the new century comes a new name for the then Illinois State Normal University to the Illinois State University at Normal. Then in 1967 the president of 11 years Robert G. Bone steps down and is replaced by an Economics professor of 20 years Samuel E. Braden. Where he is met with social change.

Name Change

In 1959 the University created a council to poll the students, faculty, and alumni about a name change. This was due to a high demand to remove the word normal from the title because of the changing nature of the School. The poll offered four possible name change for the School being ,Illinois State University for teacher education, Central Illinois University ,or Illinois State University.One hundred and three alumni participated in the survey and out of those 73 where opposed to the name being change. However the Teacher in at the School reach a majority of 151 to 116 along with the students. The council decided to delay the name change. Then in 1961 a member of the ISNU faculty wrote an article in the Vedett about why the name should be change which led to a total of eight article 4 for a name change and 4 against where written and reignited the debate of the name change. The Issue was kept alive by the Student radio channel ,WJLT, and other media until the University sent in 8 bills ,each being the variety of name options, in April of 1963 and was passed though the State legislation the following June. Then in the August the Governor sign the bill and On January 1st 1964 the school would be known as the Illinois State University at Normal.

Rapid growth

By 1960 the student body had reach a number of 4500, which was only two thousand less than the projected 6500 by the year 1968. Students where applying earlier and it was evident that the 1968 projection would be reached in 1962. In reaction to this the University would set an enrollment limit of 6500 for 1962. However the enrollment for 1963 was 6637. By 1966 enrollment had reached 9699 students. By this time the Boarding and rooming houses where becoming more obsolete and where slowly being replaced by the more practical dorm housing space.

Construction and New Additions

By the mid 1960’s the university was running out of room in both its class and its housing space. Most classes at this time where made up of 200 to 300 students and had as many as ten sessions. Housing was getting just as full with over 5000 student in five dorms. So in reaction to this in 1966 the University set funds aside to create two new 18 story residents hall now known as Hewett and Manchester hall. Only one year later the university bought the decaying houses to the south west of the campus in order to make more room for the newly designed 27 floor residents hall know as Waterson.. In addition to Waterson a new teaching Hall Stevenson would be constructed. The initial bid would be much lower the University expected and with the extra funds were used to add on to the currently existing Hovey Hall. Also there was additions the Milner library, the sentinel building and Shedener annex was constructed at this time. In September of 1964 the University announced that it will be heating all of the resident homes with natural gas. During this time the University was getting hold of all the latest technologies of the day like Push carts, grading machines and also the Introduction of ID numbers. This allowed for students to get there grade back by mail before the semester ended .. By 1966 due to an increased revenue from the influx of students the university bought new equipment to make the modern class rooms like video and audio projections, Closed circlet televisions and the latest computers and data processing machines.

President Bone Steps Down

President Bone in the May of 1966 had stated that he was going to step down from the presidency in the by the September of 1967. After serving as president for over eleven years he had become a beloved by the students. In his place they University choose a professor of economics for 20 years Samuel E. Braden who would lead the University till 1970.

Social Spiral

Towards the end of the decade the major issues that where affecting the nation finally reached Illinois State University. National issue like the war on Vietnam, the draft, civil rights and along with the issues that were happening inside the university boarders sparked many protests and demonstration. None of these protests would reach the size and caliber as some other universities would have at time. However three unrelated incidents would still have a large impact on the Normal community. Though described as “a small ripple on that larger scene” still have a huge impact on the local communities

1968-1968 Demonstrations and Protests

In October of 1968 there was a controversy of the election of the Home coming queen and the Black Student association believed that there was irregularities and racial prejudice of the organization managing it . This lead to a peaceful protest in front of Hovey hall which turned into a sit in the president’s office. This was the first demonstration to occupy a part of the administration building and showed that ISU was not protected by the problems that where happening in other universities and the television.

In March of 1969 on the first warmer nights of the year the male students from Wilkins Hall staged a playful raid on the women of Atkins-Colby of Wilkins hall, then the dean of students and campus security came to break it up. The very next night the same festivities and turned into a march on Illinois Wesleyan campus. It was reported to be over 2,000 people marched to the campus. The students were orderly and peaceful when the met up with the police who saw it as disturbing the peace of the community and ended the march. This only lead to a third march where a thousand students marched to the County Court House where faced with police in riot gear even though nothing happened and the students where sent back home but this shocked to see such large numbers of students marching and the Police Chief stated” If you cannot keep your students under control, we we’ll do it for you.” The last major protest was to during the springtime of 1969 where Marine Corps recruiters came on campus to work where the Student democratic Society would usually hold their protest. Because of this the SDS demanded that the recruiters be removed from campus and this would be negotiated to where they work in other university facilities. Though nothing became of this some days later a homemade explosive was found in the enter ways of Waterson Towers, who planted it and why where never determent

The last major protest was to during the springtime of 1969 where Marine Corps recruiters came on campus to work where the Student democratic Society would usually hold their protest. Because of this the SDS demanded that the recruiters be removed from campus and this would be negotiated to where they work in other university facilities. Though nothing became of this some days later a homemade explosive was found in the enter ways of Waterson Towers, who planted it and why where never determent