Illinois State University

Illinois State University International Student Insurance

Illinois State University, located in Normal, Illinois, was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University. The newly formed state Board of Education hired a lawyer named Abraham Lincoln to draft the documents securing the school’s funding. It’s the oldest public university in Illinois and was created as a training school for teachers. The school was rechristened Illinois State University at Normal in 1965 and Illinois State University in 1968. The school’s colors are red and white, and its athletic nickname is the redbirds.

On Campus

There are several points of interest on campus. One is the Eyestone School Museum, an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse featuring McGuffey Readers, slates, and a coal stove. Another is the Illinois State University Planetarium, which is open to the public and offers a rotating selection of shows and exhibits. There’s also the Ewing Manor Cultural Center, a preserved residential estate built in 1927 that offers tours, a 430-seat outdoor amphitheater, and that serves as a popular wedding venue. Finally, the student dorm Watterson Towers is the tallest dormitory in the world at 28 stories and just under 300 feet.

Notable Alumni

Notable Illinois State University alumni include actors Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Craig Robinson; CEO and President of Progressive Corporation Tricia Griffith; Pulitzer-Prize-winning photojournalist Todd Heisler; and authors Mort Castle, Kate Charles, and Eric Rohmann.