163-years in the making: ISU celebrates Founders Day

Posted on February 20, 2020
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz highlighted campus success during Founders Day remarks. (Photo courtesy: Blake Haas/WJBC)

By Blake Haas

NORMAL – Celebrating success, Illinois State University rings in 163-years as a university on Founders Day.

Highlighting the recent donation in the form of $12 million from artist Wonsook Kim and her husband, Thomas Clement, to support ISU’s College of Fine Arts and School of Art, ISU President Larry Dietz said, the sky is the limit for the University.

“‘With the help of our trustees, our faculty, our students, our elected officials and our alums and friends of the university, so it’s a big group of people that is behind this place, and that is what has made it so great,” said Illinois State University President Larry Dietz. ” I think the future is still very, very bright for this institution. We have a lot of things that are in the works right now that will be terrific.”

One of those plans is mechanical and electrical engineering programs, which have yet been approved. Another project in the works is renovations of campus facilities, in which Gov. Pritzker announced the release of $52.3 million to renovate the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. The total project is expected to cost $63 million.

“We have some physical facilities that we are renovating, we have some academic programs where the facility continue to update those and make sure they are state of the art,” added President Dietz. “The future is very bright for Illinois State.”

Starting in 2014, President Dietz said the Redbirds Rising Campaign is well over the $150 million goal.

“Our original goal was $150 million, and we are already over our goal of $173 million, and we have several months to go,” said President Dietz. “That, to me, is a testimony to what this institution is meant to people who want to give back. That’s a critical part of higher education anymore. It’s been very successful, but again it’s successful because people invest.”

Illinois State University President Larry Dietz shook the hand of one of 163 bell ringers during the annual Founders Day celebration. (Photo courtesy: Blake Haas/WJBC)

Esteemed alumnus Andrew Purnell ’57 was slated to receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during the Founders Day Celebration. Due to unforeseen circumstances, his investiture will be postponed until next year.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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