Happy 50th Anniversary!

Ilio yearbook photo

50 years later. It still feels like home.

A lot can happen in 50 years.  

Buildings come and go. Styles evolve. New generations take their turn on campus.  

But the memories you made here, and the community you became a part of, are yours forever. 50 years later, there’s still a place for you at Illinois in the College of LAS.  

What do you remember?

We want to hear your stories. 

Do you have a favorite photo from your time at Illinois? A memory of a professor who made an impression? A favorite campus hangout? Wondering what your old residence hall or favorite building looks like today? Have an idea for a story in The Quadrangle? 

Let us know. 

After all, the best memories of Illinois aren't just in the archives. They're with you. 

Send us your stories, photos, and updates at  las-alum@mx.uillinois.edu. 

1975–76 by the numbers

```twig
33,100
enrolled at the University of Illinois
```twig
$2 bills
made a return to distribution
```twig
$1.25 
a pitcher of beer at White Horse
```twig
$0.56
a gallon of gasoline
```twig
$0.50
a composition notebook
```twig
$0.75
a Big Mac

Sources: DAIR; U.S. Census Bureau; Associated Press

 

 

The Quad: Then and now

Side by side of images of the Quad from the 1970's to the 2020's.

It’s a milestone worth celebrating. 

50th anniversary pin.

 

We’ve created a special 50-Year Alumni Pin for you.  

Take a stroll through the places that shaped your college years. See what’s changed. See what hasn’t. Reach out to the LAS Office of Advancement to pick up your pin next time you're on campus.  

It’s a small keepsake for a big milestone.  

Around campus
Clipping from the Ilio featuring Keith Jarret and The Doobie Brothers.

The Doobies Come to Town

On September 23, the Doobie Brothers played the Assembly Hall to a mellow—and enthusiastic—crowd. It was also the first concert for which tickets were sold under the University’s new lottery system. A new way to get concert tickets. A legendary band. A packed Assembly Hall.

Newspaper clipping of Illini Meadows story.

Illini Meadows Gets a Makeover

Illini Meadows, located on Lincoln Avenue south of Florida Avenue, opened to students, faculty and staff for recreational use. The 35-acre space had been used for an experimental agronomy plot, but with new landscaping, ample parking and a few additions—including 10 picnic tables, 10 benches and 10 grills—it was ready for picnics and outdoor fun.

Newspaper story of flooding of Allen Hall.

A Little Water Under the Bridge

Residents of Allen Hall got an unexpected indoor swimming experience when a plumbing backup left more than an inch of water in a hallway. Students grabbed mops and buckets and pitched in to clean up the mess.

Kam's happy hour ad from the 1970's.

Kam’s Is Back

September 1975 brought the return of a Campustown institution: Kam’s. After fading from the scene in 1970, the beloved—and famously rowdy—bar returned to its former location at Stan Wallace’s Gridiron.

Block I fund headline from the 1970's.

Block I Lives On

There was a moment when it looked like Block I might disappear. Instead, the legendary student section found a way to stay. A permanent sustaining fund, supported by contributions from local organizations and businesses, was established to keep Block I a fixture at Illinois home football games.

Clipping of headline about Chrysalis literary magazine.

A New Literary Voice

A new campus literary magazine was getting ready to emerge. Chrysalis, sponsored by the Writers’ Workshop, was the first student literary magazine to be published at Illinois since 1968. For two weeks, members of the creative-writing group worked night after night on layout and paste-up, getting the magazine ready for printing.

Pinball article from the 1970's.

Wizardry kept pinballs bouncing

Experts maintained the nearly 300 pinball machines around campus, with 34 located at the Illini Union. Each Union pinball endured an average of 1,500-2,000 plays per week, according to Jerry Fuqua, head pinball wizard repairman.

Old vote for homecoming queen poster from the 1970's.

Homecoming ’75: The Spirit’s Alive

The 65th annual Homecoming celebration came with a fitting theme: “The Spirit’s Alive in ’75.” There was a pep rally and bonfire, performances by the Marching Illini and cheerleaders, the crowning of Homecoming Queen Barbara Paakh, LAS senior, and plenty of activity across campus. The Young Illini performed Glitz, a bicentennial tribute to Broadway. David Crosby and Graham Nash performed at the Assembly Hall. The football game against Purdue didn't quite go according to plan as the Boilermakers won 26–24.

Newspaper clipping about undergraduate teachers honored at a banquet in 1976.

Undergraduate teachers honored

The graduate assistant award winners were Linda Manor, Ph.D. candidate in comparative literature and teaching assistant in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and Robert Rice, Ph.D. candidate in history and teaching assistant in history.

Newspaper clipping of banana bread man from 1976.

Banana bread man hawked humor and food

During the Spring 1976 semester, when the weather cooperated, Henry Moss, junior in communication, transformed into the banana bread man. Dressed in a pair of baggy Army pants, a pair of white gloves, a yellow T-shirt, suspenders, and a derby hat, he sold bread at 15 cents a slice and 25 cents a hunk.

Photo of members of the band Rush from the 1970's.

The Soundtrack

In May 1976, Wings' “Silly Love Songs” topped the Billboard charts. Across the year, music fans were listening to Stevie Wonder, Johnnie Taylor, the Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire, Boston, Rush, and David Bowie. And one album stood out: Peter Frampton’s “Frampton Comes Alive!” as one of the year's biggest-selling albums.

Cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the 1976 Oscars.

At the Movies

At the 48th Academy Awards in March 1976, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” swept the top five awards, including Best Picture. At the box office, “Rocky” was an audience favorite, alongside “All the President’s Men.”

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