Sangamon Sun

Eastern Illinois University celebrated its 127th birthday, and many of its alumni joined in on the momentous occasion.

“Proud to be a product of our Illinois public universities, but especially Eastern,” Representative Tim Butler wrote on Facebook.

EIU was founded in 1895, and its campus has grown to 320 acres. In the 2022-2023 academic year, there were 7,415 individuals enrolled in degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist levels. The university has seven different schools and colleges.

Representative Tim Butler

Many EIU alumni have entered roles in business, arts, and the NFL. The Journal Gazette & Times-Courier reported over 10 EIU alumni joined the NFL.

“Happy 127th Birthday Panthers!” the university wrote on Facebook while sharing a photo of an old campus building. “On this day in 1895 legislation was signed creating the Eastern Illinois State Normal School.”

EIU has an Alumni Association, where the university hosts alumni-related events and facilitates communication between the student body and alumni, to name a few services.

“EIU has a great history in our state of education,” Butler said in a Youtube video. “It started as a teachers’ college. We’ve educated generations of teachers that have gone out and taught generations of Illinoisans, ever since we were founded in 1895.”

Notable alumni of the university include Tony Romo, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gov. Jim Edgar, Burl Ives and many more.

“In this body we have several EIU folks who attended EIU in this body,” Butler added in the video. “EIU still remains as the only Illinois public institution that has educated a governor.”

Illinois General Assembly birthed EIU from Senate Bill 148.

“From a faculty of 18 and a student body of 125 in 1899, the number of students rose to more than 8,000 and the faculty reached nearly 600 by 1973-74,” a description in a book on the university by Donald Tingley said. “In physical appearance, programing, excellence of faculty, and public service, the changes at Eastern have been dramatic.”