Local and Family History Research

The student-written campus newspaper, The Daily Vidette  or Vidette, dates since 1888 to the present. The Vidette Digital Archives are available from February 1888 through December 1980 with additional volumes planned for inclusion.

Yearbooks have not always been published at Illinois State (Normal) University, and are not currently published, but those that were published can provide valuable information (and photos) of those affiliated with the University. Selected volumes have been digitized and are available through Internet Archive. Print volumes include:

• The Index: Class Annual  LD2347 .I4 (Floor 6) Vol. 1 (1892)–Vol. 73 (1963)
• The Index  LD2347 .I401 (Floor 6) Vol. 74 (1964)–Vol. 82 (1972)
• Graduate Record  LD2347 .I402 (Floor 6) 1975-82/1983, 1988-91, 1993
• Freshman Record or New Student Record  LD2347 .A335 (Floor 6)
• 1975-78, 1980-84, 1986-94/1995

Alumni Register (1860–1927), LD2347 .A17, Floor 6--This resource lists the names and “some historical record” of Normal graduates, high school graduates, members of the State’s Board of Education, members of the regular faculty, and members of the summer school faculty not included in the regular faculty. In addition to names, records include occupation, educational record, membership in organizations, spouse, and children.

Alumni Directory (1988, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2007),  LD2347 .A16, Floor 2 Reference--This resource lists the names of alumni (except those who had asked not to be included). The resource is arranged into four sections: Alphabetical, Class Year, State/City, Occupation.

The Campus History Book Series includes digitized version of the nine works that have been written about the history of Illinois State University since it's founding in 1857. This list includes links to the digital versions of each book. These books can also be found at Milner Library's institutional repository, ISUReD.