Campus lore and legend at Illinois State University

Those familiar with nearly 170 years of university history helped set the record straight on some of the most notorious legends.

Does the spirit of Angeline Vernon Milner linger on campus?

Yes and no, according to Angela Bonnell, M.S. ’02, head of government information and maps at Milner Library.

“Ange” Milner served as Illinois State’s first full-time librarian from 1890 to 1927. Legend says her ghost roams Williams Hall, built in 1940 as the original Milner Library location.

Bonnell said it is easy to get the creeps in Williams, where some items remained in storage after collections were moved to the current Milner Library building.

“The elevator would act up, and the old lighting would go ‘thunk’ when you hit the switch,” Bonnell said.

She believes tales snowballed with the rise of the internet, leading to rumors that Milner died in the library stacks or that she inspired the library phantom in Ghostbusters—all, Bonnell said, “absolutely untrue.”

“It would be rare to have a college campus without some ghost story,” she said. “But at some point, people lost the message of Ange Milner. She’s not a ghost, she was a human being, and she did great things for this university.”

Beyond her librarian duties, Milner was involved in student social clubs, assisted with production of The Vidette, and led pep rallies for the football team. Bonnell recalled an account from a rainy football match when Milner admonished fans for leaving mid-game. “Aunt Ange” stood in the rain to support students until the final whistle.

“So, yes, the ‘spirit’ of Ange Milner is still here with us, but it’s through her student-centered initiatives like integrating collections with curriculum and advocating for students, which we continue today,” Bonnell said.

Learn more at “Meet Me at Milner,” a special exhibit on the second floor of Milner Library honoring the building’s 50th anniversary. The exhibit is open during library hours through mid-November.

Is Watterson Towers sinking an inch into the ground each year?

As one of the tallest college residence halls in the world and among the tallest buildings in Illinois, Watterson Towers remains the same height as it was at completion in 1969.

University Archivist April Anderson-Zorn is not surprised that a building home to 2,200 students each year has collected a variety of tales—another being the rumor that it was designed by Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax.

“I think those stories come with the territory of such a striking building. Any of the residence halls are bound to have their own niche stories from students who have lived there,” Anderson-Zorn said.

The two-tower, 28-story building was in fact designed by Fridstein and Fitch Architects. At the top of the north tower, the Bird’s Eye View lounge gives students a sweeping outlook of Central Illinois from nearly 300 feet high—not an inch less.

Has the yellow-eyed, feathery head of a vintage Redbird returned to his old haunt at Illinois State?

Indeed, made from papier-mâché and red plumage, the head of a 1970s Redbird mascot is on display on the third floor of Milner Library.

It was donated to University Archives by Bob Matusiak ’79, who wore the suit as a student when Redbird mascot appearances were led by a volunteer team.

Far from today’s sleek mascot, the retro Redbird suit was imbued with just as much school spirit.

“This was a dedicated group of folks—who still get together, by the way,” Anderson-Zorn said. “It was made with paint, glue, and love from people that really cared for the image of the Redbird.”

She said this feathered mascot was likely one of the final iterations before he became “Reggie Redbird” in 1981, named for baseball legend Reggie Jackson.

The head will remain on display through mid-November before returning to roost in University Archives for safekeeping.

Was Cook Hall designed to fit with other “castle” structures to create one mega fortress?

“It simply can’t be,” Anderson-Zorn debunked. “I’d say this is a late twentieth century rumor that just started because it sounds like a cool idea.”

Built in 1898 on the west side of the Quad as a gymnasium and library, Cook Hall is the university’s oldest building and now home to the School of Music. Anderson-Zorn said Illinois Gov. John Peter Altgeld is responsible for its distinctive Gothic Revival style, in addition to similar campus “castles” at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Eastern Illinois University, and Northern Illinois University.

“The fact of the matter is that the buildings were approved because the governor really liked that aesthetic,” Anderson-Zorn said. “It really brought a look of academic authority you get from European campuses.”

While there is no evidence to support the idea of a mega fortress of combined “Altgeld’s castles,” Cook Hall’s dramatic profile remains an iconic part of the campus skyline.

Is there a secret room in the attic of Ewing Manor?

The room exists, but it is less a secret hiding spot than a strategic storage space, according to Lyndsey Carney, director of Ewing Cultural Center.

Ewing Manor is part of a 6.5-acre historic property in Bloomington, bequeathed to the Illinois State University Foundation by original owner Hazle Buck Ewing. The residence was completed in 1929 after Hazle and her husband Davis completed a world tour to gather ideas for the home.

“Everything in the house was made by design, so they did incorporate a lot of unique storage spaces,” Carney said.

To reach this room, which is not open to the public, a hidden wall entrance opens to a tight passageway under the eaves, revealing an 8-by-10-foot storage space with a window.

Carney said the manor has other unexpected details, including a “hidey hole” for documents built into a bookcase in the library.

“Hazle Ewing was really involved and cared for her community here. She was involved in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the League of Nations,” Carney said. “She wanted people to get to know each other and be kind to each other.”

Visit Ewing Cultural Center

Hazle’s wishes have been respected as the property hosts regular community events, including the Illinois Shakespeare Festival at the open-air Theatre at Ewing.

For some festive fun, children can trick or treat through the first floor of Ewing Manor on Saturday, October 31, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tour Ewing Manor, David Davis Mansion, and Broadview Mansion during Christmas at the Mansions on Saturday, December 12, or join an architecture tour at Ewing Manor the first weekend of April 2027.