Football
Why Illinois Football has 200 Columns Around Their Stadium
In honor of memorial day, Armchair Illini wanted to recognize the history of Illinois football and the 200 columns
Illinois Football and The 200 Columns
Illinois Memorial Stadium, as we know it, has stood in solidarity as the host of Illinois Football since 1923. The beautiful stadium was built on the backs of donations made by hundreds of thousands of students, alumni, and fans of the Fighting Illini. The University of Illinois built a beautiful 1.7 million dollar football stadium in honor of the 200 Illini who tragically lost their lives during World War 1. The renovation was officially dedicated on October 18th, 1924 as Illinois took down Michigan on homecoming. The game was most notable for Harold “Red” Grange, who scored 6 touchdowns and recorded the greatest single game in Illinois Football history.
Today, as you enter Memorial Stadium from the East or West, you will be greeted by the 200 limestone columns that have supported the stadium since its final establishment in 1923. All 200 fallen Illini WWI heroes remain forever engraved in the columns that gracefully define the beautiful venue. Certainly, it is a wonderful reminder to enjoy the freedoms that we so gratefully enjoy, which so many gave the ultimate sacrifice to ensure. Of course, such as enjoying a beautiful fall Saturday with friends and family, and total strangers enjoying Illinois Football.
Memorial Stadium’s 200 Fallen Hero’s
| Truman O. Aarvig Alvin J. Adams Charles P. Anderson Michael L. Angarola Alan N. Ash John W. Bailey Harold J. Barnes Lowell W. Bartlett Bohuslav Bartos Frank A. Benitz John S. Bennehoff Merrill M. Benson Edward H. Berry Arthur L. Beyerlein Benjamin H. Bloebaum Irwin J. Bluestein Vinson R. Boardman Henry H. Boger Arthur L. Bonner Marcus H. Branham George R. Brannon William E. Brotherton Bayard Brown Waldo R. Brown Harold C. Buchanan John E. Burroughs Charles B. Busey Charles E. Caldwell, Jr. William J. Callahan Jay I. Carpenter Lee S. Cassell Leslie G. Chandler Minor J. Chapin Harry L. Clayton Paul M. Clendenen Henry R. Colton Linn P. Cookson Charles E. Cooper Willis H. Cork Joseph C. Crismore Bruce N. Culmer Robert M Cutter Homer W. Dahringer John H. Dallenbach Theodore F. Demeter Townsend F. Dodd James E. Durst Vincent J. Dushek William F. Earnest Adrian C. Edwards Arthur M. Evans Emery C. Farver Arthur W. Freer Lloyd H. Ghislin Ralph E. Gifford Gladys Gilpatrick Thomas Goodfellow Algernon D. Gorman Orlando M. Gochnaur Isaac V. Goltra Otto B. Gray Edward F. Greene Julius E. Gregory Charles H. Gundlock |
Charles L. Gustafson George P. Gustafson Melsor E. Gustafson Chester G. Hadden Frederick Hadra William J. Hamilton Frank L. Hammerstrand John C. Hanley Howard H. Hardy Tillman H. Harpole Arthur H. Harris Everett L. Harshbarger Gerhard F. Hartwig Calvin W. Hesse James B. Hickman John A. Hirstein Leonard C. Hoskins Oscar L. Housel Allen K. Hyde Lester H. Ihrig Ralph Imes Grant R. Ireland Robert P. Irvine Lenton W. James Frank A. Jarrett Hubert Jessen Joseph H. Johnston Archibald F. Keehner Curtis E. Kelso Clinton D. Kendall James H. Kendall Elmore A. Kirkland Robert D. Kirkland Bayard T. Klotzsche Lynn E. Knorr John C. Kromer Edgar A. Lawrence Theodore E. Layden John C. Lee Raymond G. Leggett Samuel B. Leiser Everett R. Leisure Lester R. Lewis Wilfred Lewis Leslie A. Liggett John R. Lindsey Robert L. Long LeCount R. Lovellette Bernard M. Lyons Clare P. McCaskey Isaac F. McCollister Leo G. McCormack Joel. F. McDavid John McDonough William H. Mandeville Lewis V. Manspeaker Leo J. Mattingly Dean E. Memmen Alexander V. Mercer Russell Micenheimer Leo C. Miller Wayne K. Moore Alfred T. Morison Guy E. Morse |
Charles S. Narkinsky Ralph M. Noble Tomas Olazagasti Thomas J. Palmer Raymond W. Parker Miles M. Parmely Lloyd M. Parr Homer C. Parrish Walter C. Paton Clyde F. Pendleton Herbert C. Petersen William C. Peterson Louis I. Phillis Eric F. Pihlgard Horatio N. Powell Hugh M. Price Benjamin J. Prince George H. Raab James K. Read Lawrence S. Riddle John W. Ruckman Harold C. Schreiner Harold S. Seibert William J. Sense Philip F. Shaffner A.Vernon Sheetz Otis E. Simpson Clarence W. Smith Philip O. Smith William E. Smoot Reginald G. Squibb Otto Staeheli Charles L. Starkel Harry H. Strauch Harold H. Sutherland Dana E. Swift Alexander S. Tarnoski John L. Teare Ralph W. Tippet Norman J. Tweedie Charles A. Wagner, Jr. Elliot P. Walker Edward Wallace Burt H. Ward Manierre B. Ware William E. Wheeler, Jr. George E. Wilcox Lloyd G. Williams Frederic H. Winslow Warren C. Woodward Henry Young Ashford F. Corbin Harry M. Gray Kent D. Hagler Alfred E. James Louis R. Kratze Unknown Illini Dead Students’ Army and Navy Training Corps Dead Curtis G. Redden, University of Michigan Laurens C. Shull, University of Chicago |
WWII Honors
As you enter Memorial Stadium for an Illinois Football game, you will also notice the names of 984 Illini students and alumni who also lost their lives for our nation. Their names were brought to honor at the stadium in 2002 in memorial of those who lost their lives during WWII, and conflicts dating back to 1918. Their names are etched into 1 of the 4 tablets that reside alongside the entrances at the East and West ends of the stadium.
Photo Credit: Fightingillini.com
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