It’s a funny thing….at the end of Spring semester there’s a feeling of relief. Things will be calmer on campus….parking will be better, there will be fewer demands on our time, and everyone thinks s/he will finally get something accomplished. But it’s mid-August now, and things are starting to ramp up again for a new semester. And doggone it, we missed you! We’re glad to see you back on campus and look forward to sharing a good 2025-2026 school year with you. In celebration, enjoy some old (and one new) photographs of this place we call our USI home.
This is Centennial School at 112 N 12th Ave., built in 1876. When the dream of having a public university in Evansville was first realized back in 1965, the first classes were held here. As you can well imagine, the 89 year old building had seen better days. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This 1965 glimpse into a Centennial School classroom gives you an idea just how (literally) “old school” it was. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This is the student newspaper at the time. Given the age of the building where classes were being held, perhaps you can understand why this name was chosen for the student newspaper!Don’t misunderstand me—ISUE backers were glad to find a place to hold classes, but this certainly highlighted the need to build a campus for ourselves. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This 1968 photograph shows construction of the campus well underway. The man carefully avoiding the mud puddles is Dr. David L. Rice, first president of our campus, and the one for whom our library is named. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This view of Mid-America Plaza shows a number of buildings in place. The photograph is undated, but cannot be later than the early 1970s. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)Clearly the priority for initial construction had to be academic spaces, but sports fans cannot be denied. Until a facility was built on campus (1980), the Screaming Eagles of ISUE played in this building. This was built in 1929 as the gymnasium for Central High School, at the corner of Court and NW 6th Streets. History note: Central High School moved to its current location on First Ave. in 1971. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)1975 ISUE women’s basketball team. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This 1971 photograph shows a ribbon cutting for the first library building on campus. NOTE: Although this no longer serves as a library, the portion of the building seen here still can be identified as part of the University Center East. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This colorful image is the front lawn of the contemporary library, with some “added color.”This photograph is not dated, but it has to be after the 2006 opening of the library. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)Speaking of the University Center, the original union building was to be temporary, or T.U.B. Here are Dr, Rice and members of TKE with a real tub! (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)This 1974 photograph shows the interior of the early University Center. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)One final image, here to explain why you’re attending USI and not ISUE. This 1985 image shows Archie being “freed” from his tether to ISU. 2025 represents 40 years as USI. (UA 011 USI 50th Anniversary, 50 poster)
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