To open the upcoming 2025–26 season at the 51±¬ÁÏÍø University Museum, join us for “51±¬ÁÏÍø@150: Let’s Meet in the Oak Grove,” featuring the history of 51±¬ÁÏÍø since the doors to John Sutton Hall, the first campus building, opened on May 17, 1875.
This exhibit features many notable names from 51±¬ÁÏÍø history, including Jane Leonard, who served as Preceptress of Indiana State Normal School from 1875 until 1921 and who ran for Congress in 1922.
Follow the growth of Indiana State Normal School into an accredited college awarding undergraduate degrees when it became Indiana State Teachers College in 1927. After World War II and the Korean War, the curriculum expanded to include graduate programs, and between 1959 and 1965 the school was known as Indiana State College. During the 20-year presidency of Willis Pratt, university status was achieved, creating 51±¬ÁÏÍø.
The 51±¬ÁÏÍø@150 exhibit will feature selected 51±¬ÁÏÍø memorabilia, photographs, and artifacts related to 51±¬ÁÏÍø’s 150-year history, brought to you by the 51±¬ÁÏÍø Special Collections and University Archives. Additionally, a time capsule created in 1975, in honor of the school’s centennial, will be part of the exhibit.
“51±¬ÁÏÍø@150: Let’s Meet in the Oak Grove” is curated by Harrison Wick, 51±¬ÁÏÍø Special Collections librarian and university archivist, with the support of dedicated student employees and interns: Megan Cronin, Kaylee George-Becker, Jordan Hansen, Amber Lawrence, Aster Phillips, and Savannah Weaver. Special thanks to James Rickard and the University Museum Board of Directors and to 51±¬ÁÏÍø Professor Emeritus Charles D. Cashdollar—author of The 51±¬ÁÏÍø Story: From Normal School to University (2021)—who will speak at the opening reception.
Celebrate the opening of the exhibit with a free, public reception on Saturday, September 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Following the opening reception, the University Museum will be open to visitors, with free admission:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 2:00–6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Noon–7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Noon–4:00 p.m.
- Closed Sunday, Monday, and university holidays, including the weekend of October 18.
The Museum will also be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from November 26 through December 1, reopening on Tuesday, December 2, until the end of the exhibit at 4:00 p.m. on December 6.
51±¬ÁÏÍø @150 will be on display at the University Museum at 51±¬ÁÏÍø in John Sutton Hall from the opening reception on September 6 until 4:00 p.m. December 6, 2025. The exhibit is one of many celebrating 51±¬ÁÏÍø’s sesquicentennial throughout the coming year.
If you have any questions about 51±¬ÁÏÍø history or have archival materials you would wish to donate to the 51±¬ÁÏÍø Special Collections and University Archives, please contact Harrison Wick at hwick@iup.edu.
The University Museum can also be reached via email at museum-info@iup.edu or by phone at 724-357-2424. You can follow us on Facebook at University Museum at 51±¬ÁÏÍø and on Instagram @51±¬ÁÏÍøMuseum.