ISU Kicks Off ‘Sesquicentennial Era’ With $1M Gift

The project includes the restoration of the hall's historic dome.

Indiana State University has received a $1 million gift from the Gayle and Bill Cook Foundation. The funding supports the renovation of Normal Hall and other historic preservation efforts as the school approaches its 150th anniversary.

The $16 million Normal Hall project will move the school’s University College and student Academic Services to a single location. The building, dedicated in 1910, served as the school’s library until 1973. It has since served a variety of purposes, most recently as storage and office space for the school’s Permanent Art Collection and University Archives.

The gift announcement was part of a kickoff event for Indiana State’s "Sesquicentennial Era." The school says the event also raised more than $200,000 to endow need-based scholarships.

The Sesquicentennial Era runs from this year, which is the 150th anniversary of legislation passed to establish the Indiana State Normal School, through 2020, which is the 150th anniversary of the school’s opening.

The school will host a re-dedication of Normal Hall this morning.