IU Day is almost upon us, and for the third year in a row, the Indiana University pride will be inescapable.
IU Day is the university’s massive fundraising and outreach event that encourages members of the IU family around the world to wear their school spirit on their sleeves. But between the videos, the scavenger hunt and the ubiquitous cream and crimson, you’ll need to rest up your eyes. Why not listen up to prepare for the celebration?
Lend an ear to some classic IU-centric episodes from WFIU’s Profiles to get yourself ready and get the inside stories on the people who make Indiana University the flourishing community it is.
IU Historian James H. Madison (originally aired February 14, 2016)
Photo: WFIU
James H. Madison is an IU professor of history emeritus as well as the author of several books including The Indiana Way: A State History and Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana. If you need a source for Indiana history, this guy literally wrote the book on it.
But as Madison himself points out in the episode, he wasn’t born a Hoosier. That all changed when he enrolled in the university in 1966.
“It proved hard to leave. I’m a Hoosier now,” he says.
Madison credits much of that magnetism to the state’s natural beauty, which became one of Indiana’s top priorities when it launched its state parks system around the time of IU’s centennial celebration.
“If you want to talk about Hoosier Pride, one place to start is the state parks,” Madison says.
In the episode, Madison does add a caveat: If you truly want to experience Indiana for what it is, venture outside of Bloomington. See other towns, find landmarks and better understand the state.
IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers (originally aired August 4, 2013)
Photo: WFIU
If you want more out of your movie-going experience than another reboot, sequel or superhero movie, you’re probably already familiar with the Indiana University Cinema. Its array of arthouse films, international films and special guests has grown a fervent fan base in Bloomington. But you may not know much about the man behind it.
In this episode, IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers shares how he went from an engineering background in his hometown in Michigan to owning his own movie theater, and later to running a cinema at Notre Dame. That’s where he got the experience that would later prove crucial to getting IU Cinema off the ground.
“I almost felt guilty about getting paid to do something that was a hobby before for me,” Vickers says.
IU Cinema was Vickers’ opportunity to build something from the ground up, and as he mentions in the interview, the theater’s success speaks for itself.
Revisiting the Life of Herman B Wells (originally aired May 25, 2010)
Photo: Indiana University
It’s impossible to talk about Indiana University without mentioning the man who helped make it what it is today: Herman B Wells.
This episode collects archival recordings from people who knew and worked with Wells as well as talks with the man himself. It’s full of anecdotes about his upbringing, his appointment to university president - even his love of rhubarb pie.
The episode takes a chronological look at Wells’ upbringing in Boone County to how the Great Depression pushed him to return to IU after graduating. That move would eventually take him down the path of university leadership. And when the preceding university president abruptly stepped down in 1936, Wells received a late-night call with an offer for the position of acting president.
“'I don’t think that’s a very good idea. There are other people that are better qualified than I am,’” Wells recalled. “And he said, ‘The reason we want you is that we know we don’t want you for permanent president.’”
You don't have to look far to see how Wells’ legacy is celebrated after his passing, and this edition of Profiles has plenty of evidence.
IU VP and Chief Administrative Officer J. Terry Clapacs (originally aired August 17, 2009)
Photo: Indiana University
This episode aired just before J. Terry Clapacs retired as university vice president. That exit would punctuate Clapacs’ over 50 years with Indiana University – first as undergraduate, then graduate, then into his time as administration.
Former Vice President Clapacs oversaw the expansion of approximately two-thirds of what is now Indiana University. He was also vital to the development of each campus’ grounds and athletic facilities.
As he states in the interview, that effort didn’t go without recognition. Clapacs was the 10th person to receive the University Medal; only 18 have been awarded since the first in 1982. Once, a friend of his even held “Terry Clapacs Day” in his hometown of Goshen, IN.
Clapacs also touches on how easy it is to acclimate to the community around IU.
“I had never really thought of the university as a possible career, but that’s the way it worked out,” Clapacs says. “Living in Bloomington is truly a blessing. It’s just a great place to raise a family and be part of a community.”
First Lady of Indiana University Laurie Burns McRobbie (originally aired January 20, 2008)
Photo: Indiana University
A champion for women and technology, First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie has accomplished much during her time at IU. But this interview takes her back to 2008, when she arrived at the university just months before.
Burns McRobbie says it took some time for her to get comfortable with the title of “first lady,” but she’s grown to enjoy it. She puts the moniker up there with some of her role models, including Eleanor Roosevelt.
“[She’s] someone who has her own agenda and her own vision and a very strong sense of public service and advocacy,” Burns McRobbie says.
Those aspirations are ones Burns McRobbie held from the outset, especially when she talks about her work pushing for more representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“I have been very interested in how women’s lives have changed and how the world around them has changed,” she says.
While it’s fascinating to hear about Burns McRobbie’s plans at the start of her tenure, it’s far more interesting to see the consistency in her plans that she’s carried for the past 10 years.
For even more one-on-one conversations with a new guest each week, head to the Profiles website or subscribe to the podcast.
