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Looking Back...

A look back from the pages of The Normalite

Edited by Roger Cushman

25 years ago

Thursday, March 7, 1985

Normal City Council approved the final plan for Olivewood Subdivision to be located on the Town’s east side at Blair Avenue during Monday night’s regular meeting. William Hundman represented Cardinal Industries which plans to build 120 apartments in the area.

John Malkovich’s 31st year, 1984, is going to be hard to top, although 1985 opened with his nomination for best supporting actor in the film, “Places in the Heart.” The Academy Awards broadcast will be March 25.

Certain adjectives are unavoidable when Malkovich’s former theater instructors at ISU discuss their former student of the middle 1970s “Imaginative, intense, flamboyant and fascinating” are always mentioned.

Today he is an Oscar-nominee for one movie and a key performer in “The Killing Fields,” is a stage director who has received critical praise for ‘Balm in Gilead” off Broadway, and is a stage actor who’s work in “True West,” for example, was called “an acting hole-in-one” by a New York Times critic.

Most reviews of Malkovich’s acting invariably compare him to Robert DeNiro. Marlon Brando, James Dean or Robert Duvall. Duvall himself, who saw Malkovich in “True West” and recommended him to Dustin Hoffman for the role of Biff in “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway last year, said Malkovich was one of today’s young actors who could become one of the greats.

Malkovich was part of the group in 1976 that founded Steppenwolf, one of Chicago’s and the country’s brightest young acting ensembles. Strong Steppenwolf loyalties were instilled when most of the company members were Illinois State theater students.

Sharon Mann, daughter of Mrs. Claude Mann, and Chris Seifert, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Seifert from Normal Community High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society have been nominated as candidates for a national scholarship offered through the society.

The students will compete on the national level in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Two $1,000 scholarships are given each year.

Miss Mann plans to study engineering at either Northwestern University or the U of I. Her counterpart will also pursue a career in engineering at either Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U of I or Purdue University.

50 Years Ago

March 4, 1960

Buford H. Bass, 14 McCormick Boulevard, was elected president of the Normal Optimist Club at its meeting last Wednesday. Other officers include vice presidents, John Butler and Joe Raycraft and secretary-treasurer, Ralph Wrench. Gene Schaab was elected Sargent-at-Arms. Members of the Board of Governors are Bud Baker, Monte Rice, Phil Pearcy, Ben Roberts, Harlan Peithman and Lloyd Golliday. Frank Bond will give the program at the Optimist Dinner meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Davidson’s Restaurant.

The art work of David Fuller, son of Mr. and Mr.s Lyle O. Fuller, 501 Bowles avenue, will be shown in the Wesleyan Art Gallery Building, March 6 through March 17. The show will contain approximately 36 pieces of work consisting of oil paintings, prints in the woodcut, etching, and monotype technique, and drawings in pencil, pastel, and crayon. He will be present at the Sunday opening from 2 to 5 p.m.

Funeral rites for Miss O. Lillian Barton, 86, 12 Payne place, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at the First Methodist church, Dr. Gordon B. White and the Rev. Isaac S. Corn will conduct the service.

Miss Barton was born Jan. 28, 1874, in Saybrook, daughter of George W. and Alice Hinsdale Barton. She taught in the Bloomington and Normal schools from 1891 to 1897. She was principal of Lexington high school from 1899 to 1992 and was principal of Pittsfield school until 1904. She joined the Normal university school staff in 1906 and became acting dean of women in 1912 and was appointed dean in 1916. From 1930 to 1932, Miss Barton headed the Illinois Association of Deans of Women. She received a citation for meritorious service from the state association in 1940. ISNU’s Barton Hall was named in honor of Miss Barton in 1950. The hall is a women’s residence on the campus.

75 years ago

March 8, 1935

The partly constructed green house on the University gardens west of the campus will be moved to the campus and completed within the next few months, Dr. R. W. Fairchild announced yesterday. This new greenhouse will take the place of the old greenhouse which is inadequate.

The plot which in former years has been used for a university garden, and which was used last fall for an athletic field, will be developed into a recreational plot for University high school and the Metcalf school. It will be converted into an athletic field for football, track and basketball and will serve as both a practice and a playing field for University high school athletics.

In a quiet, orderly fashion, Normal turned out Monday to record the heaviest vote ever cast in the 70 years of the town’s existence. Acting upon the request made for early voting 1300 had cast their ballots by noon.

All during the 11 hours the polls were open a steady stream of voters moved through the city hall, entering by the front door and completing a “hairpin curve” emerged through the side door with outside exit through the fire station. preparation had been made for 3000 voters and when the final one had passed through the booths and the absentee voters ballots had been deposited 2673 ballots had been cast. The largest preceding vote was in 1930 when 2368 ballots were cast.

The counting of the ballots started at 7 p.m. and was not completed until 5 a.m. Contrary to the general thought the local option ballots were not counted until after the candidate vote was tabulated. This is in compliance with the election law.

“Pim” Goff, son of Judge and Mrs. Goff, has signed a baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals for this season. Last summer Mr. Goff played with a number of leagues in the South, being a member of the St. Louis Browns.

Mr. Goff, who has just completed his studies at Normal University, is the only five sport man ever graduated from that University. In 1932-33 he won letters in football, basketball, baseball, tennis and track.

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