Campus: IU Bloomington
Located north of Franklin Hall and the Student Building, the memorial pillar and centennial steps commemorate two important moments in IU's history. Constructed in 1920, these steps commemorate IU's 100th anniversary and mark the location of the university's centennial pageant. William Chauncy Langdon, author of The Centennial Pageant of Indiana University, 1820-1920, described the event as “Seek[ing] to celebrate the progress attained during the hundred years of the University’s existence, and to indicate the significance of the educational situation in which Indiana University and all American Universities find themselves in the year 1920.”
The memorial pillar, constructed in 1922, was used to the launch the IU Memorial Fund campaign. The centennial pillar and memorial steps were refurbished in 1987, which is noted on a plaque on the south side of the pillar. The pillar, steps, and plaque were refurbished once again in 2018.
