From a memorable campus performance by the late Dolly Parton to the impactful career of the University’s first student, Tom Emery explores this month in Illinois State University history.
September 10—Illinois State’s first student begins long, impactful teaching career
On this date in 1860, Enoch Gastman began his remarkable 47-year educational career. Many recognize Gastman as Illinois State’s first student, but few know much about the rest of his life.
Gastman spent his entire career in Decatur as teacher, high school principal, and school superintendent, becoming a revered figure in the city. Today, he is remembered with a sculpture at the Macon County Historical Museum.
Gastman was the first to register on the inaugural day of classes at Illinois State Normal University on October 5, 1857. He became one of 10 graduates at the University’s first Commencement on June 29, 1860, and started teaching third grade in Decatur that September.
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On July 12, 1862, Gastman was appointed to the concurrent positions of Decatur school superintendent and high school principal—the first to hold both positions—and remained for 45 years. Like many teachers, he certainly wasn’t in it for the money. His first teaching job paid $45 per month for a six-month term. His average annual salary as superintendent was $1,728.
Students, teachers, and board members spoke glowingly of Gastman, who overcame tremendous personal sorrow as he excelled professionally. During his time in Decatur, his first two wives died, along with three of his five children and a younger brother who died serving in the Civil War’s 33rd Illinois Infantry, better known as the “Teacher’s Regiment.”
Former Illinois State President John Cook wrote that Gastman “was a man of many sorrows, yet he bore them with a fortitude that was heroic.”
Widely respected among educators, Gastman served as president and treasurer of the State Teachers Association and was a board member of the National Education Association. Though an obituary aptly reported “his fame was national,” Gastman turned down multiple teaching positions to stay in Decatur.
Gastman joined the state Board of Education in 1871—the same body that oversaw the creation of Illinois State University—and remained until his death. He also served as president of the Normal Alumni Association, remaining close to the University that launched his career.
Gastman retired in spring 1907 at age 73. That June, he attended Illinois State’s 50th anniversary gala. He died just weeks later, on August 2, 1907.
His passing was front-page news in Decatur, where a school was named in his honor—a fitting tribute to a man who influenced education statewide and nationally and remains a cherished figure both in Decatur and at his alma mater.
September 20—Dolly Parton dazzles sold-out crowd at Illinois State’s Braden Auditorium
On this date in 1992, Dolly Parton performed at Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University. Parton, who died August 25, 2026, was one of the most beloved country music artists of all time.
During her six-decade career, Parton sold over 100 million records, with 25 number-one singles on the Billboard country charts—the most ever for a female country artist. She released 49 solo studio albums and around 222 compilation albums worldwide, with 110 singles hitting the charts.
An accomplished songwriter, Parton penned over 3,000 songs and later moved into acting, starring in films like 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias, and Straight Talk. A savvy businesswoman, Parton developed her namesake theme park, Dollywood, in eastern Tennessee while giving away hundreds of millions in philanthropic endeavors.
In 1995, Parton established the Imagination Library, which distributed over 280 million free books to youngsters, including in McLean County through United Way. The initiative has impacted an estimated 3,800 children in McLean County alone.
She easily won over the sold-out crowd at Illinois State. The Pantagraph wrote that she “remains one of country music’s finest performers, a fact that was reinforced” during the concert at Braden.
Parton took the stage with a sore throat, which she admitted to the crowd after two songs. But then she exclaimed, “You people have waited a long time and paid good money for tickets, so there’s no way I was going to cancel!”
Despite her throat, The Pantagraph noted she went into “great detail about her life between every song” in a “rather short but very enjoyable performance.” Her repertoire featured her smash hit single “9 to 5” and an extended medley that blended her hits with songs from artists including The Beatles, Madonna, and Stevie Wonder.
The Pantagraph wrote admiringly that “if it wasn’t Dolly’s voice and musical ability that impressed the audience, it may have been her personality that won them over. She came across (as) very friendly and very personable, even at times making a few jokes at her own expense.”
The Vidette reviewer was equally impressed, writing that “spending a Sunday evening with Dolly Parton proved to be one of the most enjoyable concerts a family could have attended.”
The Vidette continued that the “most touching moment of the evening came before and during her song ‘Coat of Many Colors,'” when she told of “her mother sewing the coat.” As she talked, the “crowd listened intently, some occasionally wiping a tear or two from their eyes.”
Eighteen years earlier, on August 1, 1974, Parton performed at the McLean County Fair in Bloomington—believed to be the first solo appearance of her career. She had burst onto the entertainment scene on The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967 and regularly performed with Wagoner for years.
In October 2020, a Netflix documentary included home movie footage of Parton from the McLean County Fair, saying, “Hi. This is little Dolly Parton. This is August the 1st, and we’re in Bloomington, Illinois, and this is our first show.”
Parton’s impression on Illinois State and Bloomington-Normal was summarized best by The Vidette after her 1992 Braden concert: “This is a woman who has proven herself again and again to be the queen of country music.” Her millions of fans worldwide would undoubtedly agree.
September 28—Redbird pitcher Jeremy Accardo reaches milestone in Major League career
On this date in 2007, Jeremy Accardo ’16, who enjoyed a successful three-year career with the Illinois State baseball team, earned his 30th save of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Accardo is one of two Illinois State Redbirds to record 30 or more saves in a single Major League Baseball season. The other was Dan Kolb, who picked up 39 saves for Milwaukee in 2004.
Born December 8, 1981, in Phoenix, Accardo was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Illinois State University. He signed as an undrafted free agent with San Francisco in 2003 and spent parts of three seasons in the minors before his big-league debut with the Giants on May 4, 2005.
He finished his rookie year with a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings and briefly served as the Giants’ closer in early 2006 before a trade to Toronto that July.
Accardo became the Blue Jays’ closer in 2007, producing the best season of his major-league career with 30 saves, a 4-4 record, and a 2.14 ERA. He did not allow a run in 54 of his 64 appearances. In 67.1 innings of work, Accardo struck out 57 and allowed only 24 walks.
Unfortunately, Accardo’s career was sidetracked by injuries. He was limited to 16 games in 2008 but rebounded with a 2.55 ERA in 26 appearances in 2009. He pitched in just five major league games for the Blue Jays in 2010.
Accardo then joined Baltimore for the 2011 season, appearing in 31 games as he continued to struggle in his return to past form. His final big-league season was 2012, when he made a combined 27 appearances for Cleveland and Oakland.
In 2015, Accardo returned to Illinois State as a student assistant baseball coach, fulfilling a goal to complete his studies. He graduated with a degree in kinesiology and sports psychology.
He then became a minor-league pitching coach and coordinator before working his way back to the majors as an assistant pitching coach with the New York Mets in 2019-20.
During this time, Accardo’s life was devastated by personal loss, as his nine-year-old daughter, Leighton, died of germ cell cancer in November 2020. Her brave fight captured the hearts of sports fans, Accardo’s fellow pro athletes, and the New York press.
In 2024, Accardo joined the coaching staff of Arizona State as a pitching coach, continuing his journey in baseball that started at Illinois State and climaxed as one of MLB’s better closers of his era.
September 29—Renowned Redbird artist Dr. Lorenzo Pace is born
On this date in 1943, internationally acclaimed artist Dr. Lorenzo Pace, Ed.D. ’78, was born. Pace has been labeled as one of the most versatile multimedia artists and a font of energy and creativity.
Pace is best known for his 60-foot sculpture Triumph of the Human Spirit, made from 300 tons of black granite in New York City. It sits blocks from Wall Street at the site of the former World Trade Center and in front of the U.S. Federal Court building.
Completed in 2000, the imposing sculpture remembers the enslaved populations of Manhattan and was inspired by relics from enslaved Africans found in an excavation of Foley Square in New York City. The work, which took a decade to finish, is believed to be the nation’s largest site-specific tribute to enslaved individuals.
Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Pace was one of 13 children to a father who was a minister. Though his family expected him to become a clergyman, he chose art and spent a year in Paris.
One of Pace’s inspirations to become an artist came during a chance encounter on a South Side beach in Chicago where he saw an artist carving a depiction of The Last Supper in wood. Moved, Pace watched intently, then went home and created his first piece—a striking African mask.
He attended the University of Illinois Chicago for one year before switching to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he earned a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. The resident of the institute then introduced him to Fred Mills, then chair of the School of Art at Illinois State.
Pace never looked back. “Fred and Lois Mills were so warm and welcoming,” he recalled in a 2011 Illinois State University News story. “Initially, I wasn’t going to fool around with a doctorate, but I am so happy I did. It opened me up to another level I never thought I would experience.
“My time at ISU is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life,” added Pace. “I give credit to ISU for propelling me to grow and change, to explore.”
He earned a doctorate in education from Illinois State in 1978 and, two years later, held a multimedia production at the School of the Art Institute on Egyptian culture. Pace later moved to New York, where he keeps a studio in Brooklyn.
Pace subsequently became interested in performance, adding another medium to his wide-ranging repertoire, and has earned acclaim for his storytelling talents. His artwork is known for its remarkably wide array of materials.
Pace is the author of Jalani and the Lock, a children’s book on African American slavery that was selected as a “Best Book” by the Los Angeles Times. The book was assessed by Publisher’s Weekly as a “stunning debut.” He has since authored three other books aimed mainly at young audiences.
At various times, Pace has served on the faculty of the University of Illinois Chicago, Medgar Evers College, and Montclair State University, where he was also the director of the school’s art gallery. He is currently a faculty member in art at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Pace’s work has taken him around the world, including many trips to Senegal, for as he tells his students, “Art can take you anywhere.” His work has been featured at the National Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as in France, China, Brazil, Senegal, Suriname, and Peru.
In 2008, he was one of 300 artists from around the globe invited to display their work at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Pace was bestowed with the Lifetime Service Award by the National Conference of Artists, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of Black artists. It was another high honor for Lorenzo Pace, who continues to inspire nearly a half-century after his time at Illinois State.
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher who, in collaboration with Carl Kasten ’66, co-authored the 2020 book Abraham Lincoln and the Heritage of Illinois State University.
