Women in the Marching Illini

This page is devoted to telling a story that has been left untold for a while. For my research, I have looked into the history of allowing women into the University of Illinois Bands programs, specifically, the Marching Illini.

WW2 was the first place that women were seen marching on the fields of then Zupke stadium, and 1971 is where we see the first women enter the band thanks to Title IX. Looking at the present day, we see a majority of the band being women and all members being inclusive and loving towards one another. ...but today we look at where it all started...and eventually never stopped...

I invite you to look through images, letters, and messages from the past to really learn about how we enacted change into this great university! ILL-