This year’s Founder’s Day, held Thursday Feb. 21, will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the ISU Alumni Association.

The convocation in honor of the 150 years will begin at 2 p.m. in Braden Auditorium of the Bone Student Center with a reception to follow at 3:30 p.m. The convocation is free and open to the public.

“There will be a lot of things going on throughout Founder’s Day. There will be a ringing of the replica Old Main bell on that Thursday morning,” Jay Groves, assistant to the president, said.

“There will be an Illinois State showcase of the different departments and units on campus. There will be a special alumni lunch. And of course, the centerpiece is the Founder’s Day convocation, which will feature the presentations of honorary degrees to two Illinois State alumnus,” Groves said.

One degree will be given to actor and producer, Sean Hayes. Hayes was awarded an Emmy for his role in the TV show, “Will and Grace.”

Hayes most recently starred in The Three Stooges. While attending ISU, Hayes majored in performance and conducting in the College of Fine Arts while playing piano for a local band.  Hayes will be given an opportunity to speak after receiving his honorary degree.

“The other one will actually be a posthumous honorary degree for a gentleman who passed away last year. His name is J. Michael Adams and he’s the former president of Fairleigh Dickinson University,” Groves said.

Along with the honorary degrees, the convocation will include the giving of University Awards.    The celebrations will begin with the ringing of the Old Main replica bell at 10 a.m. in the Old Main room of the Bone Student Center. Displays featuring the history of ISU will be available for viewing from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the same room.

“It’s free and open to everybody. We encourage students, faculty and staff members to attend,” Groves said.

At 11:30 a.m., the annual Alumni Luncheon will be held in the Brown Ballroom. All ISU alumni are invited. The lunch will cost $10 per person. An Alumni Awards Dinner will be held at 6 p.m. at the Alumni Center. The meal cost is $25 per person and attendees must register by contacting Alumni Relations at 309-438-2586.