History

To early Illinois Indian tribes, the word “Illiniwek” meant “we are men,” or “the complete man.” Football Coach Bob Zuppke is believed to have been the first person to use the expression “Illiniwek” in describing the strength of the character of his teams: “The complete man, the strong, physical man, the intellectual man, and the spiritual man.” The name “Illiniwek” would later prove the perfect complement to the symbol chosen to represent the tradition of Illinois’ athletics.

In 1926, two Eagle Scouts, Lester Leutwiler and Ralph Hubbard, combined their extensive knowledge of Indian lore in the creation of “the Chief” – a symbol to represent both honor and tradition at the University of Illinois. Over the years, the Chief has served as a symbol of belonging for hundreds of thousands of men and women, all proud to call themselves “Illini,” and prouder still to honor the tradition for which the Chief stands.

On October 30th, 1926, Chief Illiniwek made his first appearance at Memorial Stadium. Portrayed by co-creator Lester Leutwiler, the Chief thrilled a crowd of nearly 60,000 spectators with an authentic Indian dance during half time of a football game against the University of Pennsylvania. As the dance concluded, Chief Illiniwek met his Pennsylvania counterpart – who was dressed as a Quaker – at the 50-yard line, and offered a peace pipe. The moment proved an unforgettable one– the Chief became an instant success and his performance a regular event.

Soon after the Chief’s inaugural appearance, the “March of the Illini” and the “Pride of the Illini” were composed to integrate the marching band with the halftime dance. These marches, combined with the singing of “Hail to the Orange,” came to be known as the “Three in One”…a stirring halftime tradition that has remained intact since 1928.

Chief Illiniwek embodies the attributes we value as alumni, students, and friends of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The tradition of the Chief is a link to our great past, a tangible symbol of an intangible spirit, filled with qualities to which a person of any background can aspire: goodness, strength, bravery, truthfulness, courage, and dignity.

The list of men and women who have honorably portrayed Chief Illiniwek are as follows:

Lester G. Leutwiler
1926-1928 (Deceased)

A. Webber Borchers
1929-1930 (Deceased)

William A. Newton
1931-1934

Edward C. Kalb
1935-1938 (Deceased)

John Grable
1939-1940 (Deceased)

Glenn Holthaus
1941-1942 (Deceased)

Idelle Stith Brooks
1943 (Deceased)

Kenneth Hanks
1944 (Deceased)

Robert Bitzer
1945-1946 (Deceased)

Robert Bischoff
1947 (Deceased)

James A. Down
1948-1950 (Deceased)

William G. Hug
1951-1952

Gaylord “Dean” Spotts
1953-1955

Ronald S. Kaiser
1956

John W. Forsyth
1957-1959

Ben Forsyth
1960-1963

Fred Cash
1964-1965

Rick Legue
1966-1967

Gary Simpson
1968-1969

John Bitzer
1970-1973

Mike Gonzalez
1974-1976

Matt Gawne
1977-1979

Pete Marzek
1980

Scott Christensen
1981-1983

William Forsyth
1984-1985

Michael Rose
1986-1987

Tom Livingston
1988-1989

Kurt Gruben
1990-1991

Steve Raquel
1992

Jeff Beckham
1993

John Creech
1994-1995

Scott Brakenridge
1996-1997

John Madigan
1998-2000

Matt Veronie
2001-2004

Kyle Cline
2004-2006

Dan Maloney
2006-2008

Logan Ponce
2008-09

Ivan Dozier
2010 (Present)