Today through this weekend, August 9, we are running a two-part advertisement in the News-Gazette highlighting a simple but important fact: the University of Illinois is the only college or university in America to have renamed a World War I memorial after it had been rededicated to honor those who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Memorial Stadium was originally dedicated to the 189 University of Illinois students and alumni who gave their lives in World War I and was later rededicated to include the 948 Illini who died in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Changing the historic name of that rededicated memorial diminishes the very history and purpose for which Memorial Stadium was created. We also received some good news this week. It appears that Memorial Stadium is going to receive federal protection in keeping with the guidelines for the National Register of Historic Places. That process is ongoing, but Memorial Stadium appears to qualify because of its history, its association with significant events, and its architectural significance. As this controversy continues, we are becoming increasingly concerned that the continuing failure to achieve pristine compliance with applicable state statutes is beginning to diminish the value and reputation associated with an Illinois degree. We wanted you, the 331 people who have signed our petition, to know what we are doing to bring this issue to public attention and to thank you for standing with us. We will continue to keep you informed as this effort moves forward.

We want to begin by offering our sincere thanks to our 350+ supporters, both online and on paper. Together with your 144 deeply moving comments, we have built a powerful, united front. Our research has just confirmed something truly historic: Illinois is the only university in the entire country that has commercialized and changed the name of a stadium built specifically as a memorial to soldiers killed in World War I. On this issue, the University of Illinois administration stands completely alone.We are already seeing incidental signs of their hesitation. On the west side of the stadium, the university recently junked their massive standalone commercial signage. While it is just a first step, it proves they are feeling the pressure because they know the public is against them. To press this advantage, we have bypassed the university's bureaucratic wall entirely. A tracked, high-security UPS package is being delivered today directly to the corporate headquarters of the man responsible for this disgrace, demanding a formal meeting with his legal staff. We will keep you informed the moment we receive a response. Thank you for standing with us to protect the sacred memory of the 189 fallen. Please call or text Jim French, MSS Liaison Officer, at 815-291-9071 for media inquiries. “We honor those who died; we are thankful for those who lived.”

As we look ahead, the Memorial Stadium Society is sharpening the legal pressure. We want to share our current and upcoming newspaper ads with you so you can track our progress: We are publishing for the first time the precise citation of the laws we believe are being broken. 760 ILCS 55/15 § (a)(1), (4) We believe it is impossible for the university to legally defend a name change under any circumstances. Sincerely, Jim French Call or text 815-291-9071

In our July 4th update, we showed the visual contradiction at the stadium itself. Today we must confront something far more serious: the University is publishing one of the largest historical inaccuracies ever written about Memorial Stadium. 1. The central falsehood The University’s new guide site claims that “Gies Memorial Stadium was built in 1923.” This is a falsehood — one of the largest historical inaccuracies ever published about Memorial Stadium, because it rewrites the stadium’s origin story. Memorial Stadium was built and dedicated as Memorial Stadium in 1923–1924. The name “Gies Memorial Stadium” did not exist until 2025. 2. The donor count correction The same guide page claims that 200,000 people funded the stadium. The documented historical number is 21,000 donors — students, alumni, and Illinois citizens who gave specifically to build a war memorial honoring 189 fallen Illini from World War I. 3. Our News‑Gazette ad Our new ad — approved by the News‑Gazette — states plainly that the new name hurts families. This wording is now running publicly because it reflects what we are hearing from families who visit the memorial columns to honor their fallen relatives. 4. Reporting to the Charitable Trust Bureau We have submitted screenshots of these inaccurate University web pages to the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau as an addendum. These pages illustrate self‑dealing and a failure to comply with the original purpose intended by the 21,000 donors who built Memorial Stadium. 5. Our commitment We remain committed to historical accuracy and to honoring the memorial’s true heritage — a heritage built not on commercial branding, but on the sacrifice of 189 Illinois students and alumni who gave their lives in World War I. 6. If you want to learn more You are welcome to call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071 for more about the Memorial Stadium Society.

This weekend, on page C8, the News-Gazette is publishing our official letter exposing the university's deception, titled "UI dishonorable about stadium." Right now, a massive contradiction stands in Champaign-Urbana. The administration claims they are respecting our 189 fallen WWI heroes, but their own signage tells a completely different story.We challenge you to a 4th of July Weekend Treasure Hunt: Drive past the stadium today or tomorrow. Look up with your own eyes. You will see giant orange letters spelling G-I-E-S that are four times larger than the smaller blue letters spelling "Memorial Stadium."By every rule of visual hierarchy, the commercial transaction dominates, and our sacred war memorial is forced underneath. The physical truth cannot be hidden by administrative public relations. How You Can Take Action Today:1 . Share this Challenge: Copy this update and text it to 5 fellow alumni, friends, or veterans. Tell them to look at the stadium this weekend. 2. Call the Society: If you see the visual discrepancy and want to join our legal efforts with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, call us directly at 815-291-9071. 3. Demand Change: Sign this petition to help us simply restore the name of Memorial Stadium. However, if a university administration permits deception regarding its own war memorial and betrays its own honored history, the resignation of those responsible would seem in order. We should not protect administrators who compromise a sacred monument, and we need leadership focused strictly on honoring our 189 fallen heroes.

As our ad appears in the News-Gazette, many in the University community—students, faculty, and staff alike—are quietly aware of what has happened but unsure how to respond. The scale of the campus alone makes this understandable: 34,000 undergraduates, 20,500 graduate students, and 31,000 faculty and staff live and work under a name that was changed without their involvement. Many are uneasy when internal documents are used to justify actions that touch state law. The internal rulebooks cited—the University of Illinois Statutes and The General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure—guide internal procedure, but they have no bearing on Illinois law. They cannot override statutes governing charitable trusts, donor intent, or the legal protection of war memorials. Using internal rules to change the name of Memorial Stadium does not legitimize the action. The University has made it plain that this name change was a commercial transaction, not an act of philanthropy. It was, in essence, a classic if/then contract: if one man's name were placed above Memorial Stadium, the money would follow. Many employees may now feel vulnerable or unsure of what they are allowed to say. But on their own time and using their own devices, they remain free to express their views as private citizens. If you believe Memorial Stadium should once again be known simply as Memorial Stadium, say so. On your own time. On your own devices. Respectfully, but without apology. Is this what we've come to in Illinois? Is this fair? Are we really going to place the name of one man—who bought his way to the top—on our Memorial Stadium, while everyone else sacrificed their lives to even have their names there?

Dear Memorial Stadium Supporters, After nine months of pressure, the university’s public relations campaign has stalled. They hoped we would grow tired and quietly accept their narrative, but we won't. As many of you have pointed out, this was not a donation at all, just a commercial transaction. While the university's corporate spin machine has gone quiet, our legal fight is actively moving forward behind closed doors where facts actually matter.On March 25, Bureau Chief Kristin Louis confirmed that the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau is conducting a formal review of our complaint. Charitable trust reviews routinely take four to six months. Our review is only three months old. State audits of a $100 million contract take time, and the university’s lawyers are using every procedural delay available to them. They cannot outlast the State of Illinois, and they cannot run away from their legal obligations. The state is investigating whether the University Foundation breached its fiduciary duty to the historical trust created between 1921 and 1924, when thousands of citizens signed pledge cards for the explicit "original purpose" of building a "Memorial Stadium" to honor their fallen classmates. We successfully cleared the first major legal hurdle. Thank you for your continued dedication to preserving the pure memory of our honored dead. We honor those who died, we are thankful for those who lived. Sincerely, Jim French The Memorial Stadium Society Please call for more verification, especially if you would like the 48 page and 35 page PDF's of 1921-1924 fund-raising campaign. 815-291-9071 .

Dear Memorial Stadium Supporters, After nine months of pressure, the university’s public relations campaign has stalled. They hoped we would grow tired and quietly accept their narrative, but we won't. As many of you have pointed out, this was not a donation at all, just a commercial transaction. While the university's corporate spin machine has gone quiet, our legal fight is actively moving forward behind closed doors where facts actually matter.On March 25, Bureau Chief Kristin Louis confirmed that the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau is conducting a formal review of our complaint. Charitable trust reviews routinely take four to six months. Our review is only three months old. State audits of a $100 million contract take time, and the university’s lawyers are using every procedural delay available to them. They cannot outlast the State of Illinois, and they cannot run away from their legal obligations. The state is investigating whether the University Foundation breached its fiduciary duty to the historical trust created between 1921 and 1924, when thousands of citizens signed pledge cards for the explicit "original purpose" of building a "Memorial Stadium" to honor their fallen classmates. We successfully cleared the first major legal hurdle. Thank you for your continued dedication to preserving the pure memory of our honored dead. We honor those who died, we are thankful for those who lived. Sincerely, Jim French The Memorial Stadium Society Please call for more verification, especially if you would like the 48 page and 35 page PDF's of 1921-1924 fund-raising campaign. 815-291-9071 .

Hello — this is Jim and Gwynne French from the Memorial Stadium Society. Thank you again for signing the petition and standing with us. We want to share with you the two statutory duties that govern Memorial Stadium under Illinois law, because they go directly to the heart of this issue. The controlling statutory duties are found in Section 15 of the Charitable Trust Act: “To avoid self‑dealing and conflicts of interest.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(1)) “To adhere and conform the charitable organization to its charitable purpose.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(4)) These two duties go directly to the heart of Memorial Stadium. The original charitable purpose was to create a war memorial honoring the fallen Illini by name. Any alteration of that purpose — including a naming change — requires clear legal authority. To date, none has been identified. We encourage you to share this update with as many people as possible. If you have questions, please call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071.

Hello — this is Jim and Gwynne French from the Memorial Stadium Society. Thank you again for signing the petition and standing with us. We want to share with you the two statutory duties that govern Memorial Stadium under Illinois law, because they go directly to the heart of this issue. The controlling statutory duties are found in Section 15 of the Charitable Trust Act: “To avoid self‑dealing and conflicts of interest.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(1)) “To adhere and conform the charitable organization to its charitable purpose.” (760 ILCS 55/15(a)(4)) These two duties go directly to the heart of Memorial Stadium. The original charitable purpose was to create a war memorial honoring the fallen Illini by name. Any alteration of that purpose — including a naming change — requires clear legal authority. To date, none has been identified. We encourage you to share this update with as many people as possible. If you have questions, please call Jim French at 815‑291‑9071.