Good morning to all. Alert. The Memorial Stadium Society's Release this week of the of the $20,938,463 Daktronics contract demonstrates that the Athletic Department and the new name buyer are pouring salt into our wounds. They are already dishonoring our sacred dead. Now they are saying that shipping 20.9M dollars to China is more important than helping our team, much less the people of Illinois. This contract demonstrates that this new scoreboard is designed for one purpose, and one purpose only, to elevate the name of one man above the 1,137 Illini who died for our country. To say that we are in an intercollegiate battle to see who has the biggest scoreboard, rather than who has the best football team, is unfair to commmmon sense. (See our add on page 3 of this weekend's News Gaette.) The scoreboard can not make a tackle. It can not complete a single pass. The Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/) exists for a clear and legally binding purpose: to ensure that of public tax dollars and offer a fair, competitive bidding process that favors Illinois businesses, workers, and manufacturers. Under this framework, using a "sole supplier" or "sole source" exemption is an extraordinary measure reserved strictly for situations where absolutely no other vendor on earth can fulfill the requirement. The contract is between the Board of Trustees on behalf of the Athletic Department and Daktronics Labeling Daktronics as a "sole supplier" for a commercial sports scoreboard is absolute nonsense. The decision to bypass competitive bidding to ship over $20 million out of country to a manufacturing plant in Shanghai directly violates the spirit and priorities of Illinois law. This contract actively ignores: • Illinois Working Families: Hardworking taxpayers fund this university, yet local labor, assembly, and domestic supply chains were entirely cut out of a historic infrastructure payout. • Illinois Technical Superiority: Our state is home to world-class engineering, digital manufacturing, and technological infrastructure. Claiming a foreign-fabricated display was the only viable option insults our own domestic technical capabilities. There was zero structural or educational need to send $20 million to China for a giant advertising billboard. We are asking our state lawmakers to quit their timid ways. Ask the University this question, "Why should we send you any more money when you have just wasted 20.9M , sending it to China instead of Illinois. Wtih that same money you could have have given a $342 tuition reduction to every 61,060 undergraduate and graduate students at Champaign. The Charitable Trust Bureau has assured us their review is still open. Our state lawmakers favor restoration, but need encougagement. They do not have to pass a thing. Just publish a public letter asking university officials to explain themselves. We are asking even more state officials with the authority to restore the name to help us. Ultimately we would prefer the source of this ongoing wounding would withdraw their name from our war memorial. They are only hurting their own reputation and the reputation of the entire University of Illinois. We are after all an academic institution, not just a platform for bragging about yourself. For further information or documentation please text or call Jim French, Liaison 'Officer, at 815-291-9071. New signers on our petition are always most welcome.

Our commitment to restoring the simple name Memorial Stadium took a massive turn for the good in these past four days. After we released the university contract for "Memotial Stadium LED Upgrades" it has become obvious that the $20,938, 463 was sent to Shanghia to pay for the LED jumbrotron buillt in a factory in Shanghai . There is not a penny, not a dime of this #20.9 million that is going to Illinois football players or coaches. We belive this breaks every purpose of the Illinois Procurment Code, w hich calls for Illinois state universities to make every effort to spend their money within the state, to provide the essential elements of a robust Illinois. The officials who did this need to be held accountable for their actions. Today we are posting some of our 150 comments as a reminder of our original purpose. Keith Stone 4 months ago Memorial Stadium is to honor our vets NOT some millionaires EGO Kyle Smith 4 months ago This incredible historied stadium is a Memorial to Alumni that gave their lives in WW1, not a memorial to Gies Roy Chostner 7 months ago UI 1961-1963. A Memorial is a memorial. Keep it that way. I saw Dick Butkus play there. Susan Pensinger 11 months ago Donate all you want for the good of the cause, but to put your name in front is unnecessary, egotistical, and just plain wrong. Roger G Clark 11 months ago No person, no matter how wealthy or generous, should be allowed to usurp the honor of those who died in defense of their country. Marvin Ginzel 1 year ago I’m an 81/year old Illinois grad, a Vietnam disabled vet, and stll smarting from Chief Illiniwek demise. Do not do this to Veterans again. Lives are not for sale -ever!! Carl Gooch 1 year ago Renaming Memorial Stadium in memory of one person, diminishes the respectful remembrance of all those who died while serving their country in war.

To the 345 signers of the Memorial Stadium Society petition: As documented by the certified federal NPRC records hosted on our main site, memorialstadiumsociety.org, the narrative used to justify the venue's name adjustment was a provable falsehood. Presenting fabricated service credentials on public stadium marketing boards to paying ticket-holders is a serious act of consumer fraud under Illinois law. Furthermore, future donors considering matching gifts to the university must be made aware that the naming rights contract is now directly tied to an active consumer fraud controversy. We are inviting all 345 signers of this petition to submit a formal Consumer Fraud Complaint to the Illinois Attorney General today. The state prioritizes widespread public deception, so the more complaints that are filed, the more effective our collective support for the ongoing fraud investigation will be. These same instructions are also posted on Reddit at r/uiuc. Please click the link below, fill out the form using the organization name University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, and copy/paste our fact-based consumer fraud text block directly into the state's portal. 👉 Click Here to File Your Consumer Fraud Complaint with the State Pre-Written Narrative to Copy and Paste: [START OF COMPLAINT NARRATIVE] The University of Illinois Athletic Department and the University of Illinois Foundation engaged in deceptive practices and consumer fraud regarding a veteran's military service record. To justify modifying the name of the historic 100-year-old war monument to "Gies Memorial Stadium" following a philanthropic agreement, public promotional materials and stadium scoreboard displays falsely asserted that the renaming specifically honored the "Vietnam veteran service" of Larry Gies Sr. Official federal military records recently obtained from the NPRC via a FOIA request explicitly disprove these claims, showing stateside Reserve service instead of deployment to Vietnam. Displaying fabricated military credentials to a captive audience of paying ticket-holders to minimize public backlash constitutes a clear material misrepresentation. We request that the Consumer Protection Division investigate this matter as an active violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to protect taxpayers, donors, and consumers from fraudulent public marketing. The certified federal records are publicly accessible at memorialstadiumsociety.org. [END OF COMPLAINT NARRATIVE] In the documentation section of the portal, remember to paste the link to memorialstadiumsociety.org so state investigators can instantly view the certified NPRC DD-214 records. Let's encourage our state investigators.

The renaming of the University of Illinois’ historic venue to Gies Memorial Stadium is an absolute civic disgrace—it is a commercial corporate acquisition shamelessly disguised as a charitable donation. Built by 21,000 everyday citizens to honor fallen World War I soldiers, Memorial Stadium is a sacred war memorial, not a corporate billboard. By forcing a billionaire donor’s identity onto the stadium facade, university officials prioritize private money over veteran legacy. Worse is the utter lack of transparency. When citizens submitted FOIA requests for the contract, they were told none existed. By routing this transaction through a private 501(c)(3) foundation rather than the public university body, the specific terms remain legally hidden from public oversight and scrutiny. How does this work? The IRS legally classifies stadium naming rights as "incidental public recognition," valuing millions of dollars in permanent broadcast exposure at zero dollars and allowing the donor to write off the entire transaction. The bottom line is that Illinois taxpayers are being played by a wealthy billionaire. He gets millions in free advertising in every radio and TV broadcast from our stadium while lofting his name above our sacred dead. That $100 million tax write-off has to be picked up by the rest of us, forcing hard-working citizens to subsidize his massive corporate windfall. If we were to cancel the contract, he could demand his money back, but that would prove it was never a donation in the first place. Jim French, Liaison Officer Memorial Stadium Society Call or Text 815-291-9071.

To the Memorial Stadium Society Community, As we look up at the historic columns of Memorial Stadium, we must recognize a fundamental truth about military service: Our war memorial belongs exclusively to the fallen. The current naming alteration was crafted behind closed doors as a common sports-marketing transaction by athletic department officials and a corporate buyer. They rolled it out using a massive, choreographed advertising and PR campaign—one that has now been crushed completely by an unprecendented use of National Personnel Records Center official records to dismantle this false narrative under the massive weight of the federal government. Like commercial advertisers who exploit corporate sponsors for maximum profit, university officials exploited a defenseless, deceased soldier to give a raw business deal a false veneer of wartime sacrifice. The individual forced into the center of this transaction was an honorable United States Army veteran who served as an Acting First Sergeant, Larry Walter Gies. Anyone who has worn the uniform knows that the First Sergeant is the absolute backbone of the Army—a rank defined by quiet duty and respected by officers and enlisted men alike. A true First Sergeant lives by an unwritten code of humility and reverence. He would never permit his own name to be exploited as a marketing shield or elevated 50 feet above his fallen brothers-in-arms. By forcing this name change, university leadership and the corporate buyer haven't just broken faith with the 1,137 Illini who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam—they have exploited and disrespected the dignity of a true First Sergeant’s real service. This corporate transaction remains dishonorable, dishonest, and deeply disloyal to the dead. Our formal briefing is arriving directly on the desk of Business School leadership. Our letters are with the editorial desks of the Illinois press. The truth cannot be hidden. If you will call the University President directly at 217-333-3070 and ask: How could you allow a commercial marketing exploitation to overwrite the code of our sacred dead? Jim French, Liaison Officer Memorial Stadium Society. Call or text 815-291-9071

Dear Petitioners, Following our massive public breakout last week, the university administration has completely locked down in an unyielding, ashamed silence. Our master legal transmittal was delivered directly to the screens of President Killeen, Chancellor Jones, and Athletic Director Josh Whitman. Simultaneously, the complete dossier was broadcasted to every major investigative news desk from Champaign to Chicago, alongside an open-source campus drop that generated over 45,000 views and an 84.5% community approval rating. Despite the entire state grid watching, the university leadership remains deaf, dumb, and blind. They cannot contest the official federal records proving the 1964–1969 stateside-only reserve history, and they cannot run from Chief Records Officer Adrienne Nazon's written confession that the university possesses zero military verification papers for their $100,000,000 corporate naming deal. They are silent because they are completely cornered by the facts. Our digital fortress at http://memorialstadiumsociety.org remains fully live and readable to the public, and our federal financial compliance tracks are moving steadily through the system. Stand fast—the truth is holding the absolute highest ground. Sincerely, Jim French Liaison Officer Memorial Stadium Society Call or Text 815-291-9071.

Dear Supporters, The Memorial Stadium Society has posted the public, redacted Department of Defense Form DD-214 for Larry Walter Gies, as officially released by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) National Archives. Obtained legally via a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This this public record is now viewable at Google memorialstadiumsociety.org, under our mission title, "A name worth preserving." . By establishing this record at the federal level with the National Archives, we are letting everyone know that our mission to protect this monument is a matter of profound historical and national interest. With profound gratitude to all who stand to protect this sacred legacy, Jim & Gwynne French. Kindly Call or Text us at 815-291-9071 for further information.

Dear Supporters, The Memorial Stadium Society has officially deposited the public, redacted Department of Defense Form DD-214 for Larry Walter Gies, as officially released by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) National Archives. Obtained legally via a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, this public record is now permanently archived at our brand-new website for posting public documents, , memorialstadiumsociety.org, under our mission title, "A name worth preserving." This permanent public archive serves as an unassailable primary source for investigative journalists, legislators, and citizens verifying the strict legal criteria of veteran status within the historic stadium trust. By establishing this record at the federal level with the National Archives, we are letting everyone know that our mission to protect this monument is a matter of profound historical and national interest. With profound gratitude to all who stand with us to protect this sacred legacy, Jim & Gwynne French Co-Founders, Memorial Stadium Society Call or Text us at 815-291-9071.

We remember today the arrival of an extremely useful document from your government office that handles requests for a DD-214, the single sheet of paper that records everything done by a member of the military They are sending us the DD-214 for Larry Gies, Sr.. His son, Larry Gies, Jr., said he was giving money to the University to “honor his father … who volunteered for Vietnam.” We believe that Gies, Sr., served honorable stateside, but did not go to Vietnam. This matters since Larry Gies, Sr. never enrolled at the U of I, and in fact graduated from Kansas State University in 1963. The university is now affording the highest place of honor to a man who never went here. Our ad today on Page A-3 of the News Gazette says, “Our Dead Plead: RESTORE US. Hi Name Is Suffocating Us.” We add here one commentators view as to why the word “Suffocating” is appropriate. “The word "Suffocating" perfectly captures an existential threat to a living memorial. In public commemorative art and architecture, a monument like Memorial Stadium is not just dead stone; it is considered a living memorial because its purpose is to keep the active spirit, memory, and breath of those fallen soldiers alive across generations. By using the word "Suffocating," you are • Giving Voice to the Silent: Memorial columns cannot speak for themselves. By structuring it as a direct plea ("Our Dead Plead... His Name is Suffocating Us"), you dynamically flip the script. You transform the pillars from passive background scenery into active, breathing historical witnesses that are being actively suppressed by the current administration's naming choices. • An Uncompromising Contrast: Placing the singular pronoun "His" in direct conflict with the collective "Us" fiercely pits a single modern entity against the vast, sacred collective of the university’s fallen. It leaves no room for the reader to mistake the stakes Jim French. Liaison Officer. Call or Text 815-291-9071.

To the Memorial Stadium Society Community and University Leadership:The opening lines of our historic fight song declare: "We’re loyal to you, Illinois." Yet, the current university administration has proven fundamentally broken in that faith.We have officially submitted a formal Letter to the Editor to the Illinois press. We are drawing a line in the sand regarding the corporate purchase of our sacred war memorial.In 1924, the University of Illinois promised to honor 189 Illini who died in World War I. In 2002, that promise was extended to 948 additional Illini who fell in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. By renaming our war memorial "Gies Memorial Stadium" for $100 million, leadership has prioritized this corporate purchase over our fallen heroes. The donor openly stated his purpose was to "honor his father"—a Kansas State alumnus. Awarding our most sacred landmark to an out-of-state alumnus is a profound act of betrayal. It is dishonorable, dishonest, and deeply disloyal to the 1,137 fallen Illini. We ask that the family withdraw their name from the stadium in reverence to the Illini who gave their lives. We ask those responsible for this disloyal act to apologize and ask themselves "Are they truly being loyal to the sacred dead of our Memorial Stadium?" If you cannot be completely loyal to our in-state university, why should you continue to be paid by the taxpayers of Illinois? Finally, call the University President at 217-333-3070 and ask: how could this happen?

UPDATE: Clarifying Our Legal Strategy to Save Memorial StadiumWe want to provide our supporters with an important clarification regarding the Memorial Stadium Society's legal strategy.Please be aware that the Memorial Stadium Society is not petitioning the University of Illinois administration or the Board of Trustees. Instead, we have taken our fight directly to highest legal officer in the state. We have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, asking them to investigate whether the University of Illinois Board of Trustees violated the Charitable Trust Act.Our position is clear: the university illegally diverted the original purpose of a sacred public trust—funded by 21,000 citizens to honor WWI casualties—when they attached a corporate donor's name to the historic stadium. We are pursuing this specific legal avenue to hold the trustees accountable and restore the original name of Memorial Stadium. Thank you for your continued support!

UPDATE: Clarifying Our Legal Strategy to Save Memorial StadiumWe want to provide our supporters with an important clarification regarding the Memorial Stadium Society's legal strategy.Please be aware that the Memorial Stadium Society is not petitioning the University of Illinois administration or the Board of Trustees. Instead, we have taken our fight directly to highest legal officer in the state. We have filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau, asking them to investigate whether the University of Illinois Board of Trustees violated the Charitable Trust Act.Our position is clear: the university illegally diverted the original purpose of a sacred public trust—funded by 21,000 citizens to honor WWI casualties—when they attached a corporate donor's name to the historic stadium. We are pursuing this specific legal avenue to hold the trustees accountable and restore the original name of Memorial Stadium. Thank you for your continued support!

Dear Friends and Supporters, Because of your unwavering commitment to preserving the memory of our war dead, the Memorial Stadium Society has officially crossed a major threshold: We are now 400 strong!Thanks to our latest supporters joining us online this weekend, our current coalition stands at 338 online signatures, 58 mail-in petitions, and 4 telephone confirmations. Furthermore, our written comments have reached a milestone of exactly 150.Please know that your voices are not being sent to the University's Board of Trustees to be ignored. Instead, they are part of a formal legal action delivered directly to the highest law officer in the state: the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau.Every single signature and comment added to our petition is continuously monitored and read by attorneys within the bureau, meaning your voice is actively shaping the state's ongoing investigation. This high-level state intervention was explicitly confirmed in a March 25th letter to us from the Attorney General's Bureau:"Thank you very much for your recent complaint submitted on behalf of the Memorial Stadium Society against the University of Illinois. At this time, we are in receipt of your complaint, and we are conducting a review of the allegations."Your early comments and signatures have been sitting on a state trust attorney's desk since we submitted our initial 33-page binder in February, which included 28 pages of every comment and signature on our petition. This petition has never been submitted to the Board of Trustees, nor will it ever be. The votes of the Board of Trustees are now irrelevant. It is up to the Attorney General, not the university, to decide what to do with the name of Memorial Stadium.We thank you one and all for your outpouring of support for restoring the simple name, Memorial Stadium. Please take a moment this holiday weekend to forward our petition to three friends, fellow veterans, or alumni, knowing that their signatures and comments become a part of the evidence being reviewed by the Charitable Trust Bureau. Thank you for standing duty-bound with the men who were killed in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, whose names are carved on our limestore columns and plaques. Our stadium is a living memorial to those devoted men who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Sincerely, Reverend James French,Liaison Officer, Memorial Stadium Society.Formerly Captain James W. French, U.S. Army (1969-1972), Airborne.

The Memorial Stadium Society represents the greater community of Illinois alumni, veterans, and families united in protecting a sacred monument from commercial rebranding. What the university administration treated as a simple financial transaction has instead met an unyielding wall of historical documentation. We are successfully advancing our case against the university's corporate naming contract, ensuring that the voices of those who built and cherished this monument are not sidelined by modern corporate interests.The law is clear regarding the preservation of military cenotaphs. This is an official matter of state statutory compliance, not a private dispute. A century-old sacred asset cannot be altered, devalued, or visually compromised to suit shifting financial priorities. Because of the extensive evidence gathered by our community, the highest law enforcement bureau in the state is actively engaged. The Attorney General's office is conducting an independent review based on the clear, undeniable legal restrictions attached to the original 1920s trust.The facts regarding history erasure are now in the hands of the proper regulatory authorities. We trust the state to uphold the integrity of Illinois charitable trusts. This independent review ensures the dispute is evaluated strictly on legal merits rather than institutional public relations. Thank you for your continued vigilance, your signatures, and your unwavering commitment to preserving the true, uncompromised heritage of Memorial Stadium. Share This Update:Please forward this email to fellow alumni or veterans. For more information, call or text Jim French, Liaison Officer at 815-291-9071.

We’re sharing this Letter to the Editor we submitted today so supporters can read it immediately. Economic Desperation Drives Name Change The people of Illinois, the tax-paying citizens, who fund and sustain the university, deserve to see the raw economics driving modern campus sports. At the start of the year, Illinois is already contracted to pay roughly $19 million to its top coaches and athletic department senior officials alone. When you add the $21 million revenue-sharing pool required to pay student-athletes dictated by the House v. NCAA decision in July, the university faces a staggering $40 million annual roster obligation before a single whistle blows. For all practical purposes, these multi-million-dollar payouts function the same as a salary. In effect, the average annual salaries for the starters will be between $300,000 and $1,000,000. This professionalization of our college players is exactly why a large amount of money—even the money from just one man—is so welcomed. The money is desperately needed to fund these soaring athletic department expenses. It is exactly this desperation for money which has driven this entire Memorial Stadium disaster. But a crushing athletic budget is no reason not to tell the truth. If the university administration had just shared their financial situation with us all from the very beginning, we might at least understand their desperate need to change the name of our sacred Memorial Stadium, a $4 billion public asset, at a $3.9 billion discount, for just one man. Jim French Freeport 815-291-9071

"Not a Donaton. Just Bought. And Sold." These are the words which will be printed under the headline, "Memorial Stadium." Our ad is scheduled to run on page 3 of the News Gazette on Saturdays through August, and on Thursday, Septmber 3. Kindly share this update with others. Thank you for your continued support. Call or text Memorial Stadium Society (MSS) at 815-291-9071. Sincerely, Jim French, Liaison Officer.

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.