Association History
"When that old college building, when your society halls and your society library — when all these were lying in ashes; in that dark hour, some of you of this senior class and of the two preceding ones, met in a little band, and resolved to stand by the university."
— Professor Daniel Read, addressing students in IU's Philomathean Society in 1856. Image courtesy IU Archives.
It started with a fire.
The Indiana University Alumni Association began in 1854, after a midnight blaze reduced to rubble a struggling young frontier college. That fire galvanized a group of visionary graduates of Indiana University, inspiring them to create an association that would not only rebuild their beloved campus, but that would also help to build the future of a world-class university.
More than 150 years later, the IUAA continues to serve IU and its internationally respected missions of education, research, and service, building IU's reputation for excellence every day, and in every way possible.
The IUAA started with a fire — and today, it's burning brighter than ever.
Chronology of IU history (external link to IU Archives)