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 Cook
Hall was named for John Williston Cook, the fourth president
of the school (1890-1899), although it was originally
called the Gymnasium. Cook was instrumental in promoting
physical fitness for both men and women at ISNU. The
building was once known as "Altgeld's Folly," named
after Governor Peter Altgeld, who rejected the first
design in favor of a German style, 
reminiscent of the castles along the Rhine.
The "Old Castle" as this building is often known, was
designed by Miller & Fisher, local architects, and
completed in 1898. Although it contains the elements
favored by Altgeld, which is the Gothic turreted-style
with towers and battlements, architect George Miller
gave it a Richardsonian flavor by using rusticated Bedford
limestone. It was designed as a fireproof building.
The University decided to move the library to this new
fireproof building for protection.
Cook Hall's original use as a gymnasium featured the
exercise equipment of the day-ropes, ladders, rings,
slippery pole, parallel bars, turing, huge leather horses,
and racks of Indian clubs and dumbbells. Plans for the
inclusion of a bowling alley 
and a swimming pool located in the subbasement never
came to fruition.
In later years, the tower housed the University radio
station, WGLT. Recently, it has been converted to rehearsal
halls for the School of Music. It is the only
building on campus and in the town of Normal that is
on the National Register of Historic Places.
In front of Cook Hall is a large sculpture entitled,
"Ruins 4" by Nita Sunderland. She is professor emeritus
at Bradley University. Another sculpture in the series
is located in Chicago, Illinois.
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