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Felmley Hall was built in 1930 as the science building with an annex added in 1964. The building is named for David Felmley, the sixth President of ISU and faculty member of the Mathematics Department (1900-1930). 
Felmley was a firm believer in simplified spelling, that is, a reform system of spelling where words are spelled as they sound. Silent letters and double letters in words were eliminated. Words which were spelled "ough" were written as "f." The letterheads from the office of the president of Illinois State Normal University carried the legend, "The spellings recommended by the Simplified Spelling Board are used in the correspondence of this office" (Marshall, 1956, p. 243). Felmley’s secretary maintained a list for correspondence as to who should receive the simplified spelling and who should not. It was a system that quickly lost support with the new form containing more rules for spelling than our current form of spelling. 
One month after having the building named for him, Felmley died January 24, 1930. 
Felmley Hall is a three story brick building trimmed with stone. Like other campus buildings of its time, it is a neo-Classical or Federal style with stone quoins, gabled roof, arched windows and pilasters framing the entryway. It was one of the first buildings to have an elevator. The interior displays the keystone salvaged from the original heating plant located to the east of Felmley Hall and used as a decorative element. 
The building is used solely by the sciences with modern laboratories, lecture halls, and faculty offices. 
Felmley Annex is a four-story addition designed in the International Style begun in Europe. It uses the traditional construction elements of red brick and concrete blended with the original red brick and stone of the original building. 
Today, Felmley Hall and Annex continue to serve the Biological Sciences Department, along with the Health Sciences and Geology and Geography Departments.