IU icons reveal campus history

From a tree to a fountain, all the facts you need about IU icons.

Herman B Wells statue
WHERE Located on the benches in the middle of the Old Crescent.
FAST FACT The life-sized statue was dedicated during IU’s Homecoming weekend in 2000.  What most students miss, however, is the inscription on the underside of the brim of Wells’ hat, which says “IU vs Minnesota Oct 12 2000. Go Gophers.” The inscription was written by artist Tuck Langland, an undergraduate at the University
of Minnesota.

Sweetheart Tree
WHERE Located inside the Chemistry Building
FAST FACT The Chemistry Building was built on property donated by the Dunn family, but the family had three stipulations, one being that the “sweetheart tree” could not be cut down or moved. The family wished to preserve the tree because two men in the family proposed to their girlfriends near the tree and carved their initials in it. The tree is showcased in the building’s center.

Rose Well House
WHERE Located on the outskirts of Dunn Woods near Wylie Hall
FAST FACT The pavilion is made up of two surviving portals from the old College Building from the Indiana Seminary Campus after a fire in 1854 destroyed the building.

Arboretum
WHERE Located on 10th Street near the Wells Library
FAST FACT The Arboretum was built in 1982 where the old Memorial Stadium once stood. The “Old Oaken Bucket” made its first appearance during the IU-Purdue football game when the stadium was dedicated
in 1925.

Sample Gates
WHERE Located on Indiana Avenue between Franklin Hall and Bryan Hall
FAST FACT The Sample Gates are part of the Old Crescent area of campus and were given to IU as a gift from alumnus Edson Sample in 1986.

Beck Chapel
WHERE Located on Forrest Avenue
FAST FACT Beck Chapel is made of Indiana limestone and was completed in 1956. In August 2006, IU First Lady Laurie Burns and IU President Michael McRobbie said their vows in the chapel.