This year’s Homecoming celebration was especially meaningful for Elaine (Hakey) ’58 and Roger Cushman ’62, as they were chosen to serve as the alumni king and queen.
The Cushmans met in September 1952, just weeks after Elaine Cushman arrived on campus. They have been involved with Illinois State ever since. For Roger Cushman, the choice to become a Redbird was one of the best he ever made.
“It’s family. It’s just been such an important part of our lives,” he said. “I owe basically everything good in my life to the University.”
The Cushmans moved to Missouri in 1963 so that Roger Cushman could pursue his master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. They jumped at the opportunity to come back to Illinois State in 1966 when he was hired as sports information director at Illinois State.
Heleft that position in 1980 to become Illinois State’s director of news service, retiring in 1995. Elaine Cushman taught in Normal’s Unit 5 School District until retiring in 1991. The Cushmans now reside in Colorado.
