When Betty Norris Fairchild transitioned into an assisted living facility, friends and family came for her plants. The longtime gardener had cultivated dozens of species, which were carefully divided amongst loved ones.
“She began gardening on her neighbor’s property,” said the youngest of Betty’s five children, Barbara Levine, of her mother’s consuming craft. “It’s fitting to honor her at the ISU Horticulture Center. She would have loved this.”
Betty Norris Fairchild married Robert E. Fairchild, the younger son of Illinois State University President Emeritus Raymond W. Fairchild, in 1942. Betty and Robert met while attending University High School. Betty later attended ISNU while Fairchild served as the University’s eighth president. During Fairchild’s nearly 20-year tenure, several buildings were constructed that remain on campus today, including Milner Library, the Administration Building (now Hovey Hall), and Metcalf School.
A military wife during Robert’s service, Betty lived with her family in Japan, Morocco, California, Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia, before settling in Florida, where her garden flourished.
Fairchild’s legacy is now forever tied to the plants and flowers she loved. A generous gift from her estate—facilitated by Fairchild’s daughter Barbara—has endowed the Children’s Discovery Garden and created a scholarship for agriculture students.
On an unseasonably warm day in late September, Fairchild’s family and friends gathered at the Horticulture Center to commemorate the garden’s unveiling. A traditional ribbon cutting was followed by a butterfly release. A dozen painted lady butterflies found their home amongst the garden’s zinnias, while Fairchild’s great-granddaughter—one of 17 great-grandchildren—looked on in delight.
“The Horticulture Center is a place of possibilities,” said Jessica Chambers ’93, who has been the center’s director for more than 18 years. Chambers has seen the children’s garden grow from a simple playhouse surrounded by shallow-rooted sunflowers to a permanent fixture within the center’s 23 acres.
“Throughout the years, we learned that like any of our gardens, the children’s garden needs structure,” said Chambers. “We planted conifers and perennials. And each year we add more.”
A metal and stained-glass sign now greets visitors to the Betty Norris Fairchild Children’s Discovery Garden. Guests enter the garden through a painted archway. Inside, perennials and annuals of all colors mix with whimsical sculptures. Meandering walkways lead to a sandbox and playhouses that encourage imagination, while tucked-away seating promotes relaxation.
The Horticulture Center offers respite for guests in addition to serving as an outdoor laboratory for horticulture students, who gain firsthand experience in how to identify and care for plants. Students from all disciplines, from anthropology to physics and more, engage with the center’s 17 gardens.
Faculty and staff also use the center as a site for research. Assistant Professor of Photography Jason Reblando has set up a camera obscura on the site’s west side, while Assistant Professor of Video Ruth Burke has employed a team of oxen to create a one-acre earthwork as a living land acknowledgement. Dr. John Sedbrook uses the Horticulture Center’s west side to research pennycress, a weed that can be harvested into biofuel, jet fuel, animal feed, and other products.
The Horticulture Center has long been supported by donors and volunteers, whom Chambers calls the “soul of the center.” Volunteers weed, mulch, and perform other upkeep vital to the center’s ability to thrive.
Their work garners the attention of visiting tour groups from local schools and garden clubs in addition to families enjoying a weeknight stroll.
Funding from Fairchild’s estate will enable the garden to thrive. The Betty Norris Fairchild Children’s Discovery Garden is the first space within the Horticulture Center to receive support through an endowment. The endowment preserves Fairchild’s memory while supporting the garden into perpetuity.
“To have an endowment for this garden means so much to me,” said Chambers. “I can promise you, Betty’s family, that as we go forward with this garden, there will be intention, and a purpose to do good.”
Interim President Aondover Tarhule thanked Barbara Levine and family for choosing to invest in one of Illinois State’s most sustainable places.
“The Horticulture Center is a physical manifestation of Illinois State’s commitment to sustainability and civic engagement,” said Dr. Tarhule. “This gift will further the enrichment that comes from the Horticulture Center. Volunteers, students, and children in the community will continue to have the opportunity to explore, learn, and develop new interests and skills.”
Interested in making a contribution to the College of Applied Science and Technology? Contact Toni Burningham, director of development, at (309) 438-4303 or tkburni@IllinoisState.edu.
