The University of Illinois has produced its fair share of famous and successful individuals since its founding in 1867. None, however, gained such unlikely fame as Illini Nellie, a brown Swiss cow. This bovine brought fame to the Dairy Science Department and became famous in her own right for producing world record-setting amounts of milk. She was almost as much of a landmark to campus visitors as the Stadium or the Alma Mater statue. Illini Nellie began giving milk in April of 1930, and over the next 10 years she averaged a daily output of 93½ pints of milk. Her total milk production during her lifetime was 22,646 gallons. With a number of world records smashed for both milk and butterfat, Illini Nellie became the star of the university. College of Agriculture officials would bring her out when state legislators visited the campus, often stacking bottles of milk to represent her daily average production. Upon her death on November 19, 1940, Illini Nellie was buried in a special grave on the lawn of the Purebred Dairy Barn.
