Michael D. Sublett, born 1943 in Kansas City, Missouri, received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Missouri in 1966. He went on to get his Master’s Degree in 1967 at the University of Missouri and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1974, with all three degrees in Geography. He has served in both the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve for a total of twenty-five years of active status, and served as the Chairperson of the Geography-Geology Department at Illinois State University from 1978 to 1988. Dr. Sublett taught at Illinois State from 1970 to 2015, receiving numerous awards related to his service as a geography professor.
The collection includes undergraduate essays written by Dr. Sublett’s students pertaining to locations in McLean County (with one concerning DeWitt County), mainly in Bloomington-Normal. Most essays include photographs, maps, diagrams, and interviews with local residents.