1990 article from Decatur Herald and Review before Ives came back to ElU to do a concert to help raise funds for the university's Department of Art and the art studio hall, which is named after him.
Ives was interviewed by Bob Fallstrom, H & R Lifestyle Editor.
"I loved to play football," Ives said. "That was the big magnet which drew me to Charleston. When I saw all the heat that the poor men (the coaches) have to endure to exist, I said, 'Well, that's no life for me, so I think I'd better stick with the guitar."'
Knowing he wasn't going into education made him an indifferent student, Ives said. "I was called in to see Dr. Lord (Eastern's first president). This was in the summer of 1930. He looked at my record. First year, pretty good. Second year, so so. And the third year, less.
"He looked over and he said --these are the words ---'I believe you have too restless a spirit to be an educator. You'd better look around a little.'"
Ives walked out and never went back. "My clothes and things were in the fraternity house, but I didn't want to bother with them," he remembers, "I just went off down the road."