Bone became a staple of the Illinois State University culture by representing friendliness and generosity.

He is memorialized on campus through the Hand of Friendship, a small stone statue dedicated to his time at the university.

Bone was able to gain funding for the development of residence halls, thus allowing more students to attend the school.

[1] On any given day, Bone could be seen taking a walk through campus and greeting every student by name, as he sought to make Illinois State a welcoming and inclusive environment.

[2] The Bone family, more famously, neighbored United States' soon-to-be President, Abraham Lincoln.

His studies there were momentarily interrupted by his service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, but he later returned to finish his degree in 1932.

[6] During these years, he traveled the world extensively, seeing parts of Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia.

This position granted him "The Gold Tablet", a prize designated to the most effective professors by University students.

[10] He eventually helped to found American University in Shrivenham, England, and became head of its History department throughout the school's existence.

[11] Upon return, he continued to work at the University of Illinois until the 1950s, and was dubbed the Director of the Division of General Studies in 1946.

[16] These structures were initially going to be deconstructed, but instead were revamped to make use of existing parking lots, as well as to accommodate the growing University population.

The construction of more housing allowed expansion of the University's enrollment, an initiative attempted by many other presidents to follow.

[22] The Hand of Friendship is a commemorative statue donated to Robert Bone by the Illinois State University class of 1967.

The Hand of Friendship was meant to represent the selfless nature of Bone's presidency, and his tendency to act for the greater good of the academic community.