The Original Big Blue: The Life and Times of James Millikin, is a full-length documentary that talks about the life of James Millikin, Anna Millikin, and some of the early days of Decatur, Illinois. The film traces the journey of the Millikin family from their Scotch-Irish roots, to Southwestern Pennsylvania, then takes us to Decatur, Illinois, where OUR James Millikin made his life with Anna.  “Millikin’s story is ultimately about character,” said director, Jim Wilkerson. “His reputation for integrity, his belief in Decatur’s future, and his commitment to education and community-building shaped this city in ways we still recognize today – especially through Millikin University and the James Millikin Homestead.”

The film has six chapters in total, covering James’ ancestors, then life in Pennsylvania, then his time as a livestock grower and drover, to real estate, banking, his marriage to Anna B. Aston, and to the founding of The James Millikin University in 1901, and a legacy that lives on to this day.