Illinois College
Illinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA), and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree (in 1835). It was founded in 1829 by the Illinois Band, students from Yale University who traveled westward to found new colleges.[3][4] It briefly served as the state's first medical school from 1843–1848, and became co-educational in 1903.
Campus
Beecher Hall, the first college building erected in Illinois, is named after its first president, Edward Beecher, sibling to Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The first floor of Beecher Hall is the home of Phi Alpha Literary Society. The second floor is the home to Sigma Pi Literary Society.
In fall 2006 Illinois College opened Abraham Lincoln Residence Hall with a LEED certification for energy efficiency. [5]
The campus is divided into two quadrangles. The North "upper" quad is home to several historic buildings including Sturtevant Hall where William Jennings Bryan carved his initials while he was a student. Other buildings on the North Quad include Crampton Residence Hall, which was once the oldest continuously used dormitory in the state. It was closed as a residence hall in May 2006. Whipple Hall, which was once a preparatory school, is undergoing renovations. Upon completion it will house the Al Habtoor Leadership Center. Tanner Hall, built for the College's centennial, once housed the library. It now houses administrative offices.
The South Quad is home to the modern residence halls and dining complex. A walkway which separates the two quads was created from a portion of Mound Avenue. Students enjoy many events held in these outdoor venues.
Academics and athletics
Illinois College's Epsilon chapter of Phi Beta Kappa national honor society chapter is one of only eleven in the state.[6] The college has been accredited by the The Higher Learning Commission since 1913.[7]
The college participates in an Intercultural Exchange program with Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Each spring 25 Japanese students come to Illinois College to live and study for four weeks. During this time, students live with families in the Jacksonville community for part of the time and with current IC students on campus in residence halls for the remainder of their stay.[8]
Illinois College's athletic teams have been members of the Midwest Conference since 1982. They were members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin from 1946-1953. Illinois College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910-1937. The basketball team received recognition in 2011 when senior guard Jacob Tucker won the NCAA Division 1 slam dunk contest.[9]
Notable alumni
- Florence Eugene Baldwin, former member of the Minnesota State Senate
- William Jennings Bryan, famous orator, three-time Democratic Party candidate for President, United States Secretary of State from 1913-1915.[10]
- John Davis, U.S. Representative from Kansas
- Nancy Farmer, former Missouri State Treasurer[11]
- Paul Findley, Illinois politician, former US House member
- William Herndon, law partner and biographer of Abraham Lincoln
- Fred Hoskins, first co-president of United Church of Christ
- William Jayne, first Governor of Dakota Territory
- Edward E. Johnston, High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
- John C. Martin, member of the US House of Representatives from Illinois
- William Henry Milburn, Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives in 1845 and Chaplain of the Senate 1893-1903
- Richard Henry Mills United States federal judge
- Theodore Nevin Morrison, 20th century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America
- Floyd Newkirk, pitcher for the New York Yankees
- Marshall M. Parks American ophthalmologist known as “the father of pediatric ophthalmology”
- John Wesley Powell, explorer, scientist, politician, 2nd director of U.S. Geological Survey[12]
- Charlotte Thompson Reid, radio personality, politician, former US House member
- John I. Rinaker, U.S. Representative from Illinois and a brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War
- Bob Schillerstrom, DuPage County, Illinois Board Chairman
- Brian Sherwin, art critic, website entrepreneur, Senior Editor for myartspace
- Ralph Tyler Smith, Illinois politician, former US Senator
- Jonathan E. Spilman, a Kentucky lawyer, minister, and composer
- William McKendree Springer, former US representative and chief justice of the United States Court of Appeals of Indian Territory
- Henry Smith Van Eaton, former US Representative from the state of Mississippi
- William E. Williams, U.S. Representative from Illinois
- Richard Yates (1815–1873), Illinois politician and governor
- Richard Yates (1860–1936), his son, also an Illinois politician
Notable faculty and staff
- Edward Beecher first president of Illinois College
- Marion Elizabeth Blake, classical languages professor who is known for her work in researching the technology of Roman construction
- Theodore M. Brantley, longest-serving Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, taught Ancient Languages
- Reuben Gaylord, taught and studied theology
- Steve Hochstadt, 2006-present, Professor of History, Holocaust expert
- Kay Mills, journalist and author, lectured at Illinois College
- George R. Throop, Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1927 until 1944
- Jonathan Baldwin Turner, 1833-1847, botanist, abolitionist, Christian missionary
Literary societies
Illinois College is one of the few campuses in the United States that still supports literary societies. These are Greek organizations whose purposes vary from society to society. Activities include but are not limited to: Literary Productions, which are practices in oratory skill; parties, intramural sports teams; service events; and social gatherings. There are seven literary societies at Illinois College. The men's societies are: Sigma Pi, Phi Alpha, Gamma Nu, and Pi Pi Rho. The women's societies are Gamma Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society, and Chi Beta. Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi are both located in Historic Beecher hall (Phi Alpha on the first level and Sigma Pi on the second). Gamma Nu is located in Lower Baxter Hall and Pi Pi Rho is currently in a temporary house. All three female societies are housed in Historic Smith House.
References
- ^ As of June 30, 2010. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2010 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2009 to FY 2010" (PDF). 2010 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. p. 10. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2010NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values_Final.pdf. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- ^ "Illinois College - About Us". Ic.edu. 2010-09-27. http://www.ic.edu/aboutus. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
- ^ "The record of the celebration of the ... - Google Books". Books.google.com. 2008-05-19. http://books.google.com/books?id=2_YaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=%22Illinois+Band%22+from+yale&source=bl&ots=NAgykfOWgw&sig=pGIfdWoQkJUVGNDaIE2B-jDGXq8&hl=en&ei=0PjdSZO2FYLwMpSZqOcJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=%22Illinois%20Band%22%20from%20yale&f=false. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
- ^ "Historical encyclopedia of Illinois - Google Books". Books.google.com. 2008-05-13. http://books.google.com/books?id=qqkaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA291&lpg=PA291&dq=%22Yale+Band%22+founding+colleges&source=bl&ots=ENgHzg8qjo&sig=r-0j8azqszYL1VJqtGX4HzCEJXk&hl=en&ei=HPjdSeawA43CMfGvzOYJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#v=onepage&q=%22Yale%20Band%22%20founding%20colleges&f=false. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
- ^ http://www.illinoiscleanenergy.org/ph-energy-efficiency/
- ^ http://www.pbk.org/infoview/PBK_InfoView.aspx?t=&id=11
- ^ http://www.ncahlc.org/component/option,com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,184/instid,1096/lang,en/
- ^ http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/illinois-32427-japanese-college.html
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-20049639-10391697.html
- ^ Cherny, Robert W. (1994). A righteous cause: the life of William Jennings Bryan. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 2. ISBN 0806126671.
- ^ Illinois College - News: Former Missouri treasurer to represent alumni on college's board of trustees
- ^ Davis, William Morris (1915). Biographical memoir of John Wesley Powell, 1834-1902. United States National Academy of Sciences. p. 13.
External links