From http://www.uillinois.edu/president/history/
For over 140 years, thousands of people have traveled paths that led to the University of Illinois,
one of the largest state universities in the nation with campuses in Urbana-Champaign,
Chicago and Springfield.
The University was one of 37 public land-grant
institutions established after the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act was signed by Abraham Lincoln
on July 2, 1862. Illinois was one of seven commonwealths that had not formed a state university.
Eligible for a grant of 480,000 acres of public scrip land valued at $600,000, in 1867 the state
established a university for the purpose of fostering access to higher education for the
working people.
Today, the Urbana campus is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement.
Distinguished by the breadth and quality of its curriculum and programs, the campus attracts
faculty who conduct world-class interdisciplinary research and scholarship in an environment
that enables creative thinking and promotes academic excellence. Urbana boasts Nobel laureates,
Pulitzer Prize winners and faculty whose research is among the most cited in their fields.
The Urbana campus is a comprehensive research institution that ranks in the top 50 universities
nationally for research and development dollars spent in science and engineering.
In 1982, the Medical Center and Circle Campus consolidated to form the University of Illinois
at Chicago (UIC). The merger strengthened the University's potential for scholarly excellence
and pushed UIC to Carnegie Research 1 institution status in 1987. The Chicago campus is a
comprehensive research institution that ranks in the top 50 universities nationally for
research and development dollars spent in science and engineering. In 2000, UIC expanded with the development of South Campus, providing increased residential
student living space and research facilities. Through its history, UIC has been a leader in
the creation of a new model of higher education: the comprehensive urban research university.
The University of Illinois at Springfield
provides an intellectually rich, collaborative and intimate learning environment
while serving local, regional, state, national and international communities.
Students who attend the Springfield campus seek the outstanding liberal arts education.
Students benefit from individual attention in small classes taught by faculty who are
dedicated to teaching excellence, scholarship and service as well as innovative
approaches to learning.
Making a difference in the world is a tenet of the UIS educational philosophy.
Faculty and students enrich the life of the city of Springfield, and graduates assume
leadership positions in government, media and communications.
The Alumni of the University of Illinois reflect the rich intellectual, social, and professional experiences of their University of Illinois. They carry forward the spirit of creativity, innovation and excellence to their own lives, their communities, their nations, and the world.
These are some of their stories.
