University Of Illinois (Paperback)

ILLW BY ALLAN NEVINS 1917 PREFACE THE fact that this volume constitutes the first history of the University of Illinois ever written has largely determined its character and scope. It seemed neces sary to the writer to throw a much greater emphasis upon the record of the past than upon the tendencies or characteristics of the present. Even in the four final chapters, nominally not historical at all, will be found much historical matter. The detailed steps in the de velopment of the institution are known to so few of the graduates or faculty, not to speak of outsiders, that a comprehensive account of them is the first requisite of any introduction to the inner spirit of the rapidly growing University. Moreover, these are years in which the institution is rapidly losing the men who as teachers and students have personal recollection of its first years, and it seemed a duty to attempt, while it was still possi ble, to interweave with facts from written sources those which come authentically from unwritten. Of the short comings of the book the writer is aware. It is an unfor tunate fact that till a short time ago the University, with the carelessness of youth, made no attempt to preserve historical materials relating to itself. There are many phases of its record upon which it has been hard to accumulate information. Upon some of the most important questions the oral testimony has been found to be conflicting, while upon others some de tailed oral testimony available has been shown so unreliable that it has had to be thrown aside in favor vi PREFACE of shorter but more accurate Information. The writer has had to work nearly a thousand miles from the Uni versity, and to depend upon thecourtesy of correspond ents for much that one on the spot would easily have obtained. But it is to be hoped that the volume will inspire further labor in the same field. To a number of friends who have offered assistance, and especially to President James, Deans Clark, Greene, Kinley, and Davenport, Mr. George Huff, Mr. P. L. Windsor, Drs. Powell and Phelps, Professors Forbes, Talbot, Rolfe, Bicker, Alvord, Zeitlin, White, and Scott, to three former Trustees, Judge Cunningham, Mr. S. A. Bullard, and Mr. F. M. McKay, to a number of graduates, as Mr. H. M. Dunlap, Mr. C. A. Kiler, and Mr. W. A. Heath, and to the editor of this series, the author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness. Professors Baker and Stoek have, with many of those named above, read parts of the proofs Dr. Phelps has furnished much material for the appendices, and Assistant Dean Warnock, Mr. H. H. Horner, Miss L. 0. White, and Mr. Lewis Omer have transmitted other material. The author has not, partly in deference to practice in other volumes in the series, partly from his sense of the needlessness of it, bur dened his pages with many footnote references to sources. In many instances the text itself indicates that the source lies in the reports of the Board of Trustees, the University catalogues, or the reports to the State Super intendent of Public Instruction. The files of the Alumni Quarterly, of the Illini and other student publications, those of Twin City and Chicago news papers, and the Journals of the Legislature, have also been drawn upon. It would usually be undesirable to Indicate oral sources of material. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE t v I. TURNER AND THE FOUNDING OF THE UNI VERSITY . 1 II. BEGINNINGS OF THEUNIVERSITY ... 42 III. YEARS OF DEPRESSION THE ADMINISTRA TION OF PEABODY 99 IV. AT THE TURNING POINT .... 141 V. THE UNIVERSITY FINDS ITSELF . . . 153 VI. THE UNIVERSITY AFTER IT FOUND ITSELF . 210 VII. ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSING OF THE UNIVERSITY 262 VIII. STUDENTS AND STUDENT LIFE . . . 295 IX. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND STATE 323 X. CONCLUSION 347 APPENDIX A...