UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
The University of Illinois the leading educational institution under the control of the state, located at Champaign and Urbana. It was founded in 1867 although as early as 1863 the Legislature had accepted an act of Congress of July 2, 1862, which provided for the granting of large tracts of public lands to States which should undertake to found colleges, where agriculture and mechanic arts should be taught, though not to the exclusion of classical and scientific studies.
Under this act Illinois was entitled to 480,000 acres, 30,000 acres for each Senator and Representative in Congress and land-scrip there for was issued and placed in the hands of Governor Yates. Under the State law, a board of trustees was appointed and organized in March 1867. The institute being formally located the same year.
Departments and courses of study were decided upon and Dr. John M. Gregory of Michigan, chosen Regent. Of the land granted by Congress, 25,000 acres were reserved and 455,000 sold for $319,178. Subsequently, some 9,000 acres more were sold for $121,640, and the land indisposed of will, it is thought, ultimately swell the endowment fund to $600,000.
The mechanical building was begun and completed in 1871 and it is claimed that this was the first machine shop erected in America, for strictly educational purposes. The main building was formally opened in December, 1873. Various other buildings were erected later, as necessity required. The various courses of study open to matriculates include agriculture, chemistry, polytechnics, military tactics, natural and general science, literature and trade and commerce, to which medicine was added, by the affiliation of the Chicago College of Physicians and Surgeons, in 1897.
Since 1871 the institution has been open to women. The state laboratory is located there and an experiment station was established in 1887. Quarterly bulletins showing the results obtained at the latter, are sent to all farmers throughout the State who may desire them.
The University's revenues were still further increased, in 1890, by a Congressional donation of $15,000 per annum to each institution organized under the act of 1862, the same to be increased $1,000 annually until the amount should reach $25,000. A new engineering hall was dedicated in 1894, and a library building in 1895. The value of property aggregates nearly $1,500,000.
The first name of the institution was the Illinois Industrial University, but in 1885 this was changed to the University of Illinois. In 1887 the Trustees (of whom there are nine) were made elective by popular vote three being elective every two years. Dr. Gregory resigned the office of Regent in 1880 and was succeeded by Dr. Selim H. Peabody, who had theretofore filled the chair of mechanical engineering and physics.
Dr. Peabody having resigned in 1891, the duties of Regent were discharged by Prof. Thomas J. Burrill until August, 1894 when Dr. Andrew Sloan Draper, former State Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of New York, was installed as President.
The corps of instruction includes some thirty Professors, with an equal number of Assistant Professors, and over forty Instructors and assistants, besides a number of special lecturers, demonstrators and teachers in the Preparatory Department, not including the Medical Department located in Chicago.
The total number of students during the year 1898-1899 was 1,824 of whom 1,492 were men and 332 women. Of these 867 were connected with the Literary Department (or college proper) 26 with the Winter School of Agriculture, 71 with the Law School, 514 with the School of Medicine, 158 with the School of Pharmacy and 179 with the Preparatory Department.
The total appropriations made by the State to the University, up to the beginning of the year 1896 amounted to $1,303,000. During the year 1895 a new Machinery Building (50x250 feet) was completed and dedicated. The other buildings comprise a Chemical Laboratory, Wood and Metal Shops Engineering Hall, Mechanical and Electrical Laboratory, Military Hall, Natural History Hall, Astronomical Observatory, University Hall and Art Gallery.
A library Building, 167 by 113 feet, and capable of accommodating a library of 150,000 volumes, is one of the latest structures erected, having been dedicated, with appropriate ceremonies, June 8, 1897. The University Library embraces 40,000 volumes and 2,500 pamphlets, besides 7,000 volumes and 16,000 pamphlets in the State Laboratory of Natural History and the Agricultural Experiment Station. The institution was seriously embarrassed financially, for a time in consequence of the illegal use of its funds by the treasurer in office between 1893 and 1897, but the losses were made good by act of the Fortieth General Assembly, at its regular session in 1897, appropriating funds for its reimbursement. Attendance for the year 1899-1900 was 2,250.