Alta Gwinn Saunders, Associate Professor of Business English
Written by Anna Trammell
Students today have an overwhelming number of dining options and they can stop in at any one of the numerous Starbucks or Espresso Royale locations for a cup of coffee or tea. In 1916 there were fewer options. The entrepreneurial women of Delta Gamma saw this as a business opportunity.
The perfect chapter house had gone on the market at the corner of Mathews and Nevada, but the women of Delta Gamma did not have the funds to purchase it. The Delta Gamma Alumnae Association decided to open up a tea room to earn the money to pay for the new house. The effort was championed by Alta Gwinn Saunders, a founder of the Delta Gamma Iota chapter. Saunders was an Associate Professor of Business English from 1917-1948 and was heavily involved in Delta Gamma throughout her career. [1] Continue reading “Campus Eateries and Hangouts: The Green Tea Pot”→
The Republican National Convention has taken center stage in Cleveland this week.
One of Ohio’s famous Republican politicians has a connection to the University of Illinois!
President Taft reviews the University of Illinois cadet regiment, 1911.
In February 1911, President William Howard Taft (1857-1930) toured Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois. Taft is the only U.S. President (1909-1913) who also served as a Supreme Court Chief Justice (1921-1930). His visit included a tour of the University grounds and a review of the cadet regiment. “To see so many young men and women preparing themselves to meet the problems of life is indeed a rare pleasure,” Taft told the crowd gathered to hear his remarks. Read more about his celebrated visit and his interesting prediction for the cites of Champaign and Urbana in the Urbana Courier-Herald.
Cailin Cullen is a student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science and is currently completing a practicum at the Student Life and Culture Archives.
On June 11, 1962, a group of seventeen wheelchair athletes gathered at the University of Illinois for an orientation regarding their upcoming trip to Africa. For three full days, thirteen men and four women practiced their skills in track, field, basketball, archery, square dancing, cheer-leading, bowling, and chair handling skills. During this time, the group also met with Timothy Nugent, the University of Illinois Rehabilitation Center Director, and John Powell, an instructor in Physical Education and a former instructor at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
The idea for the trip was imagined by Tom C. Knowles, the manager of Tom Tit’s Travel Agency in Grahamstown, South Africa. Knowles suffered a service injury during his time in the Royal Air Force and utilized a wheelchair. He heard about the University of Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Education Services (DRES) Program from his friend, John Powell. In an effort to spark public interest in his country for greater opportunity for disabled individuals, Knowles organized a tour and raised the funds for it.[1]Continue reading “Wheelchair Athletes’ 1962 Tour of South Africa and Rhodesia”→
Eighty-seven years ago, on a warm day in June, our Alma Mater statue was unveiled as the centerpiece of the 1929 commencement week program. The concert band played and a host of officials gave speeches. UI President David Kinley prophetically declared, “The significance of this gift is for the future, what it will mean for future Illini.”[1]
President David Kinley (left) and Lorado Taft in front of Taft’s Alma Mater during the sculpture’s dedication, 1929
Surely, he had no idea how true these words would be.
Sculpted by Lorado Taft (Class of 1879) and funded through the senior gifts of the classes of 1923 through 1929 and the Alumni Association, Alma was “temporarily” erected behind the Auditorium (named Foellinger in 1985) until a more prominent location could be secured. She remained at this spot for thirty-three years. [2]
In 1962, the Alumni Association identified the perfect setting for Alma—the corner of Wright and Green, her present location. Not everyone agreed and many felt more discussion was needed. A Daily Illini reporter wrote:
Alma Mater is moved from Foellinger to its current location, August 20, 1962
“Admittedly, the site behind the Auditorium is isolated from the mainstream of campus events. But what a cheap and tawdry relocation has been suggested! The Green-Wright intersection is congested with cars, trucks, Illi-Busses, a bicycle lane, the constant roar of traffic and the blue haze of auto exhausts. No perspective, no quiet, no thoughtfulness is possible nearby. Placing the beautiful Alma Mater in such a location seems to be a violation of all standards of good taste . We hope, indeed, that the Alumni Association will not move to an ultimate blasphemy and place traffic signals in the hands of Learning and Labor, providing the Alma Mater figure with a No Left Turn signboard.” [3]
The move occurred in summer (August 20, 1962) with little fanfare. [4] Except for a brief visit to Chicago for restoration in 2012-2014, Alma Mater has graced this corner ever since.
Students have their photo taken with Alma, 2016
Over the last decades, one of the most memorable Illinois commencement traditions is for new graduates to line up for photos in front of the Alma Mater. In 2010, Public Affairs made this tradition even more special by outfitting Alma in her own regalia for the occasion.
Zack Stein is a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. He is currently completing a practicum at the Student Life and Culture Archives.
It has been nearly three years since the death of Roger Ebert. To most of us, he was one of the most famous film critics in history. He wrote weekly reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times, co-hosted a film review show with fellow Chicagoans Gene Siskel and Richard Roeper, and started his own film festival which has been held at the Virginia Theater in Champaign for the past 17 years. He also was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. While film was his subject of expertise, his true drive and passion was his love affair with the written word. A voracious reader of science fiction and Henry James, Mr. Ebert knew from an early age that he wanted to be a writer. It was his time as the editor of the Daily Illini at the University of Illinois where he was able to exercise his writing to the fullest. It was also his abrasiveness that got him noticed and earned him the respect he deserved. Continue reading “A Life in Words: A Look Back at the College Career of Roger Ebert”→
