University of Illinois - Illio Yearbook (Urbana Champaign, IL)

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NATHAN CLIFFORD RICKER

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EEVN VERSITY QF ILLI QI NATHAN CLIFFORD RICKER Nathan Clifford Ricker. eldest child of lieneral Ebenezer Ricker and Mary Stacy Kicker, was born in Acton. York County. Maine. on .luly 2.1. 1843, liorn of that sturdy old New lingland stock which produces able men and courageous women. his careful training and natural aptitude for learni11g aided the develop- ment of an unusual interest in books. Any time that could be spared from the exacting duties of the operation and management of tl1e farm, for while the father was attending the Maine Legislature the son must be manager, was spent in study, His primary education was obtained in the public schools of his native state. In accordance with the custom of those days. that all young men should learn a trade, he adopted that of a cabinet A maker, and so assiduously did he ap- ply himself and so rapidly did he acquire ability that in two years he was made a full journeyman. He proved his efficiency by making four piano cases in ten days when the usual workman made but two in seven days. For several years he taught school in the neighborhood of his homeg then he accompanied his family,after the Civil XYar,to Virginia. where his father was to be a supervisor. From Yirginia he went west to his uncle in Illinois. At this time he became filled with a desire for higher education and by his own unaided efforts, in individual study for three Years in Latin, French and the sciences, he prepared himself for college. This was not accomplished without dithculties. for books and apparatus were not abundant. He made, for example. his own botanical dissecting knife from the steel hoop of an old hoop-skirt. :Xs a means of mental discipline. L'olburn's Mental Arithmetic was employed, and so engrossed did the student become in the solution of puzzling problems that sometimes in driving his horse would stop stock still waiting patientlv until his TH1z fl1.11 ld0MliSTl-ZAIY c cnteied thc Lmx ersits llluls in lanunx 16,0 his caretu ant tx iaustnc prcp11at1on win ning lmn advanced standing H stur ent htc was one ot activity as membership in l hilomathean l.iter- '1ry Society. presidency of the Col- unheeding driver became conscious of the odd state of affairs. i ll' e - 'w:i'of Ill' f ' 2 . 'Q 1 ' l .. , I , .I . ' . ' . , ' , . ' .' 1-xg. .Lx- ,',:. izQ X , . 1 ' ' . ' f a , ,. :ajft-ifi' ' Ei:s'Y3.. El?i: - ' -1 .r . . is 1- 1' :.,1:,:1', gsfg3 Q 1 .. . . . - -' t' - - . .VX-' , ' 4, A M, , l , Y ,,. ,, Qu X ' xxx ..-y Sabi, . 'U Ni' Q si if - rf me L s s B v 1 N X -'V pc I ' Lt A N s A 'A ' ege government, and other posi- tions indicate. His service was not circumscribed by college bounds, for he was a member of the Stu- dent battalion which did guard duty N 'C ye ' 1 e 5 1129-1 Nix-. 1 . 'i f' -V ' 1.Qggs11.e: 'i - . . ., wen..-Qfilc 'J TH1-1 M11.1. for a week at the time of the Chicago tire in November, 1871. In spite of these activities which so often occupy a student's mind and time to the exclusion of the acquirement of knowledge. membership in Tau lleta Pi and Sigma Xi serve to indicate that his time was being put to excellent use. He graduated in Architecture three years after entrance into the I-11