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

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Located north of the present Men's Old Gymnasium, the first building contained classrooms, chapel, club rooms, and dormitories for the seventy-seven students who en- tered in 1868. Rooms cost four dollars a semester. Jonathan Baldwin Turner Presents Plan at Granville It was at Granville on November 18, 1851 that Turner first presented his idea for industrial education. In his speech at Granville, he stated that the representatives of the industrial classes wanted the same privileges and advantages for themselves and their posterity as professional men enjoyed. He went on to state that since existing colleges were originally and primarily intended for the professional classes they could not serve the industrial classes. Therefore, Turn- er said, the industrial classes should immediately establish a university to serve their own needs. His objectives for the university would be to apply existing knowledge to all practical pursuits and professions in life. Turner's plan was greeted enthusiastically at Granville and generally throughout the state. After reconciling the few major objectors to it, there was hope for immediate acceptance in the Illinois Legislature. In the interim, however, Turner had proposed a modification of his plan. In the PRAIRIE FARMER of March, 1852, Turner suggested that a federal land grant be given to each state for a system of popular Industrial Education. This was not an original idea of Turner's. It remained for United States Representative Justin S. Morrill to introduce a bill in Congress calling for a federal land grant to aid state universities. After passing both houses, the bill was vetoed by Pr esident Buchanan. In 1862, despite the Civil War, bills were presented in the Senate by Benjamin Wade of Ohio and in the House by Morrill. The Wade version passed in both houses and was signed into law by President Lincoln on July 2, 1862.

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Completing his education at Yale, Jonathan B. Turner came to Jacksonville's Illinois College to teach Greek. Education Reflects Increasing Democracy in American Life To briefly trace the rise of a modern American university— the University of Illinois— a singu- lar development must first be noted. This de- velopment is the mid-nineteenth century move- ment for industrial education. The agitation for, and the first growth of industrial education occurred before the birth of the modern univer- sity. In Illinois this movement for industrial education directly led to the establishment of a true university. In the increasing democratization of American life coming out of the Jacksonian era, the de- velopment of the movement for industrial edu- cation can be seen. Though eastern labor had demanded equal educational opportunity for many years, this demand in the Midwest was later and slower in growth. In Illinois industrial education meant primarily agricultural educa- tion. And accordingly, it was an agriculturalist who first made known a plan for industrial edu- cation. This agriculturist was . Jonathan Baldwin Turner. Unless otherwise credited, all photographs in the his- torical section are from the University Archives. Tradition of Federal Aid to Education Is Long-Standing In Illinois in the 1850's, there were twelve colleges. All were private and several were women's seminaries. With few exceptions these colleges were little more than resident high schools. Although the federal government had given educational aid, Illinois was without a tradition of public aid to higher education. The Ordinance of 1787 stated that since education was neces- sary to good government and to the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education should be forever encouraged. Land acts fol- lowing this ordinance gave states tracts of land to be sold for educational purposes. The money was appropriated under two categories— the seminary fund and the college fund. The semi- nary fund was endowed by selling two town- ships; the college fund accrued by the levy of a three percent tax on state lands. Forced to use these funds for common expenses, the Illinois Legislature utilized only the interest for educa- tional purposes. It remained for another effort to bring effective public aid to Illinois higher education. Though there were feeble attempts by the Illinois Legislature to give educational aid, noth- ing resulted. The legislature did, in 1852, grant a charter to a small Lutheran college at Millsboro to relocate at Springfield. This charter, however, placed no responsibility on the state to support this new Illinois State University since it was a private college. Champaign's Main Street in 1868 appears prosperous.

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Educated at Union College, John M. Gregory moved to Michigan. In 1864 became regent of Kalamazoo College. inois Legislature's Law Precipitates Argument When the Illinois Legislature unanimously accepted the land grant in January, 1863, two issues remained for resolution. The issues were whether there should be one or several institu- tions to use the l and grant and, after it had been determined that there would be only one, where this school would be located. Curiously, the Industrial League which had done so much in generating publicity for the grant had no specific plan to implement it, though it quickly formed one. The arguments to divide the land grant among the existing colleges represented the bid of the small, denominational colleges to receive the benefits of the Morrill Act. One Illinois college, for instance, proposed to establish a professor- ship of the green earth. To oppose the existing colleges which wanted to divide the agricultural and mechanical grant, a group arose demanding that a separate university be established. After a rancorous and vituperative contest between forces representing divergent plans to implement the grant from the national govern- meni Governor Oglesby on February 28, 18(17, signed into Law the bill establishing the Illinois [ndustrial University. 10 Passage of I.I.U. Bill Brings Questions to the Fore After the bill establishing the Illinois Indus- trial University was signed into law, the question of what this University would teach came to the fore. This question, however, had always been present. John A. Kennicott, for example, at the third convention called to discuss in- dustrial education, scored Turner's suggestion to introduce a classical course. He stated that we must keep to the necessary and practically useful branches of education. He also felt that men should leave mere learning and conven- tional usage, to the old system, and to the old schools where all such stuff properly belongs. If strong men had not resisted this anti-intellec- tual strain, the Illinois Industrial University could have become merely a trade school. A man representative of those who resisted attempts to drive intellectuality from the In- dustrial Education movement was Willard Cut- ting Flagg. Having graduated from Yale where he excelled as a writer, Flagg returned to his father's farm. While managing this farm, he became an active experimenter. Always partici- pating in agricultural groups and in their dis- cussion on industrial education and its implica- tions for Illinois, Flagg in 1863 felt the need to set down his thoughts on industrial education. In A SHORT PAMPHLET Flagg stated that agriculture was a calling from which the weakest intellect and least practical shrewdness can de- rive a support, but that it furnishes scope for the widest range of human skill and knowledge. Gregory's Plan of Study One of the first and most important issues facing John Milton Gregory when he took office was planning a course of study. Although a committee was appointed for this purpose, the final report was almost exclusively Dr. Gregory's. Gregory's plan was to have six departments, with fifteen courses and professorships. The de- partments were agriculture, engineering, military science, chemistry and natural science, trade and commerce, and general science and litera- ture.