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UIS Archives/Special Collections Sangamon State University/University of Illinois at Springfield Timeline Sangamon State University became a campus of the University of Illinois on July 1, 1995. Governor Jim Edgar approved the merger on February 28, 1995, when he signed legislation to reorganize higher education. The University of Illinois now has three campuses, at Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign. Sangamon State had been governed by the Illinois Board of Regents since 1969 when it was established by the Illinois General Assembly as the first of two senior institutions in the state. Originally envisioned as an innovative response to the growth of Illinois' community college system and as a new means for individuals to enter upper-division and graduate study, SSU was charged with addressing public affairs within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum. Since its founding the campus has evolved into a more comprehensive and traditional institution. However, the institution has consistently stressed practical experience, professional development, and excellent teaching as the most effective means to enlighten students' minds and to give them the skills that will equip them for the new century. |
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1841 |
Thomas Strawbridge purchased site of future campus. |
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1852 |
Springfield's first institution of higher learning, Illinois State University, opened. |
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1920-1924 |
Springfield citizens attempted and failed to raise funds to create Abraham Lincoln University. |
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1960 |
Springfield Committee for Higher Education formed to bring a four-year university to the capital city. |
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July 14, 1967 |
Illinois State Senate Bill 955 authorized a "Senior University in Springfield." |
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September 8, 1968 |
The name "Sangamon State University" chosen by the Illinois Board of Regents. |
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February 10, 1969 |
Academic Planning Committee held its first meeting. |
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June 10, 1969 |
Public Act 76-131, which officially created SSU, signed into law. |
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September 1, 1969 |
Dr. Robert C. Spencer began work as first president. |
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September, 1969 |
University began renting its first offices in the Myers Building. |
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April, 1970 |
Preliminary work began on campus construction. |
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June 10, 1970 |
Groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the "Interim Campus" took place. |
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September 18, 1970 |
First student newspaper, Spectrum, published. |
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September 22, 1970 |
Library began operation. |
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September 28, 1970 |
First classes held at the First Methodist Church at Fifth and Capitol in downtown Springfield. Because of construction delays caused by rainy weather, the Interim Campus could not open for classes on September 21, as originally planned. |
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October 5, 1970 |
First classes held at the SSU Interim Campus. 811 students had enrolled. |
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April 16, 1971 |
Floppy Hat Day. |
| SSU held first University Week, "The Year 2001." Science Fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke delivered the keynote address. | |
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1971 |
The SSU baseball team was established as the first SSU sport. |
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December, 1971 |
First degree students graduated, although formal ceremonies did not take place until 1972. |
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February, 1972 |
The Leland Building was chosen for the SSU downtown campus for fall of 1972. |
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June 10, 1972 |
First commencement ceremony held at Illinois Department of Transportation building. |
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June, 1972 |
Construction began on Brookens Library. |
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Fall, 1972 |
Paul Simon founded Public Affairs Reporting Program. |
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December 22, 1972 |
University acquired Clayville Rural Life Center (deed of gift). |
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February 16, 1973 |
Sangamon State Faculty Union first met. |
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May 7, 1973 |
Geodesic Dome built. Architect Buckminster Fuller spoke on campus. |
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1973 |
Interim Campus, with Brookens Library under construction in the background. |
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March 1, 1974 |
Singer Jimmy Buffett, before making it big in Margaritaville, played for free in the cafeteria in Building D (now Student Life Building). |
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1974 |
Graduate Public Service Internship Program (GPSI) established. |
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1974 |
Dogs were allowed on the SSU campus in the early years. |
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1974 |
Heavy rains flood the plaza at the Interim Campus. Students respond to the situation by playing volleyball. |
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January, 1975 |
Illinois Issues magazine published first edition. |
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January 3, 1975 |
WSSR-FM, SSU's NPR radio station first went on the air. |
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May, 1976 |
Ernst Giesecke became first professor emeritus. |
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May 19, 1976 |
Norris L Brookens Library, SSU's first permanent building, dedicated. |
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Fall 1976 |
The Peer Group Counselors for the 1976-77 academic year included singer Bobby McFerrin. |
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September 3, 1977 |
SSU Prairie Stars Men's Soccer Team played first game, defeating Bradley University 4-2. |
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April 15, 1978 |
University Observatory dedicated (located on roof of Brookens Library; the first of Prof. Charles Schweighauser's "Star Parties" was held previous November). |
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September 1, 1978 |
Alex B. Lacy Jr. began work as second president. |
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Fall 1979 |
SSU's first intercollegiate Women's Tennis Team took to the courts in the Fall of 1979. |
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August, 1980 |
First on-campus housing dedicated. |
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September, 1980 |
Public Affairs Center, SSU's second permanent building, opened. |
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February 20, 1981 |
SSU Auditorium held its premier performance--a sellout of Hal Holbrook in "Mark Twain Tonight!" |
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March 10, 1981 |
PAC Building dedicated. |
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October 1982 |
Helen Lash selected the first Employee of the Month. |
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1983 |
Phyllis Michael selected the first Employee of the Year. |
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April 22, 1983 |
Novelist Norman Mailer visited SSU and read from his new work, Ancient Evenings. |
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July 1, 1984 |
Durward Long began work as third president. |
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February 11, 1985 |
SCAN (Springfield Community Access Network), originating from SSU's Television Office, first aired on cable channel 17. |
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1986 |
SSU Prairie Stars soccer team won their first NAIA national championship. |
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1988 |
Soccer team won second NAIA national championship. |
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January 22, 1989 |
WSSR changed its call letters to WSSU. |
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1989 |
Campus' recycling program began. |
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December, 1989 |
SSU's Institute for Public Affairs formally established. |
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August 27, 1990 |
SSU's enrollment stood at 4,192, breaking the 4000 mark for the first time. |
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February 1, 1991 |
A. Wayne Penn became acting president. |
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July 15, 1991 |
Naomi B. Lynn began work as fourth president. |
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January, 1992 |
Health & Sciences Building, SSU's third permanent building, opened. |
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1993 |
Soccer team won third NAIA national championship; the Women's Tennis Team won the NAIA district 20 championship for the sixth consecutive year. |
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September, 1994 |
Campus Police Department established. |
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September, 1994 |
The Women's Center opened in Building F (now Student Affairs Building). |
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1995 |
SSU celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary; held last commencement. |
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February 28, 1995 |
Governor Edgar signed legislation to reorganize higher education and, in the process, merge SSU with the University of Illinois. |
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June 29, 1995 |
The university community held a picnic as a "wake" for Sangamon State University. |
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July 1, 1995 |
SSU became the University of Illinois at Springfield, the third campus of the U of I system. SSU President Naomi Lynn continued as the first Chancellor of UIS. |
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August 1, 1995 |
New UIS logo announced. |
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September, 1995 |
UIS student enrollment reached 4,702. |
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November, 1995 |
UIS women played their first basketball game against the University of Michigan-Dearborn. |
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April 25, 1996 |
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton visited UIS and spoke in Sangamon Auditorium. |
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September 12, 1996 |
Board of Trustees approved UIS' first doctoral program-Doctorate of Public Administration. |
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September, 1996 |
UIS Accounting students ranked #1 in the nation in percentage passing the CPA exam. |
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September 28, 1996 |
UIS held its "first" homecoming; SSU sponsored events billed as the "first homecoming" in 1977, 1990, and 1994. |
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April 23, 1997 |
Novelist John Updike spoke on campus and read one of his short stories. |
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October 4, 1999 |
Illinois Board of Higher Education approved the Capital Scholars honors program, which will allow UIS to admit its first class of freshmen beginning in fall, 2001. |
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April 1, 2001 |
Richard D. Ringeisen began work as second UIS Chancellor |
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August, 2001 |
116 Capital Scholars began classes, the first Freshmen class at UIS. Their dormitory, Lincoln Hall, opens. |
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August 28, 2004 |
University Hall, a state-of-the-art classroom and office building, was dedicated. |
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June, 2005 |
UIS Colonnade completed. The structure, including a fountain and seating, was designed as the symbolic center of campus and the head of the newly-developed Quadrangle. |
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September 8, 2005 |
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved a new general education curriculum, making UIS a full-fledged four-year university for the first time. Freshman were slated to be admitted under the general education curriculum beginning in fall, 2006. The Capitol Scholars continued as an honors program. |
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September, 2006 |
UIS student enrollment reached 4,761, a new record. The number included new general-admission freshmen, 958 off-campus online students, and over 300 international students. Over 850 students were living in campus housing. |
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January 10, 2007 |
The Inauguration of the Illinois House of Representatives was held in Sangamon Auditorium. The ceremony was held before representatives from every county and legislative district in Illinois. It was the first time since 1840 that inaugural proceedings were held at an alternate location. The change of venue was necessary due to ongoing renovations in the House chambers. |
| The Recreation and Athletics Center (TRAC) was dedicated. |