40 YEARS OF GIVING: Jim and Mary Beaumont
Jim's Story
"FREE-WHEELING" AND EXPERIENTIAL
Already a seasoned journalist, Jim Beaumont had just taken a job in Springfield covering the State House for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce when he heard about Sangamon State’s classes in public affairs. With his one undergraduate political science course a distant memory, Jim signed up for a class in state legislative politics.
That first class at Sangamon State turned into a master’s in public administration.
The professor of that first class, Ron Michaelson, was aide to Governor Ogilvy and frequently brought in key state people to talk to the class. One of those people was Jim Edgar, on his way to becoming governor. “I was very impressed with him,” Jim says.
Jim signed up for more classes, which he remembers as being “free-wheeling” and experiential in structure.
“The classes were rigorous,” Jim says, “but also fun, and you certainly got to know your classmates a lot better.”
In those early days, a lot of state government people were in the classes getting their master’s degrees. “So I made a lot of contacts with people who I eventually worked with on commissions, in the legislature, and the state departments—not just the instructors, but the people who I worked with.”
Jim completed his master’s in 1984.
Mary's Story
"I LOVED IT"
Mary Beaumont began working on a master’s degree in communication in the ’80’s. Nervous at first about getting back into the discipline of studying, Mary quickly found that her life experience made learning easier. “The younger students would say, ‘Will this be covered on the test?’ but I knew right away what was important. I found out that my perspective as an experienced adult really carried a lot of weight.”
As from the beginning, Sangamon State remained known for its excellent, involved professors. One that Mary especially admired was Hank Nicholson, who taught research methods.
“He started the beginning of the class with a content analysis puzzle, and everyone at the end was required to write a paper explaining how they reached their solution to this puzzle.”
Mary found it a wonderful challenge: “I loved it,” she says.
A special highlight of her time at Sangamon State? Being chosen to be marshal of her class at graduation in 1989. Her graduation picture is at right.
TRAINING TO BE A CITIZEN
After completing her degree, Mary opened her own contract business, completing projects for Lincoln Land Community College and the State Chamber of Commerce, including planning state and national events and writing a business guide to recycling.
Because of her many contributions to the American Association of University Women, one of the scholarships at UIS sponsored by the AAUW has been named for Mary.
Jim continued working at the Chamber for 30 years, becoming Vice President before he retired in 2002.
Both have been active in the community, carrying on an SSU/UIS tradition. As Jim says,
"We have always been public service oriented, which has been a tradition for UIS students from early on. Students at UIS are not just training for a job. They are training to be a citizen."
Mary and Jim's service includes UIS as well. They say they are more involved on campus now than they ever were as students, going to plays, attending events, and participating in the alumni association--Jim recently ended a term as chair of CAAB--the Campus Alumni Advisory Board. Both enjoy taking advantage of the many ways that UIS serves the Springfield community.
“UIS is just a marvelous resource for the community,” Mary says. “It has added so much to Springfield."
