Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Radio Telescope [PAGE 3]

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A Measure of Distinction

Like a diamond under scrutiny of an expert, a university is appraised by the many facets of its operation, the nature of its performance, ond the brilliance of its reflection in the life of man. Unlike the diamond — because a university is its people — an educational institution has a spirit and a character. The spirit of the University of Illinois is intellectual inquisitiveness, the search for knowledge and truth. Its character is defined by the zeal for learning which motivates the people who are Involved in its work. All universities have their measures of distinction. One which marks the University of Illinois is its tradition of readiness to deal with the challenges of new ventures in man's conquest of the world. This willingness to explore the unexplored and the University's capacity to furnish talent capable of undertaking such assignments constituted the backdrop for construction at Illinois of what is at present the world's largest' radio telescope. Financed by a grant from the Office of Naval Research with a supplemental sum from the National Science Foundation, electrical engineers and astronomers from the University have built near Danville a parabolic radio mirror to concentrate signals from space on receiving elements supported by towers stretching far into the sky. Here scientists will study signals from radio sources which may be billions of light years away. Here they will seek and ultimately come to understand more about these signals, their significance to the universe and to those who inhabit our world. The new telescope is but one measure of the distinction of the University of Illinois; but it is symbolic of why this institution has assumed national leadership on many fronts — in engineering, chemistry, architecture, solid state physics, agriculture, and in many other disciplines. It suggests the reasons for the University's record as a producer of teachers, scholars, and professional leaders. It is an index to the quality of the University's services to the people of the State and Nation. It clearly demonstrates why a university is best described as an investment in human progress. David D. Henry, President University of Illinois