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Caption: Book - History of the University (Nevins)
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PREFACE THE fact that this volume constitutes the first history of the University of Illinois ever written has largely determined its character and scope. It seemed necessary to the writer to throw a much greater emphasis upon the record of the past than upon the tendencies or characteristics of the present. Even in the four final chapters, nominally not historical at all, will be found much historical matter. The detailed steps in the development of the institution are known to so few of the graduates or faculty, not to speak of outsiders, that a comprehensive account of them is the first requisite of any introduction to the inner spirit of the rapidlygrowing University. Moreover, these are years in which the institution is rapidly losing the men who as teachers and students have personal recollection of its first years, and it seemed a duty to attempt, while it was still possible, to interweave with facts from written sources those which come authentically from unwritten. Of the shortcomings of the book the writer is aware. It is an unfortunate fact that till a short time ago the University, with the carelessness of youth, made no attempt to preserve historical materials relating to itself. There are many phases of its record upon which it has been hard to accumulate information. Upon some of the most important questions the oral testimony has been found to be conflicting, while upon others some detailed oral testimony available has been shown so unreliable that it has had to be thrown aside in favor 7
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