UIHistories Project: A History of the University of Illinois by Kalev Leetaru
N A V I G A T I O N D I G I T A L L I B R A R Y
Bookmark and Share



Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of the University (Nevins) [PAGE 73]

Caption: Book - History of the University (Nevins)
This is a reduced-resolution page image for fast online browsing.


Jump to Page:
< Previous Page [Displaying Page 73 of 399] Next Page >
[VIEW ALL PAGE THUMBNAILS]




EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:



60

BEGINNINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY

Schneider, as the first catalogue called him, an Austrian Pole who had been educated at Lemberg and Vienna and who after an adventurous life, fighting at Solferino and Magenta and throughout our Civil War, had settled down to teaching at Carlinville, was brought as instructor in German and bookkeeping. The Regent remarked proudly that the faculty "without exception came from the laboring classes. They were all trained in boyhood to hard labor, and by their own industry won the education that enables them to teach others. Becoming educated men, they have not ceased to be practical men." It was fortunate that they were inured to hardships and hard work, for they had plenty of both on that bare prairie. A considerable number of youths who had expected to enter the previous spring, but did not, appeared in the fall; and the total who matriculated during the autumn and winter was 136. The entrance examinations still covered only the elementary subjects, and many came with the frank intention of staying only one term or one year to supplement grammar-school work. They thus engaged in what were properly preparatory courses, though studies were now offered in history, English, chemistry, agriculture, botany, mathematics, bookkeeping, and modern languages. During the winter Edward Eggleston, the novelist, was engaged to lecture on literature. The Regent stated that so many students were in secondary work that the proportion electing strictly industrial courses could not be determined. But it was believed that nearly one-third hoped to take up agriculture, and a number of others mechanical or commercial training. Despite the patching-up of the Institute building, the University remained greatly hampered for room. A