Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of the University (Powell) [PAGE 107]

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Acfivihi Illinois Industrial League

81

Thus by means of lectures throughout the state, by conventions, by the influence of the state agricultural society and the Buel institute, by the now widely organized industrial league, by the aid of articles in the press, and by private correspondence the friends of industrial education sought to prepare the way for a favorable consideration of their favorite measures by the legislature. It was with hope, therefore, that the directors of the league called a meeting of the friends of industrial education to be held in Springfield on the first, second, and third of January, 1855 for the purpose of consummating a plan for presenting before the approaching legislature the claims of industrial education and the plans for the state university, the normal school, and the common schools advocated by the league-87 The convention met, on January 1,1855, in the senate chamber in Springfield and appointed six men to act as a committee and also as a board of trustees to raise fifty thousand dollars for the endowment of a state teachers\ seminary or a normal school for teachers and other needed departments in a university to be styled ''Illinois university,\\ and to secure also a donation of lands from congress for the same purpose as soon as practicable.38 The committee of six appointed for the purpose prepared a bill and it was introduced in the legislature under the title j, "An act to incorporate the trustees of Illinois university." The trustees were to locate the university, and were to receive from the state the college and seminary funds for its endowment on condition that they raised a like amount from other sources. They were also to receive any grants which congress might make for industrial education. The bill proposed to begin with three departments, a teachers' seminary, an agricultural department, and a mechanical department.80 There was vigorous opposition to the bill both in and without the legislature. The Jacksonville Constitutionist, the Ma"lllinois State BegisterA December 28, 1854. n Illimois State Journal, January 2, 1855. John Gate of Lake County was made president, W. F. M. Arney of McLean county, secretary; Turner, Murray, Johns, Kennicott, Urial Mills and W. A. Pennell were appointed on the committee. M See the bill and the report on it in appendix, p. 546.