Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - Early History of University (1916) [PAGE 37]

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XXXIV

U N I V E R S I T Y OF I L L I N O I S

The Chicago departments of the University have undergone a considerable improvement and reorganization in the past few years. Because of failure to receive appropriations for the operation of its medical department, the University was compelled to close it June 30, 1912. The College of Physicians and Surgeons again opened a school on the same site. This caused such consternation among medical alumni and friends of medical education in Illinois that they proceeded to secure the capital stock of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and then presented it to the Trustees of the University. The College of Medicine was then re-opened March 6, 1913. A vigorous policy of expansion and development followed. The equipment has been perfected and brought down to date, and the entrance requirements have been raised to a par with those of the best medical schools of the United States. Since 1904 the College of Medicine has graduated 2,826 students and enrolled a total of 10,266. The dental department, which was closed at the same time as the medical department and for the same reasons, was re-opened October 1, 1913, The College of Dentistry has also undergone considerable development within the last few years, as well as the School of Pharmacy. The College of Agriculture is now organized with the following departments: Agronomy, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Husbandry, Horticulture, Veterinary Science and Household Science. The following table gives the registration of students and the size of the faculty since 1890. Year 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-00 1900-01 1901-02 1902-03 Students Registered 7 6 13 5 9 " 14 17 19 25 90 159 232 284 Faculty 3 3 3 3 3 3 6 8 9 16 17 23 27 Year 1903-04 1904-05 1905-06 1906-07 1907-08 1908-09 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 1914-15 1915-16 Students Registered 339 406 430 462 528 531 660 729 829 905 1,014 1,184 1,255 Faculty 37 37 44 50 61 63 74 74 100 120 137 149 153

The military department of the University h a s developed in harmony with the spirit of the Lang Grant Act of 1862 until today the University has the largest student enrollment in military of any college in the United States and probably in the world. October 30, 1915, the Trustees authorized the creation of a battery of field artillery, which has already become well organized. All freshmen and sophomores are required to take the work. The Cadet Brigade consists of two regiments of infantry (24 companies), a foot battery of field artillery, signal corps, engineer company and hospital company (consisting of sophomores). There are 2,140 cadets including the band of 165 men and 114 commissioned officers. By virtue of his position the President of the University is the Colonel of the Cadet Brigade. The Library School was transferred to the University of Illinois from Armour Institute, Chicago, in September, 1897, two years of college work being required for entrance; in 1903 this lequirement was raised to three years, and in 1911, to four years of college work. Two hundred and forty-five students have completed the two years of work and have received the degree of Bachelor of Library Science; two hundred and sixty-eight