Eureka College Explained

Eureka College
Image Upright:0.7
Motto:The Moment of Discovery
Type:Private college
Religious Affiliation:Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment:$16.2 million
President:Jamel Wright
Students:559 (Fall 2023)[1]
City:Eureka, Illinois
Country:U.S.
Campus Type:Rural
Colors: Maroon and gold
Sports Nickname:Red Devils
Sporting Affiliations:NCAA Division III – SLIAC

Eureka College is a private college in Eureka, Illinois, that is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).[2] Enrollment in 2022 was approximately 559 students.

Eureka College was founded by abolitionists and was the third college in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. In 1856, future president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, spoke on campus. In 1928, future president of the United States, Ronald Reagan began attending Eureka and he graduated in 1932. He maintained a close connection with the college for the rest of his life. In 2010, Eureka College was designated as a national historic district by the National Park Service.[3]

History

The college was founded in 1848 by a group of abolitionists who had left Kentucky because of their opposition to slavery and was originally named the Walnut Grove Academy.[4] [5] It was chartered in 1855.[6] When the school was founded, it was the first school in Illinois (and only the third in the United States) to educate women on an equal basis with men. In 1856, Abraham Lincoln spoke on campus, making Eureka one of only three colleges where Lincoln spoke.[7] [8] Abingdon College merged with Eureka in 1885.[9]

Ronald Reagan

Eureka College is the smallest college or university in American history to graduate a future U.S. president with a bachelor's degree. Among its alumni throughout history are forty-two college and university presidents, seven governors and members of U.S. Congress, and the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, class of 1932.[10]

Reagan's relationship with his alma mater began in 1928 when he entered as a freshman from Dixon, Illinois, at age 17. Following his graduation on June 10, 1932, with a joint major in economics and sociology,[11] Reagan returned for visits on twelve recorded occasions. He served on the board of trustees for three terms, stayed connected to his fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon, communicated with his football coach and mentor Ralph "Mac" McKinzie, and helped support fund-raising drives including with his own financial commitments to the college. Reagan gave three commencement addresses at Eureka College in 1952, 1957, 1982, and 1992.[12] He dedicated the Melick Library building in 1967 and the Reagan Physical Education Center in 1970. When he died in 2004, Eureka College was one of three officially designated recipients of memorial gifts by his family.

In 1982, President Reagan told the Eureka College audience, "Everything that has been good in my life began here."[13]

Eureka College has created programs related to its most famous alumnus. It established the Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program in 1982 to provide scholarships and four-year full tuition scholarships to designated Reagan Fellows.[14] On March 27, 2009, the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, visited the section of the Berlin Wall on display in the Reagan Peace Garden on campus. Eureka gave President Gorbachev an honorary degree during a convocation in which students asked the former Soviet leader questions.[15] The college granted Nancy Reagan an honorary degree in 2009 at a private ceremony in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.[16] As part of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration in 2011, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich delivered the commencement address at Eureka.[17] The same year saw the opening of the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center and College Archives; the center is collecting and maintaining every book and doctoral dissertation written about Ronald Reagan.[18] James A. Baker III was named Honorary Reagan Fellow in 2012,[19] and this honor was bestowed on Justice Sandra Day O'Connor the next year.[20] George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State, received was made an Honorary Reagan Fellow at a ceremony in San Francisco in 2014.[21]

Ronald Reagan Museum

The Ronald W. Reagan Museum, located within the Donald B. Cerf Center, contains a collection of objects and memorabilia largely donated by Reagan. The items are from his times as a student, actor, athlete, Governor of California and President of the United States. Admission is free.[22]

Campus

Eureka College Administration and Chapel
Location:300 College Ave.
Eureka, Illinois
Coordinates:40.7139°N -89.2691°W
Built:1858
Architecture:Italianate, Georgian, Federal
Added:May 31, 1980
Refnum:80001426

Student demographics

About 48% of the students at Eureka are women, while about 52% are men. 0.5% of the students are Native American, 0.35% are Asian, 8.5% are African-American, and 82% are white. 1.2% of the students are international, but 93.5% of the students are from the state of Illinois. The first-time, full-time bachelor's seeking student retention rate is 62% and the graduation rate cohort as percent of total entering students is 70%. The student-to-faculty ratio is 13 to 1.

Athletics

The Eureka athletic teams are the Red Devils. The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),[27] primarily competing in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) since the 2006–07 academic year. The Red Devils previously competed in the defunct Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference from about 1996–97 to 2005–06; and in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) until after the 1995–96 school year. Eureka was also a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) from 1910–11 to 1941–42.

Eureka competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling.

Football

On September 1, 2012, Eureka College quarterback Sam Durley set an NCAA record with 736 passing yards in Eureka's 62–55 victory over Knox College. That beat the old record of 731 yards set by Menlo College quarterback Zamir Amin, who passed for 731 yards on October 7, 2000.[28]

Greek life

As of 2019, 23% of male students are in social fraternities, while 26% of female students are in social sororities. Overall 24% of the student body are involved in Greek life. In February 2020, the college's chapter of Delta Sigma Phi was disciplined due to unknown allegations.[29]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Past

Present

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eureka College . August 9, 2023.
  2. Web site: Eureka College | Best College | US News . Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com . July 8, 2011 . April 25, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110425051324/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/eureka-college-1678 . dead.
  3. Web site: Anonymous . Eureka College listed to National Register of Historic Places – Peoria, IL . Woodford Times . July 8, 2011 . March 25, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325045124/http://www.woodfordtimes.com/news/x1876470707/Eureka-College-listed-to-National-Register-of-Historic-Places . dead.
  4. Callary, Edward. 2009. Place Names of Illinois. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, p. 116.
  5. Web site: College . Eureka . Blog – Articles – Campus News Archives . August 19, 2023 . Eureka College . en-US . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125308/https://www.eureka.edu/blog . live .
  6. http://www.eureka.edu/discover/historicec.htm Discover Eureka College
  7. News: Staff Writer . August 25, 2012 . Abraham Lincoln now the namesake of a football bowl game . live . August 3, 2024 . State Journal Register.
  8. News: Shults . J.W. . October 5, 2006 . Eureka College: Lincoln spoke here . live . August 3, 2024 . The Pantagraph.
  9. Web site: BACKTRACKING . www.thezephyr.com . July 21, 2018 . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125308/https://www.thezephyr.com/backtrack/abingdoncollege.htm . live .
  10. Web site: Education . peoriamagazines.com . July 8, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110210105250/http://www.peoriamagazines.com/pp/2011/jan/education . February 10, 2011.
  11. Web site: Famous Sociology Majors . Sociology.msu.edu . July 8, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110827131431/http://sociology.msu.edu/famoussociologymajors.html . August 27, 2011.
  12. Web site: In Memoriam: Ronald W. Reagan . Mtco.com . July 8, 2011 . dead . https://archive.today/20060324053230/http://www.mtco.com/~woodford/In%20Memoriam.htm . March 24, 2006.
  13. Web site: Keen . Judy . Heartland lays claim to native son Reagan . Usatoday.Com . January 24, 2011 . July 8, 2011.
  14. Web site: A Q&A with Michael Thurwanger . November 3, 2008 . peoriamagazines.com . July 8, 2011 . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125312/https://www.peoriamagazine.com/archive/ibi_article/2008/a-qa-with-michael-thurwanger/ . live .
  15. Web site: Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com . During Eureka visit, Gorbachev reflects on partnership with Reagan . Pantagraph.com . March 28, 2009 . July 8, 2011 . April 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230409053454/https://pantagraph.com/news/article_f4549afc-e036-5f7b-a13e-70ce0a2ac014.html . live .
  16. Web site: Anonymous . March 31, 2009 . Eureka grants honorary degree to Nancy Reagan – Peoria, IL . July 8, 2011 . pjstar.com.
  17. Web site: McDowell . Jerry . Gingrich praises Reagan during speech at Eureka . Pantagraph.com . May 14, 2011 . July 8, 2011 . November 21, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181121024244/https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/article_1e53e5a6-7e79-11e0-8581-001cc4c002e0.html . live .
  18. Web site: Eureka College gift to be used for Reagan Research Center . Disciples.org . July 8, 2011 . September 27, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927184028/http://www.disciples.org/tabid/58/itemid/834/Eureka-College-gift-to-be-used-for-Reagan-Research.aspx . live .
  19. Web site: Acceptance Remarks James A. Baker, III, Eureka College Honorary Reagan Fellow, March 28, 2012 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/WmIprxahrKE . December 22, 2021 . live . EurekaCollegeMedia . April 17, 2012 . July 21, 2018 . YouTube.
  20. Web site: Google . www.google.com . July 21, 2018 . April 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190404182922/https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant#q=Sandra+Day+O'Connor+Eureka+College+you+tube . live .
  21. Web site: Secretary George P. Shultz, Honorary Reagan Fellow Ceremony, (San Francisco), November 18, 2014 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/ehP8huRRooE . December 22, 2021 . live . EurekaCollegeMedia . November 25, 2014 . July 21, 2018 . YouTube.
  22. Web site: Eureka . The Ronald Reagan Trail . September 28, 2008 . July 8, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110609003104/http://www.ronaldreagantrail.net/Pages/ReaganTrail.php?city=10&page=Eureka . June 9, 2011.
  23. Web site: The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project . Hcap.artstor.org . July 8, 2011.
  24. Web site: National Register of Historical Places – Illinois, Woodford County . July 8, 2011 . Nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125309/https://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/il/Woodford/state.html . live .
  25. Web site: February 2, 2022 . The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions . June 2, 2024 . Congressional Research Service.
  26. Web site: Capie . Kevin . Reagan Complex renovations revitalizing Eureka College . June 2, 2024 . Peoria Journal Star . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125810/https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/college/2015/08/02/reagan-complex-renovations-revitalizing-eureka/33770526007/ . live .
  27. Web site: Eureka College Athletics – Eureka, Illinois – Undergraduate Search . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120318184514/http://www.petersons.com/college-search/eureka-college-athletics-000_10002276_10008.aspx . March 18, 2012 . July 8, 2011 . Petersons.com.
  28. Web site: Division III QB sets NCAA single-game passing record . Yahoo!Sports . September 1, 2012 . September 2, 2012 . September 2, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120902110609/http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/division-iii-qb-sets-ncaa-single-game-passing-041532181--ncaaf.html . live .
  29. Web site: Delta Sigma Phi fraternity kicked off campus at Eureka College CIProud.com . February 28, 2020 . September 18, 2021 . September 18, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210918014823/https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/delta-sigma-phi-fraternity-kicked-off-campus-at-eureka-college/ . live .
  30. Web site: Nebraska Governor William Amos Poynter . National Governors Association . September 16, 2012 . June 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120606075009/http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_nebraska/col2-content/main-content-list/title_poynter_william.html . live .
  31. Web site: Nebraska Legislative Year Book – 1897 . 2022-06-14 . 2024-06-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125817/https://usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/Legislature/1897/lybp189.htm . live .
  32. Web site: Nov 2 . ww1.eureka.edu . July 21, 2018 . August 11, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140811004844/http://ww1.eureka.edu/emp/jrodrig/otdieh/nov2.htm . dead.
  33. Web site: Jan 5 . ww1.eureka.edu . July 21, 2018 . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051139/http://ww1.eureka.edu/emp/jrodrig/otdieh/jan5.htm . dead.
  34. Yeager 63
  35. Web site: Dr. Emik Avakian '48 a reason to invest . Eureka College . March 5, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100527145205/http://www.eureka.edu/discover/waystogive.htm . May 27, 2010.
  36. Web site: Banners honor Eureka alumni achievements . Lenore . Sobota . August 29, 2015 . July 21, 2018 . June 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125835/https://pantagraph.com/news/local/banners-honor-eureka-alumni-achievements/article_cb06060a-0704-5ef3-9df5-2468487d4976.html . live .

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