Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois.

History and academics

Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) is an independent, residential, liberal arts university. Illinois Wesleyan is a private co-educational university with an enrollment of 2,137 and a student/faculty ratio of 12 to 1.

The University consists of the College of Liberal Arts, with 17 academic departments; the College of Fine Arts, comprising professional Schools of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts; and the School of Nursing. Illinois Wesleyan’s campus occupies more than 70 acres in the heart of Bloomington in central Illinois.

IWU was founded in 1850 by 30 civic and Methodist Church leaders with the goal of establishing "an Institution of learning of Collegiate grade". The central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854, with the first building constructed in the same year. The University taught solely preparatory classes from 1850 until 1919; college classes began in 1851. IWU is categorized by the Carnegie Commission as one of America's 162 liberal arts colleges.

John Wesley Powell joined Illinois Wesleyan's faculty in 1865. In 1867 Powell took Illinois Wesleyan students to the Rocky Mountains, the first expedition of its kind in American higher education. Illinois Wesleyan now hosts an annual undergraduate research conference named in Powell's honor, the John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference.

Illinois Wesleyan was founded as a Methodist institution, but has gradually shed its religious affiliation and is currently completely secular in instruction and graduation requirements. Nevertheless, there are many religious organizations, groups, and clubs operating on campus. In addition, while the University sets its own curricular guidelines, it still is accredited by the United Methodist Church and still holds ties to that organization through the Illinois Great Rivers Conference thereof. This can be witnessed by, among other things, the fact that the bishop of that conference holds a permanent spot on the University's Board of Trustees.

In 1899, five students founded a fraternity named "The Knights of Classic Lore". The Knights of Classic Lore would go on to become the first chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon less than a decade later.

Academic programs

Bachelor's degree programs are offered in three Colleges:

• College of Liberal Arts (17 departments and 7 interdisciplinary programs, organized in 1906)
• College of Fine Arts (schools of art, music, and theater arts organized in 1929, 1946, 1947 respectively)
• School of Nursing (established in 1959)

The College of Fine Arts offers these majors:

• Art
• Music
• Theatre Arts
• Music Theatre

The College of Liberal Arts offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in these majors:

• Accounting (Managerial and Public)
• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Art
• Biology
• Business Administration
• Chemistry
• Cognitive Science (minor only)
• Computer Science
• Economics
• Educational Studies
• English
• Environmental Studies
• French and Francophone Studies
• German
• Greek and Roman Studies
• History
• International Business
• International Studies
• Mathematics
• Music
• Music Theatre
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Religion
• Risk Management and Financial Services (Insurance)
• Sociology
• Spanish (Hispanic Studies)
• Theatre Arts (Performance and Design)
• Women's Studies

The School of Nursing offers a Bachelor of Science in:

• Nursing

Athletics

Illinois Wesleyan University participates in the NCAA's Division III and is a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). The IWU men's basketball team won CCIW championships in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons. Illinois Wesleyan won the Division III National Basketball Championship in 1997. In addition to the 1997 championship, the Illinois Wesleyan University basketball team has reached the Division III Final Four in 1996, 2001, and more recently 2006, losing in the semifinals to Virginia Wesleyan, then winning the 3rd place game against Amherst. Other recent CCIW championship teams have included women's and men's golf and baseball and football in 2007. The Illinos Wesleyan Womens Track and Field Team won the CCIW indoor conference championship in 2008 and went on to be Division III Indoor National Champions for 2008. Head track and field coach, Chris Schumacher, was named the CCIW and National Coach of The Year for Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field in 2008.

Illinois Wesleyan was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910-1937.

Division III NCAA National Championships

• Men's
• Basketball - 1997
• Women's
• Indoor Track & Field - 2008
• Outdoor Track & Field - 2008

Administration

Officers of the Board of Trustees

• George A. Vinyard (President)
• Gilbert L. Dorsey (First Vice President)
• Herbert A. Getz (Second Vice President)
• Susan D. Waring (Secretary)
• Robert E. Field II (Treasurer)
• Richard F. Wilson (President of University)

List of Presidents of the University

• Clinton W. Sears (1855-1857)
• Oliver Spencer Munsell (1857-1873)
• Samuel J. Fallows (1873-1875)
• William H. H. Adams (1875-1888)
• William H. Wilder (1888-1898)
• Edgar M. Smith (1898-1905)
• Francis G. Barnes (1905-1908)
• Theodore Kemp (1908-1922)
• William J. Davidson (1922-1932)
• Harry W. McPherson (1932-1937)
• Wiley G. Brooks (1937-1939)
• William E. Shaw (1939-1947)
• Merrill J. Holmes (1947-1958)
• Lloyd M. Bertholf (1958-1968)
• Robert S. Eckley (1968-1986)
• Wayne Anderson (1986-1988)
• Minor Myers, jr. (1989-2003)
• Richard F. Wilson (2004-)

Notable alumni

• U.S. Senator Scott W. Lucas of Illinois
• Governor H. Clarence Baldridge of Idaho
• Governor Lester Hunt of Wyoming
• 7 Time NBA All-Star Jack Sikma
• Author and biologist Sandra Steingraber
• Grammy Award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw
• Chaplain's Medal for Heroism recipient George L. Fox
• Comedian Andy Dick attended but did not graduate
• American actor Frankie Faison, noted for his appearance in all four Hannibal Lecter films
• American character actor Richard Jenkins, best known best for playing the deceased father Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
• Professional musician Andrew Bird
• Longtime announcer with the Chicago Cubs and famed singer of the national anthem Wayne Messmer
• Denny Matthews, Kansas City Royals radio play-by-play announcer since the team's inception in 1969.
• Dave Kindred, columnist for Sporting News, recently elected to the Sportswriter's Hall of Fame
• Major League Baseball player and manager Doug Rader
• Playwright and Actor Larry Shue
• Mentalist Christopher Carter, Campus Activities Magazine's 2006 Performer of the Year
• Bill Damaschke, Head of Creative Production and Development, DreamWorks Animation
• Theater director, musician, and writer Amanda Dehnert; currently Acting Artistic Director for Trinity Rep in Providence, RI
• American actress Christina Moore
• Traffic reporter and full-time talk show host Christina Filiaggi on WLS 890 AM
• Minor League Baseball player and manager and Major League scout Alex Cosmidis

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• Campus map
• Ames Library homepage
• John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference
• WESN 88.1 FM, Illinois Wesleyan's student radio station
• The Argus, Illinois Wesleyan's student newspaper
• Illinois Wesleyan basketball
• Illinois Wesleyan Men's Basketball National Tournament Results

References