Eureka College

Last updated
Eureka College
Eureka College seal.svg
MottoThe Moment of Discovery
Type Private college
EstablishedFebruary 6, 1855;169 years ago (February 6, 1855)
Religious affiliation
 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment $16.2 million
President Jamel Santa Cruze Wright
Students559 (Fall 2022) [1]
Location
Eureka, Illinois
,
U.S.

40°42′50″N89°16′05″W / 40.714°N 89.268°W / 40.714; -89.268
Campus112 acres (45 ha) rural
Colors    Maroon and gold
Nickname Red Devils
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division III – SLIAC
Website www.eureka.edu
Eureka College logo.svg

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.

Contents

Eureka College was the third college in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. It had a close connection with alumnus Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. In 2010, Eureka College was designated as a national historic district by the National Park Service. [3]

History

Eureka College in 1904 EurekaCollege-EurIL.JPG
Eureka College in 1904

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. Abingdon College merged with Eureka in 1885. [7]

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. [8]

Ronald Reagan is the only president born, raised and educated in the state of Illinois. [9] 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, [10] 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. [11] 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." [12]

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. [13] 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. [14] The college granted Nancy Reagan an honorary degree in 2009 at a private ceremony in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. [15] 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. [16] 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. [17] James A. Baker III was named Honorary Reagan Fellow in 2012, [18] and this honor was bestowed on Justice Sandra Day O'Connor the next year. [19] George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State, received was made an Honorary Reagan Fellow at a ceremony in San Francisco in 2014. [20]

Ronald Reagan Museum

Ronald Reagan on the Eureka College Football Team, 1929 Ronald Reagan in football uniform on field at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois.jpg
Ronald Reagan on the Eureka College Football Team, 1929

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. [21]

Campus

Eureka College Administration and Chapel
Eureka College Main Building flickr.jpg
Administration Building
USA Illinois location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location300 College Ave.
Eureka, Illinois
Coordinates 40°42′50″N89°16′09″W / 40.7139°N 89.2691°W / 40.7139; -89.2691
Area2.8 acres (1.1 ha)
Built1858
Architectural styleItalianate, Georgian, Federal
NRHP reference No. 80001426 [22]
Added to NRHPMay 31, 1980

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 Oct. 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 speakers and visitors

Notable alumni

Honorary degree recipients

Notable faculty

Past

Present

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Eureka College | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  3. ↑ Anonymous. "Eureka College listed to National Register of Historic Places – Peoria, IL". Woodford Times. Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  4. ↑ Callary, Edward. 2009. Place Names of Illinois. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, p. 116.
  5. ↑ College, Eureka. "Blog – Articles – Campus News Archives". Eureka College. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  6. ↑ Discover Eureka College Archived 2012-01-24 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "BACKTRACKING". www.thezephyr.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Education". peoriamagazines.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  9. ↑ Dr. Brian Sajko (3 January 2011). "The Ideal Alum". peoriamagazines.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  10. ↑ "Famous Sociology Majors". Sociology.msu.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  11. ↑ "In Memoriam: Ronald W. Reagan". Mtco.com. Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  12. ↑ Keen, Judy (2011-01-24). "Heartland lays claim to native son Reagan". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  13. ↑ "A Q&A with Michael Thurwanger". peoriamagazines.com. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  14. ↑ Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com (2009-03-28). "During Eureka visit, Gorbachev reflects on partnership with Reagan". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  15. ↑ Anonymous (2009-03-31). "Eureka grants honorary degree to Nancy Reagan – Peoria, IL". pjstar.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  16. ↑ McDowell, Jerry (2011-05-14). "Gingrich praises Reagan during speech at Eureka". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  17. ↑ "Eureka College gift to be used for Reagan Research Center". Disciples.org. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  18. ↑ EurekaCollegeMedia (17 April 2012). "Acceptance Remarks James A. Baker, III, Eureka College Honorary Reagan Fellow, March 28, 2012". Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 21 July 2018– via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Google". www.google.com. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  20. ↑ EurekaCollegeMedia (25 November 2014). "Secretary George P. Shultz, Honorary Reagan Fellow Ceremony, (San Francisco), November 18, 2014". Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 21 July 2018– via YouTube.
  21. ↑ "Eureka". The Ronald Reagan Trail. 2008-09-28. Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  22. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  23. ↑ "The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project". Hcap.artstor.org. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  24. ↑ "National Register of Historical Places – Illinois, Woodford County". Nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  25. ↑ "The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions". Congressional Research Service. February 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  26. ↑ Capie, Kevin. "Reagan Complex renovations revitalizing Eureka College". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Eureka College Athletics – Eureka, Illinois – Undergraduate Search". Petersons.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  28. ↑ "Division III QB sets NCAA single-game passing record". Yahoo!Sports. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Delta Sigma Phi fraternity kicked off campus at Eureka College | CIProud.com". 28 February 2020.
  30. ↑ "Oct 9". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  31. ↑ "Dec 8". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  32. ↑ "Nov 26". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  33. ↑ "Freeport Journal-Standard from Freeport, Illinois on September 28, 1967 · Page 11". 28 September 1967. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  34. ↑ "Sept 29". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  35. ↑ Wikiquote:Ray Bradbury
  36. ↑ "Sept 26". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  37. ↑ "Gorbachev Visits Eureka College - CIProud". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  38. ↑ McDowell, Jerry (14 May 2011). "Gingrich praises Reagan during speech at Eureka" . Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  39. ↑ "Edwin Meese III Remarks at Eureka College". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  40. ↑ "Exclusive: Sarah Palin Visits Eureka College | WEEK News 25 - News, Sports, Weather - Peoria, Illinois | Political". Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  41. ↑ "First woman Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at Eureka College | WEEK News 25 - News, Sports, Weather - Peoria, Illinois | Top Stories". Archived from the original on 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  42. ↑ "Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) Remarks at Eureka College". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  43. ↑ "Former Caterpillar CEO James Owens to discuss U.S. economy at EC presentation - Eureka College" . Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  44. ↑ "Nebraska Governor William Amos Poynter". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Nebraska Legislative Year Book – 1897".
  46. ↑ "Nov 2". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  47. ↑ "Jan 5". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  48. ↑ Yeager 63
  49. ↑ "Dr. Emik Avakian '48 a reason to invest". Eureka College. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  50. ↑ Sobota, Lenore (29 August 2015). "Banners honor Eureka alumni achievements" . Retrieved 21 July 2018.

Bibliography

Further reading

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