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Eureka College

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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
MottoThe Moment of Discovery
TypePrivate college
EstablishedFebruary 6, 1855; 169 years ago (February 6, 1855)
Religious affiliation
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Endowment$16.2 million
PresidentJamel Wright
Students559 (Fall 2023)[1]
Location
Eureka, Illinois
,
U.S.

40°42′50″N 89°16′3″W / 40.71389°N 89.26750°W / 40.71389; -89.26750
CampusRural, 112 acres (45 ha)
Colors    Maroon and gold
NicknameRed Devils
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III – SLIAC
Websitewww.eureka.edu

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

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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. 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

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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

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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.[22]

Campus

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Eureka College Administration and Chapel
 
Administration Building
 
 
Location300 College Ave.
Eureka, Illinois
Coordinates40°42′50″N 89°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 [23]
Added to NRHPMay 31, 1980
  • The Eureka College campus is 112 acres (0.45 km2).[2]
  • Burrus Dickinson Hall, Administration building, is on the National Register of Historic Places.[24]
  • The chapel (some claim Ronald Reagan gave his first public speech here) is on the National Register of Historic Places.[25]
  • The Reagan Athletic Complex (before 2015, known as the Reagan Physical Education Center or the Reagan Gym) was dedicated in 1970 by brothers Neil Reagan '33 and Ronald Reagan '32 and named in their honor. At Eureka's commencement exercises in 1982, President Reagan announced the START treaty proposal in the Reagan Gym.[26] In 2015, The Bonati Fitness Center and Reagan Center Pool underwent renovation.[27]

Student demographics

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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

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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),[28] 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

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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.[29]

Greek life

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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.[30]

Notable alumni

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Notable faculty

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Past

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Present

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References

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  1. ^ "Eureka College". Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Eureka College | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  3. ^ Anonymous. "Eureka College listed to National Register of Historic Places – Peoria, IL". Woodford Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  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. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Discover Eureka College Archived January 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Staff Writer (August 25, 2012). "Abraham Lincoln now the namesake of a football bowl game". State Journal Register. Retrieved August 3, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Shults, J.W. (October 5, 2006). "Eureka College: Lincoln spoke here". The Pantagraph. Retrieved August 3, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "BACKTRACKING". www.thezephyr.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  10. ^ "Education". peoriamagazines.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "Famous Sociology Majors". Sociology.msu.edu. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  12. ^ "In Memoriam: Ronald W. Reagan". Mtco.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  13. ^ Keen, Judy (January 24, 2011). "Heartland lays claim to native son Reagan". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  14. ^ "A Q&A with Michael Thurwanger". peoriamagazines.com. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  15. ^ Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com (March 28, 2009). "During Eureka visit, Gorbachev reflects on partnership with Reagan". Pantagraph.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  16. ^ Anonymous (March 31, 2009). "Eureka grants honorary degree to Nancy Reagan – Peoria, IL". pjstar.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  17. ^ McDowell, Jerry (May 14, 2011). "Gingrich praises Reagan during speech at Eureka". Pantagraph.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  18. ^ "Eureka College gift to be used for Reagan Research Center". Disciples.org. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  19. ^ EurekaCollegeMedia (April 17, 2012). "Acceptance Remarks James A. Baker, III, Eureka College Honorary Reagan Fellow, March 28, 2012". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2018 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ "Google". www.google.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  21. ^ EurekaCollegeMedia (November 25, 2014). "Secretary George P. Shultz, Honorary Reagan Fellow Ceremony, (San Francisco), November 18, 2014". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2018 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ "Eureka". The Ronald Reagan Trail. September 28, 2008. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  23. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  24. ^ "The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project". Hcap.artstor.org. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  25. ^ "National Register of Historical Places – Illinois, Woodford County". Nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  26. ^ "The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions". Congressional Research Service. February 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  27. ^ Capie, Kevin. "Reagan Complex renovations revitalizing Eureka College". Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  28. ^ "Eureka College Athletics – Eureka, Illinois – Undergraduate Search". Petersons.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  29. ^ "Division III QB sets NCAA single-game passing record". Yahoo!Sports. September 1, 2012. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  30. ^ "Delta Sigma Phi fraternity kicked off campus at Eureka College | CIProud.com". February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  31. ^ "Nebraska Governor William Amos Poynter". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  32. ^ "Nebraska Legislative Year Book – 1897". Archived from the original on 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  33. ^ "Nov 2". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  34. ^ "Jan 5". ww1.eureka.edu. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  35. ^ "Winfred Ernest Garrison". ccel.org. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  36. ^ Yeager 63
  37. ^ "Dr. Emik Avakian '48 a reason to invest". Eureka College. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  38. ^ Sobota, Lenore (August 29, 2015). "Banners honor Eureka alumni achievements". Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2018.

Bibliography

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  • Yager, Edward M., Ronald Reagan's Journey: Democrat to Republican, Rowman & Littlefield, 2006, ISBN 0-7425-4421-4

Further reading

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