Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University

Motto:	Scientia et Sapientia "Knowledge and Wisdom"
Established:	1850
Type:	Private University
Endowment:	US $188.1 million (market value, July 31, 2007 ^[1])
President:	Richard F. Wilson
Faculty:	161
Staff:	600 (approximate)
Undergraduates:	2,094
Location:	Bloomington, IL, USA
Campus:	Suburban 80 acre (324,000 m²)
Nickname:	Titans
Website:	www.iwu.edu

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

1 History and academics
2 Academic programs
3 Athletics
- 3.1 Division III NCAA National Championships
4 Administration
- 4.1 Officers of the Board of Trustees
- 4.2 List of Presidents of the University
5 Notable alumni
6 External links
7 References

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:^[2]

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 Illinois Wesleyan Women's 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)^[3]
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
Ralph C. Smedley, founder of Toastmasters International
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

References

^ Illinois Wesleyan University website, "Statistical Data", accessed 12/06/2007. http://www2.iwu.edu/aboutiwu/facts.shtml
^ Illinois Wesleyan University website, "Degrees and Majors", accessed 12/06/2007. http://www2.iwu.edu/academics/departments/
^ Illinois Wesleyan University website, "Board of Trustees", accessed 12/06/2007. http://www2.iwu.edu/president/trustees.shtml