First College Building in Illinois
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 43.869 W 090° 14.904
15S E 735811 N 4401539
It was the first college in Illinois to graduate a class. The first graduate was Richard Yates, Civil War Governor. Alma Mater of William Jennings Bryan, '81.
Waymark Code: WMKD7X
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 03/24/2014
Views: 2
County of first: Morgan County
Location of first: W. College Ave., Beecher Hall, Illinois College campus, Jacksonville
Marker erected by: Illinois College
Marker Text:
Illinois College
BEECHER HALL
Built 1829
First College Building in Illinois
Named for Edward Beecher
First President, 1839-1844
In 1856, the structure was given the name of the college's first president, Edward Beecher -- brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Today, after a major restoration in 1991, Beecher Hall continues to be the heart of Illinois College, as it has been for more than 160 years.
Illinois College was prominent in the abolitionist movement. President Beecher was an outspoken opponent of slavery. A grand jury indicted a group of students for harboring runaway slaves and two campus houses are believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad.
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