In this short history, alum Aja Beckham discusses the creation of the student organization "Being Black at Illinois," first campus memories, and the resources that the university provides. This oral history was recorded as part of the ongoing Oral History project and conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois Library Archives.
Connie Penda-Eggelston was born in Chicago in 1948 to well-known musicians. Her older brother, a Project 500 Recruiter, convinced her to come back to the Illinois in 1968 after she withdrew from the University from her first term starting in 1966. She was a member of BSA and participated in the September 10, 1968 Union Demonstration. Participating in cultural programs and actively engaging with Champaign black youth were how she spent her time as a student.
David and Ann Atkins attended the University of Illinois where both earned teaching degrees in the early 1990s. In this interview, they discuss why they chose the University of Illinois, campus life, notable professors, and meeting while living at Stratford and Koinonia houses.
David Bechtel was a student at University of Illinois during the early 1960s and eventually became an assistant dean in charge of men's residences in 1969 before he moved to the undergraduate career center in 1972. Hugh Satterlee served as an administrator in various capacities from the 1960s to 1980s, including Dean of Students. In this interview Bechtel and Satterlee discuss their experience dealing with student turmoil on campus.
Alumn and library staff member Gregg Homerding reflects on the eighties at the University of Illinois. He discusses university athletics, parties, and housing (specifically the Hendrick House). This oral history was recorded as part of the ongoing Oral History project and conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois Library Archives.
Howie Schein took a circuitous path to the University of Illinois, first studying at Grinnell College, then the University of California, Berkeley, and then arriving in Champaign to pursue his PhD. After graduation, he led Unit One as associate director and director from 1976 to 2008. In this interview, he discusses his early life and education, graduate studies, and how he guided Unit One as it evolved through the decades.
James Vaky (1911-2012) was a member of the Class of 1933. He initially studied music, but graduated with a degree in Education. James played in the band, and he was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity. Also, he won the Poetry Prize.
Jeffrey Roberts was the only black student in the journalism program when he came to the University of Illinois in the fall of 1968. The passion for writing he brought with him to Illinois stemmed from high school experiences as a bat boy for the Chicago White Sox. In this interview, he recalls his varied experiences as a young black man at Illinois in the 60s and 70s, including: his dating life, his involvement with Project 500 and the Black Student Association, and his "Black Vibrations" column with the Daily Illini.
