Alum Jill Rosenbaum shares a short story about one of her closest friends from the university. This oral history was recorded as part of the ongoing Oral History project and conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois Library Archives.
Alum Judy Coonce discusses her experiences as the first white woman to have a Black roommate at the university. Coonce also helped refound the Sigma Kappa sorority on campus, which she details here. This oral history was recorded as part of the ongoing Oral History project and conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois Library Archives.
Karl Huff earned his Bachelor's degree in Music Education in 1972 from the Department of Fine and Applied Arts. In this interview, he recalls his role in the 1968 Union Demonstration: voicing support of black students' concerns while acknowledging that he himself had adequate housing. Huff was active on campus in the Black Student Association, Dorm Councils, and the Student Advisory Council to the Dean.
Laouida Glover was born in Batesville, Mississippi. She was attracted to the University of Illinois through a Project 500 Newspaper flyer promising free tuition for college. Her mother, Thelma Thomas Glover Childress, was active in the Civil Rights Movement. She talks about the influences her upbringing and experiences at the University of Illinois had on her journey to becoming a lawyer.
Leroy McCray is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And even though he had a full-ride Track and Field Scholarship offer from Temple, he didn't want to go to college so close to his high school. His "Welcome to Champaign" included an unfriendly roommate, racial harassment, and a militant police response to a mostly peaceful demonstration at the Illini Union. Leroy's fondest memories at the University of Illinois involved becoming a family with his fellow Project 500 and Black Student Association members.
Loren Tate is a lifelong sports journalist with the News-Gazette. He discusses his start in the newspaper profession, his investigative reporting, and his memories of various coaches. There is a particular focus on the scandals of the University athletics program and the changes he has noticed in sports journalism about women's athletics and Black athletes.
Voice Over Artist Malcolm Rockhold came to U of I in the fall of 1969. He talks about his rough transition to campus culture, but credits Jeffrey Roberts and other Project 500 sophomores for helping him find his way. His interview provides insight on the importance of community and mentoring for black college freshmen at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) in the historical and social context of a post - Martin Luther King Jr. assassination northern United States.
Marshall Scott (1910-2002) graduated in 1932. He earned a scholarship to the University and studied Agricultural Education. Later, he received a Master's from the U of I and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Marshall joined the Theta Phi fraternity and held odd jobs in college.
