University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Main article: History of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illinois Industrial University (1867–1885) University Hall stood from 1871 until 1938 and was replaced by Gregory Hall and the Illini Union . Pieces were used in the erection of Hallene Gateway. [ 19 ] The University of Illinois, originally named "Illinois Industrial University", was one of the 37 universities created under the first Morrill Land-Grant Act , which provided public land for the creation of agricultural and industrial colleges and universities across the United States. Among several cities, Urbana was selected in 1867 as the site for the new school. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] From the beginning, President John Milton Gregory 's desire to establish an institution firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition was at odds with many state residents and lawmakers who wanted the university to offer classes based solely around "industrial education". [ 22 ] The university opened for classes on March 2, 1868, and had two faculty members and 77 students. [ 23 ] The library, which opened with the school in 1868, started with 1,039 volumes. Subsequently, President Edmund J. James , in a speech to the board of trustees in 1912, proposed to create a research library. It is now one of the world's largest public academic collections. [ 21 ] [ 24 ] [ 25 ] In 1870, the Mumford House was constructed as a model farmhouse for the school's experimental farm. The Mumford House remains the oldest structure on campus. [ 26 ] The original University Hall (1871) was the fourth building built; it stood where the Illini Union stands today. [ 27 ] The University of Illinois' Undergraduate Library (UGL) was constructed underground to preserve open space on campus and to prevent casting shadows on the adjacent Morrow Plots, the oldest continually used experimental agricultural fields in the United States.

[ 28 ] This unique design inspired The Other Guys, a student a cappella group, to create the "Morrow Plots Song," humorously explaining that the library was built underground "'Cause you can't throw shade on the corn". [ 29 ] The song has become a beloved piece among students and alumni, celebrating the university's history and traditions.

Main article: Campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign See also: Campustown (Champaign, Illinois) Green Street in Campustown The main research and academic facilities are divided almost evenly between the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign , which form part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area . Some parts are in Urbana Township . [ 44 ] Four main quads compose the center of the university and are arranged from north to south. The Beckman Quadrangle and the John Bardeen Quadrangle occupy the center of the Engineering Campus . Boneyard Creek flows through the John Bardeen Quadrangle, parallel to Green Street. The Beckman Quadrangle, named after Arnold Orville Beckman , is primarily composed of research units and laboratories, and features a large solar calendar consisting of an obelisk and several copper fountains. The Main Quadrangle and South Quadrangle follow immediately after the John Bardeen Quad. The former makes up a large part of the Liberal Arts and Sciences portion of the campus, while the latter comprises many of the buildings of the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) spread across the campus map. [ 45 ] Additionally, the research fields of the College of ACES stretch south from Urbana and Champaign into Savoy and Champaign County . The university also maintains formal gardens and a conference center in nearby Monticello at Allerton Park . The campus is known for its landscape and architecture, as well as distinctive landmarks. [ 46 ] It was identified as one of 50 college or university "works of art" by T.A. Gaines in his book The Campus as a Work of Art . [ 47 ] The campus also has a number of buildings and sites on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places including Harker Hall , the Astronomical Observatory , Louise Freer Hall , the Main Library , the Experimental Dairy Farm Historic District , and the Morrow Plots .

University of Illinois Willard Airport is one of the few airports owned by an educational institution. [ 48 ] Chesterbrook Academy private preschool, which opened in 2007, is located on the campus and serves infants through Pre-K. [ 49 ] [ 50 ] Panorama facing north on the Main Quad Sustainability Morrow Plots in front of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology In 2008, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign became a signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, binding the campus to the goal of carbon neutrality as soon as possible. In 2010, the first Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) was written to chart a path to this goal. The iCAP is a strategic framework for meeting the university's Climate Leadership Commitments to be carbon-neutral by 2050 or sooner and build resilience with its local community. Since then, the iCAP has been rewritten every five years to track the university's progress. In December 2013, the University of Illinois launched the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) on the Urbana-Champaign campus. The institute, under the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, leads an interdisciplinary approach to researching solutions for the world's most pressing sustainability, energy, and environmental needs. In addition, iSEE has engaged students, faculty, staff, and campus leadership in the iCAP process — especially in the areas of zero waste and conservation of energy, food, water, land, and natural resources — as well as sustainability outreach and immersive educational programs. In 2022, new solar and geothermal energy projects, a reduction in water use, and wide-ranging sustainability research helped the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn its fifth consecutive gold certification in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) .