Laura J. Huslster joined UIUC’s Physical Education Department in 1949 as Head of Physical Education for Women, serving until 1966 and staying until her retirement in 1977. She led the change from “Woman’s” to “Women’s” in program and building names, developed the first professional dance curriculum at Illinois, and initiated motor fitness testing for physical education students.
Marianne Ferber joined UIUC's Economics Department around 1948 and became a prominent figure in “feminist economics.” She was a Professor of Economics, served as Head of Women’s Studies from 1979-1983 and 1991-1993, and was a member of the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession in the 1970s. She also co-founded the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) and...
Lila Jeanne Eichelberger, known as “Shorty,” graduated from UIUC around 1949 and has been a devoted supporter of the University and 4-H. A President’s Council and Chancellor’s Circle Member, she has been a leader in athletics, particularly women's sports, and helped develop Illinois’ softball team. She is a Varsity “I” and was recently inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame.- Marietta Stevenson joined UIUC’s School of Social Work in 1943, after serving as assistant director of the American Public Welfare Association for 12 years. She became the school’s first dean, renamed the program, and in 1950 became the first woman on the Illinois Public Aid Commission. She retired in 1961, leaving the social work program significantly strengthened.
Millicent Sloboda Lane graduated in 1944 with a degree in Advertising and Publishing from UIUC. She was the first female editor-in-chief of the *Daily Illini*, where she used the newspaper to advocate for military trainees and veterans on campus.
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow earned her Master’s in Physics in 1942 and Ph.D. in 1945 from UIUC. As one of the few women in science at the time, she was the only female teaching assistant among 400 faculty members in 1941. In 1977, she co-won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for developing radioimmunoassay, becoming the first American-born woman and the second woman overall to win a Nobel...
Beverly L. Greene graduated in 1936 with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering and in 1937 with an M.S. in City Planning and Housing from UIUC. She was one of the first African Americans at the Chicago Housing Authority. In 1945, she earned an M.A. in Architecture from Columbia and is recognized as the first African American female architect in the U.S.- Hilda H. Lawson earned her Ph.D. in English in 1939 at age 24, becoming the first female African American to receive a Ph.D. from UIUC. From 1937 to 1940, she was a Rosenwald Fellow, supporting African-American artists, writers, and researchers. After graduation, she taught English at Lincoln University in Missouri.
Grace Wilson graduated in 1931 with a degree in Architecture and joined the faculty in 1946. At that time, there were only 14 women in the College of Engineering. Despite a dip in the 1950s, female enrollment grew, reaching 73 by her retirement in 1973. She founded the Society of Women Engineers chapter, and the Grace Wilson Award was established by the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers...
Helen Octavia Dickens earned her B.S. in 1932 and M.D. in 1934, becoming the first African American woman admitted to the American College of Surgeons. She graduated in 1934 as one of only two women in her class.