The Alma Mater Statue, built in 1916, is a beloved symbol on campus. Lorado Taft and Rolan Conklin envisioned it as a tribute to academic women and a foster mother figure for all students throughout history.
Dorothy Day was a student from 1914 to 1916, a hockey team member, and part of the Scribbler's Club. After leaving the University, she founded the Catholic Worker Movement and became a social justice crusader in the 1920s.
Lois Seyster Monstross, a 1919 graduate, became a prominent author. As a student, she was active in Alpha Xi Delta, Scribbler’s Club, Mortarboard, Athenian, Glee Club, Student Council, Woman’s League, Illinois Magazine, and the Senior Class Day Committee.
Louise Freer, Head of the Department of Physical Education for Women from 1915 to 1949, championed women’s athletics and led significant improvements in facilities and programs. Her work trained many women who excelled in physical education.
Rayna Simons Prohme, a 1917 graduate, was active in journalism at the University of Illinois, including roles with the Daily Illini, Scribbler’s Club, and Alethenai Literary Society. She later became editor of the Chinese Communist Party’s English newspaper in Hankow.
Maudelle Brown Bousfield, the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Illinois in 1906 with a Mathematics degree, later became the first female African American principal of a Chicago public school. Bousfield Hall in Ikenberry Commons is named in her honor.
Mary Busey, a Board of Trustees member from 1904 to 1930, used her local prominence to advance opportunities for female students. She played a key role in establishing on-campus housing for women, and Busey Hall is named in her honor.
Laura B. Evans became a member of the Board of Trustees in 1903, one of the very first women to join the Board after Lucy Flower. Laura remained on the Board until her death in 1932. Evans Hall is named in her honor.
Isabel Bevier joined the Domestic Science department in 1900 and revolutionized the Home Economics Program, bringing distinction to the University of Illinois and advancing higher education for women. Bevier Hall is named in her honor.
Alice Cheever Bryan, a member of the first female graduating class in 1874 with a degree in Humanities, helped organize the Alethenai Literary Society and served as one of its first officers. Her student notebooks are in the University Archives.