Beverly L. Greene
Beverly L. Greene graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering, and in 1937, she earned a Master’s of Science degree in City Planning and Housing, both from the University of Illinois. After graduation, Beverly went on to work for the Chicago Housing Authority and was one of the first African Americans in the agency. Several years later, she moved to New York City and received a Master’s degree in Architecture from Columbia in 1945. Beverly is known as the first African American female architect in the United States.
Hilda H. Lawson
Hilda H. Lawson received her Doctorate degree in 1939 from the English department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the age of 24. She was the first female African American to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. From 1937 to 1940, she was a Rosenwald fellow, a fellowship established by Julius Rosenwald that provided grants to African-American artists, writers, and researchers. After graduating, she was hired by Lincoln University in Missouri and taught English courses.
Grace Wilson
Grace Wilson graduated in 1931 from the College of Engineering with a degree in Architecture. She became a faculty member in 1946. In that year, there were fourteen women enrolled in the College of Engineering (and 2,961 men). Apart from a dip in the early 1950s, the number of women students increased steadily throughout Grace's career, and at the time of her retirement in 1973, 73 women were enrolled, along with 2,964 men. One of Grace's most important contributions to students at Illinois was the establishment of the Society of Women Engineers’ chapter. The Illinois Society of Professional Engineers established the Grace Wilson Award to recognize the outstanding female student in the College of Engineering.
Helen Octavia Dickens
Helen Octavia Dickens graduated in 1932 with a Bachelor of Science and in 1934 with an MD. She was the first African American woman to be admitted to the American College of Surgeons. When she graduated in 1934, she was one of two women in her graduating class.
Helene Ruth Foellinger
Helene Ruth Foellinger graduated in 1932 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. As a student, she was heavily involved in several organizations including Pi Beta Phi, Mortar Board, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Torch. She served on the student council for four years and as the women’s editor of The Daily Illini for four years. In 1935, Foellinger began serving as a director of the News Publishing Company, and upon the death of her father she became president of the News Publishing Company and publisher of the Fort Wayne Indiana News-Sentinel. Her career in publishing lasted for 45 years. Foellinger won several awards in her lifetime for her contributions to the publishing world and philanthropic efforts and eventually donated $3 million back to her alma mater to fund the restoration of the auditorium, now named in her honor.
Hilda H. Lawson
Hilda H. Lawson received her Doctorate degree in 1939 from the English department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the age of 24. She was the first female African American to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. From 1937 to 1940, she was a Rosenwald fellow, a fellowship established by Julius Rosenwald that provided grants to African-American artists, writers, and researchers. After graduating, she was hired by Lincoln University in Missouri and taught English courses.
Jane Fauntz Manske
Jane Fauntz Manske graduated around 1932 with a degree in Art Education from the University of Illinois. Jane was a national champion swimmer and diver who competed for the USA Olympic team in 1928 and 1932, winning the bronze medal in springboard diving in 1932. In high school, Jane was unable to compete in high school swimming competitions because of a ban on female interscholastic athletics in Illinois. As a student at Illinois, Jane competed for the Illinois Women's Athletic Club swimming and diving teams. As a student, she was also a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Manske was one of the first female athletes to appear on the Wheaties cereal box.
Marie Hochmuth Nichols
Marie Hochmuth Nichols was a faculty member in the Speech and Communication Department from 1939-1976. Her pioneering scholarship brought the work of theorists like Marshall McLuhan and Kenneth Burke to rhetorical studies, and demonstrated that the study and practice of rhetoric was a key component for creating communities and navigating change. The spirit of this work came to be known as "The Illinois Tradition" of rhetorical study. This Tradition brought many scholars and students to Illinois and continues to be a cornerstone in the history of communication scholarship. In 1969, Nichols became the president of the National Communication Association (NCA) and was the first woman to be elected by a vote of the whole membership. She was honored with the “Distinguished Service Award” by the NCA in 1976 and declared a Distinguished Scholar after she passed away.
Natalia M. Belting
Natalia M. Belting received her Bachelor of Arts from Illinois in 1936 and her Master of Arts in 1937. Three years later, she joined the faculty of the History Department. She was the first woman promoted to Associate Professor, teaching from 1941 to 1985 and authoring several books during her career, including children's history books. Natalia received the Mother’s Association Medal of Honor. Her faculty papers are kept at the University archives and include several personal journals.