Alyce Cheska
Alyce Cheska started working in Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois in 1966. She was Head of the Women's Physical Education Department from 1966-1970. Prior to her retirement in 1987, she was also an affiliate professor in the Department of Anthropology, specializing in the anthropology of play and sport. Alyce served as faculty representative for athletics for the University to the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA, and was the first female to serve in these positions. She received the Big Ten Athletic Conference award for outstanding service. Alyce was an innovator of interdisciplinary cross-cultural studies in kinesiology, anthropology, and art. Her personal papers are available in the University Archives.
Beth Dohme Wallin
Beth Dohme Wallin graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1961. As a student, she was heavily involved in student organizations such as Alpha Lambda Delta, Omicron Nu, Torch, Psi Upsilon Omicron, and Mortar Board. Beth was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, served as President of the Panhellenic Council, and was awarded “Outstanding Greek of the Year” in 1960. She graduated with honors. In 1969, Beth died in a plane crash. Each year, a current Panhellenic woman receives an award in her honor.
Carol Lee
Carol Lee graduated with a degree in Secondary Education, specializing in English, in 1966. She has been instrumental in helping minority students overcome road blocks such as negative stereotypes and lack of resources. Carol helped found the Institute of Positive Education, the Betty Shabazz International Charter School, the Barbara A. Sizemore Academy, and the Du Sable Leadership Academy. Carol taught in the Chicago Public Schools after graduation. Currently, she is the Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Education in the School of Education and Social Policy and in African-American Studies at Northwestern University.
Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun attended the University of Illinois in the 1960s, but ultimately received her degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1969. She became the first female African American Senator to the United States Congress, serving from 1993 to 1999.
Doris Kelley Christopher
Doris Kelley Christopher graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1967. She is best known as the founder and chairman of The Pampered Chef. She is a Director on the University of Illinois Foundation Board and an avid donor to the University. Her contributions made possible the Doris Kelley Christopher Hall, which has created a welcoming space that brings faculty together across campus, fosters programs focusing on food and family, and serves as the home to The Autism Program (TAP), a resource for families, teachers, and other professionals. Doris has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2012 Torchbearer of the Year Award for her leadership and dedication to ethical business practices by the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, and "The Order of Lincoln Medallion" the highest honor for outstanding achievement the State of Illinois bestows.
Gayl S. Pyatt
Gayl S. Pyatt graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1964. She later became the first female president of the UI Foundation and received the Foundation's President's Award for Service in 1995. In addition to her work with the UI Foundation, she has also been involved in the UI Alumni Association as a lifetime member. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997. During Homecoming 2015, Pyatt received the Lou Liay Spirit Award for her support of the University.
Greta Hogan
Greta Hogan joined the Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) around 1965. She was known for her outstanding service and dedication in continuous support of all students, especially African American students, Latina/Latino students, American Indian students, first-generation students, low-income students, and underrepresented students on campus. She retired in 2000 after 35 years of service to the University of Illinois.
Jane Loeb
Jane Loeb joined the Psychology Department in 1968, and retired as Professor of Educational Psychology and Psychology. She also served in several administrative positions during her time at Illinois, including Director of Admissions and Records (1972-81), Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (1981-88), and Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education (1988-94). Jane was influential in breaking the class ceiling for female faculty members at the University.
Jill Wine-Banks
Jill Wine-Banks graduated from the U of I in 1964 with a degree in Journalism. While a student, she was involved in various activities and societies, such as Shi Ai, the Daily Illini, Panhellenic Council, Iota Alpha Pi, and Kappa Tau Alpha. After graduating, she went on to receive her J.D. from Columbia Law School. After receiving her law degree, Jill joined the United States Department of Justice as one of the first female attorneys in the organized crime section. She was the only female prosecutor during the Watergate trial. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Jill to serve as General Counsel of the Army, a position she held until 1980. In 1987, she became the Chief Executive Officer of the American Bar Association, the first woman to hold this position.
Karol Kahrs
Karol Kahrs began at Illinois in 1966 as an instructor in the College of Physical Education and spent many years coaching women’s sports. In 1974, she moved up to the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics to develop the University’s women's intercollegiate athletics program. After 36 years of service, the last 30 years in athletics, Karol retired from the University in 2000. Karol served as President of the National Association of College Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) in 1998-99, and she has been a member of numerous committees of the NCAA and was on the Executive Board of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. She also served as the first chairman of the Big Ten Women's Athletic Administrators from 1974 to 1976, and was a member of the committee that submitted the initial proposal to add women's athletics to the conference in 1981. In 2014, Karol was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by NACWAA, awarded to administrators who have dedicated their professional careers to advancing women in sport.
Karol Kahrs
Lorella Margaret Jones joined the Physics faculty in 1968 and was the first woman in the College of Engineering to receive tenure. Lorella was a high-energy theoretical physicist and an early adopter and promoter of Illinois' PLATO (later known as NovaNet), the first large-scale computer-assisted instructional system in the world. She became the director of the Computer-Based Education Research Lab (CERL) in 1992. Today, the Physics Department honors her by conferring the Lorella M. Jones Summer Research Award on worthy students.
Lynn Morley Martin
Lynn Morley Martin graduated in 1960 with a degree in the teaching of English. Lynn served in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives, where she secured a seat on the Budget Committee as a freshman member of Congress. She also served as U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1991-93 under George Bush Sr. From 1993 to 1999, Lynn was a professor at Northwestern University. She was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln, the State’s highest honor, by the Governor of Illinois in 2000 in the area of government.
Marianna Tax Choldin
Marianna Tax Choldin began as a professor of Library Administration at the University of Illinois in 1969, and remains an adjunct professor for the School of Information Sciences today. In 1991, she became the founding director of the Mortenson center for International Library Programs. In her time at Illinois, she also served as head of the Slavic and East European Library from 1982-89 and director of the Russian and East European Center from 1987-1989. She was elected president of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) in 1995 and active in founding the Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) within the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). In 2009, she won the Pushkin Medal, a prestigious Russian award for achievements in Russia culture and education. In 2011, Marianna was the recipient of the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom award.
Mary-Elizabeth Hamstrom
Mary-Elizabeth Hamstrom began in the Mathematics department in 1961 and taught in the department for 38 years before retiring. She was promoted to Professor in 1966, one of just four female full professors in the entire College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at that time. She was an authority in point-set and geometric topology with special interest in spaces of homeomorphisms of manifolds, authoring several articles in professional journals during her career.
Nancy Goodman Brinker
Nancy Goodman Brinker graduated in 1968 with a degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is the founder and Chair of Global Strategy for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization named for her sister who passed away from breast cancer in 1980. Nancy is also a survivor of breast cancer. She was Ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003 and Chief of Protocol of the United States from 2007 to the end of the George W. Bush administration. Nancy currently serves as the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.
Nancy M. O'Fallon Dowdy
Nancy M. O'Fallon Dowdy graduated with a Master of Science in 1961 in Nuclear Engineering and received her PhD in Physics in 1966. She was instrumental in nuclear disarmament dialogues after the Cold War. She served as Assistant Vice President for Research at the University of Chicago; representative to the START delegation for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) and Chief Science Adviser at ACDA; and as Special Representative for Arms Control and Disarmament Negotiations, which was appointed by President George H.W. Bush. From 1987-89, Nancy was a William C. Foster Fellow for the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. She received several other awards, such as the Superior Honor Award for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in 1992 and the Meritorious Honor Award in 1993. In 1996, she was appointed a fellow of the American Physical Society.
Nicole Hollander
Nicole Hollander graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1960 and is known for her daily comic strip titled Sylvia. She is also known for her graphic design work in the feminist publication, The Spokeswoman, where she had the opportunity to transform the newsletter into a monthly magazine. She also created a comic strip called The Feminist Funnies, which was extremely successful, and illustrated several other works. Today, she continues to draw and teach.
Nina Baym
Nina Baym joined the English Department’s faculty in the 1960s and remained a professor for over 40 years. Nina helped expand the field of American literature to include women writers. She was named a Swanlund Endowed Chair, a Jubilee Professor in the College of LAS, and a Center for Advanced Study Professor of English. She has also held several positions outside of the university and won many prizes, such as the 2000 Jay B. Hubbell Award for lifetime achievement in American literary studies.
Patsy Parker
Patsy Parker graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1968. During her junior year in the spring semester of 1967, she became the first female to be elected student body president at the University of Illinois.
Rita B. Garman
Rita B. Garman graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1965. While a student, she graduated with highest honors and was also a Bronze Tablet graduate. She is now the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois.