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 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.
Ann Bannon graduated in 1954 with a degree in French and later wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as “The Beebo Brinker Chronicles.” Her work, reflecting on her sexuality and sorority experiences, received critical acclaim and several awards for its groundbreaking content.
Betty Lou Bailey graduated from UIUC in 1950 with a degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering, ranking in the top 3% of her 700-student class as the only female. She worked as a registered professional engineer in Ohio and New York and was active in technical organizations like the National Society of Professional Engineers. Betty Lou was the first female member of the Engineering Society of...
Chung Sul Yuon, an international student from South Korea, graduated in 1955 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She was the first woman in over 30 years and the first Korean woman to major in the field. Involved in Orchesis and serving as Class Secretary and Treasurer, she received a gift from the wife of the South Korean President at Commencement in recognition of her achievement.
Clarice Davis Presnell graduated in 1952 with a degree in political science and was the first African American Homecoming Queen at UIUC and in Big Ten history, receiving over 5,000 votes. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Duck Choo Oh, a Korean native, graduated with a degree in Sociology in 1956. She was the only Korean Homecoming Queen in the tradition's history in 1955. Active in McKinley Hall’s social events, she completed her degree with a scholarship from the Women’s Group System and Panhellenic Council.
Jane Hayes Rader graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1954 and joined the Board of Trustees in 1973. As a student, she was active in university proceedings, student government, Pi Beta Phi, and the Star Course, and volunteered with the “Foster Daughter” program. As an alum, she served on the UI Foundation, Alumni Association, and Athletic Association, advocating for female...
Jean Due earned her M.S. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1953 from UIUC and became a professor in Agricultural and Consumer Economics. She focused on international agriculture and was a development economist specializing in East Africa. Committed to improving women’s lives through agriculture and microfinancing, she made over 40 trips to East Africa. In February 2016, Time Magazine listed her as the 15th...
Nancy Brazell Brooks graduated in 1953 with a Master’s in Civil Engineering and became the first woman on the department’s graduate research staff. From 1953 to 1955, she led research for the U.S. Air Force’s Physical Vulnerability Division. In 1998, she received the first Distinguished Alumna Award from the Civil Engineering Department. Before her death in 2008, she and her husband established a...