UIS Professor Lan Dong in the spotlight again as Disney's newest Mulan takes center stage

Ten years after her book about Mulan was published, UIS English Professor Lan Dong, Ph.D. is still sought out for her expertise on the subject. With Disney’s live-action film, Mulan, released to Disney Plus earlier this month, Dong again found herself in the national spotlight.

She said the inquiries began in earnest when the Mulan trailers were released in 2019.

“I was interviewed by a reporter for The New York Times in February,” Dong said. “They asked questions about Mulan’s story, her trajectory moving from a Chinese heroine to a well-known name among English speakers; and of her global capacity because of the 1998 Disney animation.”

Dong went on to write an essay for History Extra, the website for BBC History Magazine, was featured in the Wall Street Journal, Vox Media, and Radio Free Asia, sat on a Kissinger Institute Panel, and conducted a radio interview with the Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC.)

“In February and March, I had to remind the reporters for NYT and WSJ they had attended the premier of the movie and I hadn’t,” Dong smiled. “I could not comment on the movie itself.”

Though she was almost a Disney insider.

Disney invited Dong to sit on a panel of Chinese cultural experts in 2017 as production for the film was taking shape. Other commitments kept her from being able to join at that time.

She says she is intrigued by Disney’s choice to bypass the standard theatrical release and pave a new route by offering the film on Premier Access through its streaming platform Disney Plus.

The movie’s release came with controversy as film credits included gratitude for filming in the Xinjiang Province, which has been in the news for its alleged human rights abuses against the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. The film’s lead actress, Liu Yifei also came under fire for her support for Hong Kong Police who are cracking down on pro-democracy demonstrators. Dong said she is not surprised the film is mired in controversy.

“The U.S.-China relationship is full of tension right now. It is in a very precarious place,” Dong said.

Going back to her book, Mulan’s Legend and Legacy in China and the United States, Dong says it was published by an academic press, and has inspired additional scholarly work, but it was also written for general readers.

“I wanted the book to go beyond experts in my field,” she said. “I always wanted it to be more than that. It is meant for readers who have an interest in strong women and in Asian American culture. I’m glad to see it is still relevant. I still love her story.”

And she plans to watch it on Disney Plus soon.

Anne Moseley to lead UIS’ Sangamon Experience historic exhibition and Center for Lincoln Studies

Anne Moseley has been selected to lead the University of Illinois Springfield’s new Sangamon Experience historic exhibition and Center for Lincoln Studies. Moseley started working today as director of engagement and curator for Sangamon Experience and acting director for the Center for Lincoln Studies.

A UIS alumna, Moseley previously worked as director and curator of the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. In that role, she was responsible for maintaining the museum's budget, applying for grants to further the museum's educational programs and locating and speaking with potential donors.

Sangamon Experience, a new on-campus exhibition space telling the history of the Sangamon Region of central Illinois, opened on Jan. 30, 2020 in the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. The Center for Lincoln Studies is scheduled to open later this year and will provide new opportunities for learning about Lincoln and the impact of his contributions.

“I am excited for this opportunity to help create a new way of experiencing the local history that surrounds us here in the Sangamon Valley area,” said Moseley. “In addition, I am looking forward to engaging a new wave of historians studying here at UIS to carry on the rich legacy this campus has in studying local history and welcoming historians near and far to study the legacy of Abraham Lincoln here at the Lincoln Studies Center.”

Before serving as director and curator of the Lincoln Heritage Museum, she was the assistant director and curator for seven years and taught as an adjunct history professor at Lincoln College. She has also worked as a project administrator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and as an intern with the Illinois Regional Archives Depository.

Moseley earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 2009 and a master’s degree in public history from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2011.

Her appointment will be presented to the Board of Trustees for formal approval at the May 2020 meeting.

UIS student Katie Brethorst helps to excavate 1908 Springfield Race Riot site

University of Illinois Springfield senior history major Katie Brethorst spent her summer helping to unearth important historical artifacts from the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot, located along the 10th Street railroad tracks and Madison Street in Springfield.

Brethorst interned with Fever River Research, an archaeology company based out of Springfield, which was tasked with excavating five homes that were burned during the riot. The riot served as a catalyst for the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

On the evening of Aug. 14, 1908, a mob of white Springfield citizens became enraged when the county sheriff would not hand over a black man accused of raping a local white woman. For two days, Springfield was the scene of violence directed at the city’s black citizens, resulting in the destruction of more than 40 buildings by fire, and the lynching of two innocent black men. The black man accused of the crime was later acquitted after his accuser recanted her story.


During the excavation, Brethorst helped unearth the foundations of the forgotten homes and uncover important relics, such as rings, crosses and pieces of clothing.

“I learned about hands-on archaeology,” she said. “I learned about how you can connect an artifact that you're finding to historical documents. I learned a lot about the history of the people who lived here and I learned about the specific processes you have to go to make sure history is presentable to the public.”

Brethorst, who wants to become a museum curator, describes unearthing the artifacts as both an emotional and education experience.

“There were some days when you would find something and realize someone lost everything in this fire,” she said. “Someone had to completely uproot their life because of this one event and here I am holding the remnants 111 years later. It was just so powerful some days that I'd have to walk off and just think about it for a little bit.”

The site where Brethorst worked is now being recovered with dirt and will soon be home to railroad tracks as part of the Springfield Rail Improvement Project. However, there are still more houses to excavate under a parking lot next to the site.

“This site is nominated to become a national historic location,” she said. “Hopefully it will become a monument and we’ll be able to excavate more houses. That's the dream!”

Brethorst credits her experiences inside and outside of the classroom at the University of Illinois Springfield for helping her land an internship she’ll remember for a lifetime.

“I don't think anyone else is going to be able to say that they got to help unearth one of the biggest disasters in American history. And to me, that's what it is,” she said. “I got to help be the person to uncover it and to find the artifacts. It was absolutely amazing!”

Leadership lived: UIS senior resident assistant helps bring her community together

Ciara Koepke says the University of Illinois Springfield has given her the opportunity to become a leader. Koepke is now a senior resident assistant at Lincoln Residence Hall where she mentors other resident assistants, plans events and oversees front desk operations.

Koepke, a junior history major, is a member of the Leadership for Life Service Program where she helps to recruit students to the volunteer-focused first year living-learning community. She is also the vice president of the History Club on campus.

“UIS, since it is small, just gives you that opportunity to really try it out and have multiple different opportunities to become the leader you’ve always wanted to be,” said Koepke.

As a senior resident assistant, Koepke is also responsible for hosting community council meetings. The council is made up of students who live in Lincoln Residence Hall who want to make their community a better place by getting involved.

“I became a resident assistant because I wanted to be directly involved with helping people get really used to campus,” she said. “When I came to UIS, I was very bad at communicating, I didn’t know how to build a community and so Residence Life gave me the opportunity to really work on those leadership skills.”

Following graduation from UIS, Koepke plans to become a high school history teacher.

“I want to do that for a few years before getting my master’s and going and getting my doctorate eventually, so I can become a professor of history,” she said.

Koepke feels confident that the skills she’s learned as a resident assistant will help her become a better teacher when it comes to dealing with challenging situations in the classroom.

“UIS taught me that leadership is all up to you,” she said. “You have all of the skills in you, you just have to take the initiative to become the leader.”

Leadership lived: Future teacher learns important lessons at UIS

 

Kendra Baber loves to learn and share her knowledge with others. The University of Illinois Springfield history major wants to become a middle or high school teacher.

At UIS, Baber is vice president of the Alternative Spring Break volunteer organization and the History Club. She is also a Capital Scholars Honors Program peer mentor and volunteers with Dance Marathon, an organization that raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Baber recently returned from an Alternative Spring Break trip to New York City. A group of 26 students spent the week working with the homeless in soup kitchens and other social service agencies.

“I was pushed out of my comfort zone. I became more of a leader,” she said.

Baber has been on three Alternative Spring Break trips, starting with a trip to Washington, D.C. where she also helped the homeless in 2014. Last year, she traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi where students helped with early childhood education and ecological sustainability projects.

“For me these trips are really influential,” she said. “I think when you sign up for a trip like this you think you’re going into a community and you’re the one that’s changing things within that setting, but really these people are changing you and helping you grow as a person.”

As a teacher, Baber will use what she’s learned on the Alternative Spring Break trips to try and help students who are facing hunger or homelessness.

“Because of these trips, I understand homelessness and poverty in a better way and I am more understanding to the situation they are going through and feel better prepared to help them work through that part of their life,” she said.

Baber is confident she made the right decision in choosing UIS and feels well prepared for her future career in education.

“I chose UIS because it’s a small welcoming community,” she said. “I visited some other colleges before I decided about UIS, but when I came here I automatically felt welcomed and loved and I felt this was a place that would give me opportunities to succeed and be the best person I could be.”

Retired UIS professor writes book on the history of racial integration in baseball's American League

Robert McGregor, emeritus professor of history at the University of Illinois Springfield, has written a new book on the integration of baseball entitled A Calculus of Color: The Integration of Baseball's American League.

“The book endeavors to address a familiar history in a new fashion. There are plenty of books on Major League baseball's integration (Jackie Robinson especially) and several good books on the Negro Leagues, but no book that really tries to combine the parallel stories of the two institutions,” said McGregor.

The book begins with a discussion of race in American history and next examines the experience of the Negro Leagues and why they were created. The book includes a chapter on the American League as it functioned in the late 1940s, followed by several chapters on the painfully slow process of integration.

“The American League was far more reluctant than the National League, opening opportunities to address the underlying issues,” said McGregor.

The Library Journal says McGregor “slams a home run in dealing with racism in baseball and the larger picture of American life. McGregor's book makes for a compelling read. A best sports book of 2015, and one that will stand the test of time.”

A Calculus of Color was released on March 31, 2015 and was published by McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and nonfiction books based in North Carolina. The book, available in soft cover, is available for purchase on the publisher’s website at www.mcfarlandbooks.com.

McGregor taught environmental history, early American history, and the history of popular culture, including a course on baseball before he retired after 26 years of teaching at UIS in 2012. He now lives in Corning, New York.

For more information about the book, contact McGregor at rmcgr1@uis.edu.

UIS professor publishes new book on "pirates" in Medieval Japan

University of Illinois Springfield Associate Professor of History Peter Shapinsky has published a new book titled Lords of the Sea: Pirates, Violence and Commerce in Late Medieval Japan. 

At UIS, Shapinsky teaches a popular history course titled, From Vikings to Hackers: A Pirate’s World History.

The book focuses on the perspectives of seafarers during Japan’s late medieval period, from 1300 – 1600. Though usually dismissed as “pirates,” these seafarers thought of themselves as sea lords.

Over the course of several centuries these sea lords became maritime magnates playing key roles in the operation of networks linking Japan to the rest of the world. Their sea tenure practices spread influence across the waves and continent shaping commercial and diplomatic relations with Korea and China.

During this time, Japan’s land-based authorities came to accept the “pirates” and even competed to sponsor sea-lord bands. Sea lords were then able to translate their medieval autonomy into positions of early influence in early modern Japan.

Shapinsky's other work includes "Polyvocal Portolans: Nautical Charts and Hybrid Maritime Cultures in Early Modern East Asia" published in Early Modern Japan (2006) and “With the Sea as their Domain: Pirates and Maritime Lordship in Medieval Japan” published in Seascapes, Littoral Cultures and Trans-Oceanic Exchanges (2007).

The book was published by the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan and is available for purchase online.

UIS professor releases new book exploring The Communist Manifesto

Richard Gilman-Opalsky, associate professor of political philosophy in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, has published a new book titled Precarious Communism: Manifest Mutations, Manifesto Detourned.

Precarious Communism is a book-length study of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels' The Communist Manifesto of 1848. In Precarious Communism, Gilman-Opalsky critically considers the enduring relevance of the most famous political manifesto ever written. He argues that, only in the absence of ideological reaction to the original manifesto, can we assess where Marx was right and wrong in his analysis of capitalism, history, and revolution.

To accomplish this work, Gilman-Opalsky applies a methodology known as "détournement." Détournement has typically been used by artists and activists to repurpose existing materials in text and image to make them say something else. In Precarious Communism, Gilman-Opalsky performs a book-length détournement of The Communist Manifesto, which means that he reads and rethinks the original text line by line, in light of 165 years of political history and philosophy. This process allows Gilman-Opalsky to explore the ongoing applicability of The Communist Manifesto, as well as its failures, from within the form and content of the original.

Precarious Communism is a book that rethinks Marx and Marxism in relation to capitalism and evolving social, political, and economic crises today. Partially as a result of its methodology, Gilman-Opalsky’s new book reads like a mutant manifesto of its own, which argues that communism in the 21st century must be understood and theorized as precarious communism.

The book was published by Autonomedia/Minor Compositions and can be purchased online at Amazon.com or directly from the publisher’s website.

Gilman-Opalsky has authored two other books, Spectacular Capitalism: Guy Debord and the Practice of Radical Philosophy (2011) and Unbounded Publics: Transgressive Public Spheres, Zapatismo, and Political Theory (2008).

Leadership lived: UIS history major lands job with the Papers of Abraham Lincoln

 

Jay Vlahon is fascinated by the life of Abraham Lincoln and believes a lot can be learned by studying the 16th president’s correspondence with others.

After graduating from Springfield’s Southeast High School, Vlahon decided to pursue his bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Illinois Springfield. The abundance of opportunities he was offered as an undergraduate left him wanting more, so he stayed at UIS for his master’s degree.

During his graduate studies, Vlahon was given the opportunity to work as a graduate assistant for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, located as the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield. Vlahon gained valuable experience handling and transcribing documents and processing images.

“To be able to work in this environment, I think you have to have certain skills and knowledge and that takes a good education. Without UIS, I would not be able to work here for sure,” said Vlahon.

After he graduated from UIS in 2012, Vlahon was hired by the Papers of Abraham Lincoln to continue processing images from the national archive’s Robert Todd Lincoln Collection. Vlahon is currently working to publish the documents online.

“It will broaden accessibility to documents and also understanding of Abraham Lincoln just by being able to go online and view transcriptions and images of documents,” said Vlahon.

Vlahon credits his success to the real-work preparation he received from teaching-focused faculty members at UIS.

“Just the wealth of knowledge I gained in UIS’s history department was really great,” he said.

UIS graduate student to guest curate major exhibit at Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Claire Jerry, a graduate history major at the University of Illinois Springfield will be the guest curator for a major exhibit opening March 9, 2012 at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Mo. The exhibit is part of her graduate closure project.

“I am extremely excited to have had this experience,” said Jerry. “I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from nationally recognized conservators, curators, mount makers, exhibit specialists, and archivists.”

The exhibit, “Tracing the Trumans: An American Story” focuses on two famous families--The Trumans and the Wallaces. Drawing upon the Library's rich collection of correspondence and memorabilia from the two families and displaying, for the first time, newly released materials from Bess Truman and Margaret Truman Daniel, the exhibition traces the families over their more than 150 years in the Independence area.

“Claire has managed a major professional exhibition that probably will be reviewed in national publications,” said William Siles, her project adviser and UIS associate professor of History. “This project reflects the talent of our students and the strength of preparation students receive from our history faculty at UIS.”

Jerry has always wanted to work for a presidential museum and got that chance in the summer of 2010 when she landed an internship at the Truman Library and Museum. She returned this past summer as a volunteer and given the opportunity to help plan the temporary exhibit.

“I was here full time in June and July, part time September through December, and have been here full time since early January,” said Jerry. “I will have worked somewhere between 800 and 1000 hours on the exhibit by the time my work is completed.”

As a guest curator, she was responsible for selecting objects and documents for the exhibit. She researched the family and objects histories using documents in the library archives, developed the narrative themes of the exhibit, and wrote the initial drafts for text panels and labels.

“I have participated in the decisions regarding graphic identity, gallery layout, case design, video supplements, and educational interactives,” said Jerry. “I have been instrumental in developing a touchscreen interactive program featuring Truman family photographs.”

Jerry worked under the supervision of Truman staff and was guided by their professional standards. The Jacksonville, Ill. resident will use the exhibit as her final project, allowing her to soon graduate from UIS with a master’s degree in history.

“The Truman staff knew that Claire had the knowledge, preparation and judgment to put this exhibition together, and she did,” said Siles.

As part of the museum's regular monthly feature "Talkin' Truman," Jerry will be presenting a talk on Saturday, March 10, called "Tracing the Trumans: The Making of an Exhibit.”

The temporary exhibition, “Tracing the Trumans: An American Story” will be on display at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum from March 9 through December 31, 2012. Several objects from the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, including a double barreled shotgun which belonged to President Truman's mother will be on display. Learn more about the exhibition online, at www.trumanlibrary.org/tracing/index.html.

Renowned Lincoln scholars' speech to air on C-SPAN

Renowned Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield is scheduled to appear on C-SPAN 3 on Saturday, May 14, at 11 p.m. (CDT) and on Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 a.m. (CDT).

The network is expected to air part of Burlingame’s speech on “Lincoln & Secession: The Evolution of His Strategy”, which was delivered at Union League Club of Chicago on March 4, 2011. The speech was given as part of The Lincoln Inaugural Sesquicentennial, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of his oath of office.

When southern states seceded from the Union during the winter of 1860-61, Lincoln intended to take a hard line by reclaiming forts, court houses, mints, arsenals, and other federal facilities commandeered by secessionists. Persuaded to take a softer line, Lincoln refused to compromise on two essential matters: he would not sanction the expansion of slavery into the territories, nor acknowledge the legitimacy of secession. Dr. Burlingame explains why Lincoln changed his mind and why he rejected the one compromise likely to prevent war.

Burlingame’s two-volume biography Abraham Lincoln: A Life was the recipient of the 2010 Lincoln Prize. Burlingame received his Ph.D. in 1968 from Johns Hopkins University and joined the history department at Connecticut College in New London, where he taught until retiring in 2001 as the Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus. He joined the faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2009.

C-SPAN 3 is available locally on Comcast Cable channel 447 in Springfield. The channel is also available online at www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN3/.

Burlingame to speak at Lincoln Inaugural Sesquicentennial

Dr. Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield and author Abraham Lincoln: A Life will take part in the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s Inauguration.

The Lincoln Inaugural Sesquicentennial is being held at the Union League Club of Chicago located at 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago on Friday, March 4, 2011. Burlingame will speak during a luncheon starting at noon. Registration is required for the event, which takes place all day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln raised his hand to take the presidential oath of office. On the 150th anniversary of his Inauguration and in reorganization of his vision, wisdom, and determination to preserve the Federal union this event is being held.

Burlingame will speak on the topic of “Lincoln & Secession: The Evolution of His Strategy”. When southern states seceded from the Union during the winter of 1860-61, Lincoln intended to take a hard line by reclaiming forts, court houses, mints, arsenals, and other federal facilities commandeered by secessionists. Persuaded to take a softer line, Lincoln refused to compromise on two essential matters: he would not sanction the expansion of slavery into the territories, nor acknowledge the legitimacy of secession. Dr. Burlingame seeks to explain why Lincoln changed his mind and why he rejected the one compromise likely to prevent war.

Burlingame’s two-volume biography Abraham Lincoln: A Life was the recipient of the 2010 Lincoln Prize. The prize is sponsored by Gettysburg College and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Burlingame received his Ph.D. in 1968 from Johns Hopkins University and joined the history department at Connecticut College in New London, where he taught until retiring in 2001 as the Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus. He joined the faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2009.

The Sesquicentennial celebration will be recorded for broadcast by C-SPAN and the Illinois Channel and will feature five of the nation’s foremost Lincoln scholars.

This event is presented in partnership with Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Public Library, Civil War Round Table of Chicago, Lincoln Academy of Illinois, Newberry Library, Pritzker Military Library and the Union League Club of Chicago.

For more information, or to register for the event, visit www.ulcc.org/files/lincoln.pdf or call 312-435-5946.

UIS at 40: Lynne Price

Campus Health Services Director Lynne Price has been part of the SSU/UIS campus since its beginning. She’s the longest serving employee, who is still working for the university today.

When Price interviewed for the position of staff nurse, campus leaders wanted her to agree to stay at SSU for at least 2 years. Price soon discovered she had found her “niche job” and 2 years turned into 40. She says every time she thinks about retirement a new challenge comes along, which keeps her on campus.

Price remembers students questioning why they even needed a nurse back in the early days of SSU. The need became obvious as the campus grew adding more undergraduate and graduate students, international students and athletic programs.

While they’re many reasons Price loves UIS, she says it’s the students she enjoys the most.

UIS archaeologist researches Stone Age farm villages in Germany

University of Illinois Springfield Associate Professor of Sociology/Anthropology Lynn Fisher has a passion for archeology.

Fisher has spent nearly every summer since 2001 in the Southwestern region of Germany unearthing early farm settlements. Fisher’s research focuses on European Stone Age societies and culture change.

“We research the Stone Age landscapes out of a curiosity, which moves a lot of people. We want to know the history of that landscape and how people have lived and adapted there,” said Fisher.

Fisher has been working with a group of German archeologists from the University of Tübingen as well as local amateur archeologists to explore the history of early farm villages. College students from UIS and other universities in the United States have also been part of the research team.

One area where the group has concentrated their research is the Swabian plateau of southwestern Germany. The plateau was previously considered to be settled only later in time.

“The surprise was we in fact have a early farmer village, which is up on top of this plateau. It’s the highest elevation early farming site in this region and it really raises some new questions about how farmers occupied this area,” she said.

Researchers discovered nearly a dozen long houses, which they believe date back to between 5400 and 5000 B.C. Before the discovery it was thought the early farmers only inhabited nearby valley areas.

“We’re working in an area where people haven’t previously done a lot of research,” said Fisher.

New mapping technologies allowed the team to investigate the area, without too much disruption. They used remote sensing equipment to locate the exact site of houses in the village. They then dug small trenches based on that information.

“Right now, we’ve closed up our field work at the moment and are in the lab studying some of the 10’s of thousands of artifacts weighing over a ton that we’ve recovered from our three excavations over the years,” added Fisher.

Fisher plans to continue her summer trips to Germany as data is analyzed, which could lead to new discoveries.

UIS at 40: Cullom Davis

As a founding faculty member of Sangamon State University, Cullom Davis has seen the campus grow over the last 40 years. He helped recruit the original faculty and even played a role in designing the buildings on campus.

Davis is known for his work as a historian, having founded an oral history project at the University of Illinois Springfield. He also served as an administrator and dean of Brookens Library during its early days.

Davis is an Emeritus Professor of History at UIS spending time working on the oral history project and traveling.

UIS at 40: Judy Everson

Judy Everson’s father gave her a strange look when she and her husband packed up and left Southern Illinois University Carbondale for a new startup campus called Sangamon State University in 1970.

When Everson arrived, the campus was still under construction and you had to take a hardhat tour of the buildings. As a charter faculty member she taught courses in public speaking, history and literature.

Everson retired in 2001 after 31 years at SSU/UIS and currently serves as a Professor Emerita of English.

UIS at 40: Charles Schweighauser

When Charles Schweighauser started teaching at Sangamon State University in the early 1970s the campus wasn’t more than a hand full of temporary buildings.

Nearly 40 years later, Schweighauser reflects on his efforts to open an observatory on the roof of Brookens Library and a facility away from the city lights, which still helps students better observe the stars today.

Schweighauser is an Emeritus Professor of Astronomy-Physics, English, and Environmental Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield.

40 Years of History feature video

The University of Illinois Springfield is proud of its 40 years of history! The UIS Newsroom recently interviewed a group of former faculty, staff, alumni and community members who have watched the campus grow.

In the video above, you’ll hear some of their fond memories about Sangamon State University and UIS from the past. Campus leaders will also reflect on their vision for UIS’ next 40 years.

Burlingame invested as Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies

Professor Michael Burlingame lives downtown by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, goes to a coffee shop near the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and banks at Lincoln’s bank.

Residing in Springfield is the perfect setting for a Lincoln scholar.

On Thursday evening, February 11, Burlingame became the second Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies for UIS during an investiture ceremony in the Old State Capitol downtown.

“I am deeply honored to be invited to hold the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies and hope to live up to the high standards set by my predecessor in that position, my late friend Phillip Paludan,” Burlingame said.

The Lincoln Chair was established in 2000 when the Dr. Richard E. Vaden Family donated a gift for that purpose to honor their long-time friendship with then-UIS Chancellor Naomi Lynn.

During the ceremony, Burlingame was invested with a gold medallion, the symbol of the Lincoln Chair. The medallion was presented in part from Springfield attorney Richard Hart, who is the president of the Abraham Lincoln Association and a long-time friend of Burlingame. Val Vaden, managing partner of Outfitter Ventures and representative of the Vaden Family, also spoke at the investiture.

Burlingame was a professor at Connecticut College for 30 years and taught courses on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War era, and 19th century American history. He recently released a two-volume biography of Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008). The biography was named one of the top five books published in 2009 by the Atlantic Monthly.

“I am delighted to be based in Springfield, not only because I can teach courses about Lincoln at sites where he spent time and can conduct research at the splendid Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, but also because I have so many good friends in town who have been exceptionally kind and hospitable to me over the many years I have been visiting the city as I worked on Abraham Lincoln: A Life," Burlingame said.

Burlingame is well-known as a psychohistorian. His view that history is “psychology teaching by examples” informs his writings and his teaching.

The distinguished Lincoln Chair was first occupied by Phillip Shaw Paludan, who served from August 2001 until his death in August 2007. Burlingame said he intends to continue UIS’ fall Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series, which was started by Paludan.

View video of the investiture.

UIS archives preserving regional history in central Illinois

If you’re looking for family genealogy records from the 1800s or researching the history of your town, the historical archives and special collections section at the University of Illinois Springfield may hold your answers.

The archives, located in the basement of Brookens Library, contain more than a million historical documents from 14 counties in central Illinois. The UIS archives are part of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository system collecting marriage, birth and death records, along with various court files.

“If we’re going to study our past we have to have authentic records of what was done in the past,” said Thomas Wood, UIS archivist.

The archive also contains a complete history of the foundation of Sangamon State University and its transition into the University of Illinois system. Wood is responsible for collecting all administrative records, pictures and other documents that have long-term historical value.

“That’s really the function of archives is to document our world for the future,” said Wood.

The archive is made up of over 3,000 cubic feet of records and serves as a training ground for students studying historic preservation.

“This has helped me learn how to sort, clean and learn what the archive has, so when I go to do my research as a grad student I know where to go,” said Anne Suttles, graduate student in public history.

Among the archives more interesting documents is an original copy of a survey conducted by Abraham Lincoln in the 1800s, which features his signature.

“This isn’t his actual hand writing. It’s a record copy that was made at the same time of the survey he made,” said Wood. “Documents that were in his hand are so valuable those have been sent to the vault at the Illinois state archives”.

The UIS archive is primarily used by people in the community who are researching their family tree, but not all the requests staff get are local.

“We also get a lot of reference use from all over the country and even other countries. We’ve had people from Europe and Russia using our oral history,” said Wood.

All archives/special collections’ materials are open to the public unless restricted by law or contractual agreement with a donor. The material must be used in the archives reading room, but photocopying and scanning are available.

For more information on the UIS archives visit: http://www.uis.edu/archives/