Eastern Illinois University is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

Charleston, Illinois Charleston is a city in, and the county seat of, Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are p ...

. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a broad curriculum, including

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

s in education, business, arts, sciences, and humanities.

History

Eastern Illinois Normal School was established by the Illinois State Legislature in 1895 "to train teachers for the schools of East Central Illinois." A 40-acre campus was acquired in Charleston and the first building was commissioned. When the school began classes in 1899, there were 125 students and an 18-member faculty. Eastern Illinois University

The first building was finished in 1899 and is called

Old Main Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building serves today as home to administrative offices, such as the president or provost, but in its early inception may ...

, though it is formally named the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building in honor of EIU's first president, who served from 1899 to 1933. Built of Indiana limestone in a heavy

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style with turrets, towers, and battlements, its distinctive outline is the official symbol of the school. Old Main is one of " Altgeld's castles", five buildings built in the 1890s at the major Illinois state colleges. Governor

John Peter Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (December 30, 1847 – March 12, 1902) was an American politician and the 20th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democrat to govern that state since the 1850s. A leading figure of the Progr ...

was instrumental in funding the Illinois university system, and he was especially fond of the Gothic style. Eastern's "Old Main" and

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

's Cook Hall are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Altgeld. Other original

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

buildings include Booth Library and Blair Hall. Blair Hall was restored after a disastrous fire in 2004. In fall 2008, the university opened the newly constructed Doudna Fine Arts Center, designed by international architect

Antoine Predock Antoine Predock ( ; born 1936 in Lebanon, Missouri) is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC, the studio he founded in 1967. Predock first gained national attention with the La ...

. The complex houses the music, theatre, and visual arts departments. Through the twentieth century, the school changed its name several times in order to reflect its transition from a teachers college into a multi-purpose institution that could be of wider service to Illinois. Thus, Eastern Illinois State Normal School became Eastern Illinois State Teachers College in 1921, which then became Eastern Illinois State College in 1947. In 1957, the Illinois General Assembly changed the name of the institution to Eastern Illinois University.

Presidents

*Samuel M. Inglis (appointed in 1898 but died before officially assuming office) * Livingston C. Lord (1899 to 1933) *Robert G. Buzzard (1933 to 1956) *

Quincy Doudna Quincy Doudna (January 16, 1907 – April 21, 1987) was an American academic administrator who was the president of Eastern Illinois University from 1956 to 1971. He was previously an administrator at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Po ...

(1956 to 1971) * Gilbert C. Fite (1971 to 1976) *Daniel E. Marvin (1977 to 1983) *Stanley G. Rives (1983 to 1992) *David L. Jorns (1992 to 1999) *Carol D. Surles (1999 to 2001) *Louis V. Hencken (2001 to 2007) *William L. Perry (2007 to 2015) *David M. Glassman (2017 to 2023)

Institution

Eastern Illinois University has roughly 8,600 students. Undergraduate admissions are selective. Tuition is approximately $8,880 per year for residents of Illinois and other bordering states, while it is $11,110 for non-residents. Additional fees amount to $2,923.48. The university estimates its average cost-of-attendance to be approximately $24,640 per academic year. There are prominent Communication Disorders and Sciences and

Biological Sciences Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

programs, though the College of Education remains the largest department. The university has an endowment of approximately $82 million. The current president is David Glassman.

Rankings

In the '' U.S. News & World Report'' college rankings, EIU is classified as a regional public university and fits into one of four regions: the Midwest Region. In the publication's 2019 rankings, EIU ranks No. 5 among its peers in that region. EIU's Business Program is ranked No. 405 as Best Undergraduate Business Programs.

Colleges and schools

Eastern Illinois University is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

and the

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is a professional accreditor focused on accrediting teacher education programs in U.S. colleges and universities. It was founded in 2013 as a result of the merger of two predecesso ...

. Eastern Illinois also offers 51 undergraduate degree programs; 32 graduate degree programs; and 10 post-baccalaureate certificate programs. Eastern is divided into four colleges: * College of Liberal Arts and Sciences * Lumpkin College of Business and Technology * College of Education * College of Health and Human Services Other academic divisions include The Graduate School, Sandra and Jack Pine Honors College, and the School of Extended Learning. The Graduate School was founded in 1951 and has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 full and part-time students with more than 300 faculty holding graduate faculty status. The university also includes the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, the Office of Inclusion and Academic Engagement, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and the Office of Study Abroad. The university's

Booth Library Mary J. Booth Library, named after University Librarian Mary Josephine Booth, serves the students, faculty and staff of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. History Beginning of library services The first library at Eastern Illi ...

hosts yearly exhibits, the Ballenger Teachers Center, and numerous digital collections. The main university art museum, the Tarble Arts Center, maintains a 1,000-piece permanent collection, including a 500-piece collection of late 20th-century Illinois folk arts and related archival information. A majority of the holdings are concentrated on art from the state of Illinois and the Midwest region. Eighty-eight percent of graduates find work in a field related to their major within six months after graduation.

Campus life

Organizations

Eastern Illinois University offers over 170 student organizations, ranging from religious, multicultural, service, academic, Greek, honorary, governing, social, athletic and political organizations.

Media

Newspaper

The school's daily newspaper is '' The Daily Eastern News'', which was founded on November 5, 1915 and thus gives Eastern Illinois the distinction of being one of only three universities in the United States to run its own newspaper printing press; EIU is also one of the smallest universities in the country to have a daily newspaper.

Radio

Eastern Illinois also has a student-run radio station, Hit-Mix 88.9 WEIU,

WEIU (FM) WEIU (88.9 FM) is a 4,000 watt effective radiated power radio station in Charleston, Illinois. Owned by Eastern Illinois University, it is a sister station to campus television station WEIU-TV WEIU-TV, virtual channel 51 (UHF digital chan ...

. The radio station can be heard across

Coles County Coles County is a county in Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,863. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University. Coles County is part of the Charleston- Mattoon, IL Micropolitan S ...

and surrounding counties on 88.9 FM, as well as online through their website.

Television

WEIU-TV WEIU-TV, virtual channel 51 (UHF digital channel 30), is a Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) member television station licensed to Charleston, Illinois, United States. Owned by Eastern Illinois University (EIU), it is a sister station to campus ...

is a PBS station on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. WEIU-TV airs adult and kids PBS programming as well as a student-produced 30 minute nightly newscast. WEIU covers Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon, Shelby, and Vermilion counties in Illinois and Vigo County in Indiana.

Residences

Eleven on-campus residence halls include seven co-ed, three female-only, and one male-only. Throughout the year the residence halls participate in competitions and various community service activities. *Andrews Hall (all female) *Powell-Norton Hall (formerly Douglas Hall, all male) *Ford Hall (co-ed) *Lawson Hall (co-ed) *Lincoln Hall (all female) *McKinney Hall (co-ed) * Pemberton Hall (all female) *Stevenson Hall (co-ed) *Taylor Hall (co-ed) *Thomas Hall (co-ed) *Weller Hall (co-ed)

Former residences

Ruth Carman Hall was a former residence. It was named after Ruth Carman, an EIU alumni. Carman Hall opened on September 4, 1970, but wasn't officially completed until November 14, 1971. Initially, the housing office was unable to fill the upper two floors of the building, but by 1977 the entire building was in use. From August 2011, only eight floors were occupied due to reduced enrollment. Carman Hall was closed after May 30, 2013, to allow for an assessment of the condition of the building and for future renovation. In 2014, the university stated that it would remain closed as a cost-saving measure due to low enrollment. Since closure, the building has been used for training purposes by the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

Dining services

Eastern Illinois University features three residence hall dining centers (Taylor, Thomas, and Stevenson), the University Food Court with five fast food locations, Java Beanery & Bakery (Java B & B),

Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Coll ...

, Charleston Market, Panther Grille, Freschetta Pizza, Subway and two Marketplace Convenience Centers. They also operate a restaurant-style option (Reservation-Only Dining) on the weekends.

Greek life

Fraternities on campus: *

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly known as Lambda Chi, is a college fraternity in North America which was founded at Boston University in 1909. It is one of the largest social fraternities in North America, with more than 300,000 lifetime members a ...

* Omega Psi Phi *

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon (), commonly known as SigEp, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College (now the University of Richmond), and its national headquarte ...

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute on January 1, 1869. The fraternity was founded by James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlva ...

Delta Chi Delta Chi () is an international Fraternities and sororities, Greek letter collegiate social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890, at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 30, 1922, Delta Chi be ...

Fraternities with privately owned housing: * Pi Kappa Alpha *

Sigma Pi Sigma Pi () is a collegiate fraternity with 233 chapters at American universities. As of 2021, the fraternity had more than 5,000 undergraduate members and over 110,000 alumni. Sigma Pi headquarters are in Nashville, Tennessee. The fraternity ...

*Sigma Chi *

Phi Kappa Theta Phi Kappa Theta (), commonly known as Phi Kap, is a national social fraternity that has over 35 active chapters and colonies at universities across 21 U.S. states. The fraternity was founded on April 29, 1959, at Ohio State University in Columbu ...

Sororities on campus: *

Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta (), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, making it the youngest member ...

Alpha Phi Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity (, also known as APhi) is an international sorority with 172 active chapters and over 250,000 initiated members. Founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York on September 18, 1872, it is the fo ...

Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Sigma Alpha () is a United States National Panhellenic sorority founded on November 15, 1901, at the Virginia State Female Normal School (later known as Longwood College and now known as Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Once a sor ...

* Alpha Sigma Tau *

Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart. Tri Delta part ...

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

Delta Zeta Delta Zeta (, also known as DZ) is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Delta Zeta has 170 collegiate chapters in the United States and Canada, and over 200 alumnae chapters in Cana ...

Kappa Delta Kappa Delta (, also known as KD or Kaydee) was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University), in Farmville, Virginia. Kappa Delta is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university, wh ...

Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922, by seven educators on the Irvington campus (1875–1 ...

Sigma Kappa Sigma Kappa (, also known as SK or Sig Kap) is a sorority founded on November 9, 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. In 1874, Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, ...

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma (), also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women's sorority. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization encompassing 26 national sororities or women's fraterni ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic ach ...

Athletics

Eastern Illinois University's colors are blue and grey; the sports teams' mascot is the

Panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. *** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...

. The teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA FCS for

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

) in the

Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It participates in NCAA Divisi ...

. The football team is coached by

Chris Wilkerson Chris Wilkerson is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Eastern Illinois University a position he assumed in 2022, succeeding Adam Cushing. He served as the head football coach at the University of Chicago from 2 ...

and competes at home in O’Brien Field. Eastern Illinois University was a member of the

Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States. At one time the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or IIAC, was a robust league that clai ...

from 1912 to 1970. Current National Football League head coach, Sean Payton of the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, is an alumnus of Eastern Illinois. Brad Childress, head coach of the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

from 2006 to 2010, is also a graduate, preceding Sean Payton at Eastern Illinois. Additionally,

Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...

, the former starting quarterback of the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

, and

Jimmy Garoppolo James Richard Garoppolo (born November 2, 1991), nicknamed Jimmy G, is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Illinois, where he set the school r ...

, starting quarterback of the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, are alumni of the university. Eastern Illinois is also the host of the IHSA Boys and Girls State Track and Field Finals, which have been held at O'Brien Field since the 1970s. They also host the IHSA Girls State Badminton Finals and the State Journalism Finals.

Alma mater

Simply referred to as the "EIU Alma Mater," the song itself was composed by Friederich Koch during his tenure as a music teacher at Eastern. The lyrics were composed as a poem titled "For Us Arose Thy Walls and Towers" by Isabel McKinney, a professor of English at Eastern from 1911 to 1945. These lyrics were originally set to the German folk tune

Die Wacht am Rhein "" (, ''The Watch on the Rhine'') is a German patriotic anthem. The song's origins are rooted in the historical French–German enmity, and it was particularly popular in Germany during the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. The origi ...

(The Watch on the Rhine), but were changed around the time of World War I due to anti-German sentiments at the time.

Notable alumni

Authors

Glen Gabbard Glen Owens Gabbard (born 1949) is an American psychiatrist known for authoring professional teaching texts for the field. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and is also training and supervising ...

, psychiatrist and author of 20 books * Jan Spivey Gilchrist, children's book author and illustrator * Lee Martin, novelist

Entertainment

Joan Allen Joan Allen (born August 20, 1956) is an American actress. She began her career with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1977, won the 1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for '' And a Nightingale Sang'', and won the 1988 Tony Aw ...

, actress *

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

, singer/actor who has the Burl Ives Studio on campus named after him (dropped out his junior year) * Gary Forrester, writer and composer *

Mike Genovese Mike Genovese (born Peter Michael Genovese on April 26, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American actor. Career Genovese was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri to an Italian American family. Genovese earned a master's degree in drama at ...

, actor * Rob Kleiner, songwriter and producer *

John Malkovich John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...

, actor *

Charlotte Martin Charlotte Ann Martin (born October 31, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter and voice coach, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's ' ...

, singer-songwriter *

LisaRaye McCoy LisaRaye McCoy (born September 23, 1967), known as LisaRaye, is an American actress, fashion designer, model, businesswoman and former first lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands. McCoy is best known for portraying Diana "Diamond" Armstrong in t ...

, actress, notably from the sitcom ''

All of Us ''All of Us'' is an American sitcom television series that premiered on the UPN network in the United States on September 16, 2003, where it aired for its first three seasons. On October 1, 2006, the show moved to The CW, a new network formed by ...

'' *

William Edward Phipps William Edward Phipps (February 4, 1922 – June 1, 2018) was an American actor and producer, sometimes credited simply as William Phipps, known for his roles in films and on television. Early years Hometown Phipps grew up in St. Francisvill ...

, actor *

Matthew Polenzani Matthew Polenzani (born 1968) is an American lyric tenor. He has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Royal Opera House, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna State Opera, and San Francisco Opera, among others. He ...

, opera singer * Craig Titley, American film writer *

Jerry Van Dyke Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...

, actor *

Ron Westray Ronald Kenneth Westray, Jr. (born June 13, 1970 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an American jazz trombonist, composer, and educator. He holds a B.A. from South Carolina State University and a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University ...

, jazz trombonist, member of the

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. The Orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City. History In 1988 the Orchestra was formed as ...

and the

Mingus Big Band The Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Monda ...

Politics

Tim Butler Timothy George Butler (born 7 December 1958) is an English musician and songwriter. He is the bass player, and co-founder of the Psychedelic Furs. He is also the youngest of three brothers. Richard, the eldest, is the lead singer of the Psych ...

, member of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

Chuck Curran Charles J. Curran (born June 1, 1939 in Galion, Ohio) is an American politician. He was born in 1939 in Galion, Ohio, the son of a railroad construction worker. He graduated from Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio in 1958. Afte ...

, member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

from the 6th district from 1979 to 1982 *

Jim Edgar James Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. Previously he served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979 and as Illinois Secretary of State ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

from 1991 to 1999 *

Joe Knollenberg Joseph Kastl Knollenberg (November 28, 1933 – February 6, 2018) was an American politician from Michigan. From 1993 to 2009, he was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing and . In his congressional term, Knol ...

, representative of the Ninth District of Michigan,

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1993 to 2009 * Mary Miller, member of the

* Bill Mitchell, member of the

Brandon Phelps Brandon Phelps (born September 10, 1970) is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 118th District from January 2003 to September 2017. The 118th district, located in Southern Illinois, includes all or p ...

, member of the

* Dennis Reboletti, member of

* Marilyn Skoglund B.A. 1971,

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

Justice, notable for becoming lawyer and judge without attending law school * Andy Skoog, member of the

Larry Stuffle Larry Ray Stuffle was an American politician and lobbyist who served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the east-central area of the state from 1977 to 1985. Biography Stuffle was born January 8, 1949 Charlesto ...

, member of the

from 1977 to 1985. He was born in Charleston and represented the area in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Scientists

Ronald W. Davis Ronald Wayne "Ron" Davis (born July 17, 1941) is Professor of Biochemistry & Genetics, and Director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center at Stanford University. Davis is a researcher in biotechnology and molecular genetics, particularly activ ...

, biochemist and genetics researcher at Stanford's Genome Technology Center, with patents on over 30 biochemical devices. * Darrell L. Judge (1934–2014), physicist and Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

Miscellaneous

Christine Korsgaard Christine Marion Korsgaard, (; born April 9, 1952) is an American philosopher who is the Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of Philosophy Emerita at Harvard University. Her main scholarly interests are in moral philosophy and its history; the relat ...

, philosopher *

Jimmy John Liautaud James John Liautaud (born January 12, 1964) is an American restaurateur, who is widely known as the founder and former chairman of Jimmy John's sandwich chain. In October 2018, Liautaud was included in the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest p ...

, Founder of Jimmy Johns

Athletes

Athletics

* Dave Huxtable, analyst for the

Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate team representing the University of Texas at Austin (variously Texas or UT) in the sport of American football. The Texas Longhorns, Longhorns compete in the NCAA Division I Football ...

team *

Ryan Pace Ryan Pace (born February 17, 1977) is an American sports executive in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the general manager of the Chicago Bears from 2015 to 2021. Before that, he worked in the New Orleans Saints' front office for ...

, former general manager of NFL's

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

* Dave Slifer, current head women's basketball coach for the Central Missouri Jennies basketball program *

Kirby Wilson Kirby Keyes Wilson (born August 24, 1961) is an American football coach who has previously served as a running backs coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He coached for the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, Wash ...

, running backs coach for

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

Baseball

* Tim Bogar, retired

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

Zach Borenstein Zachary Borenstein (born July 23, 1990) is an American professional left-handed-hitting baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Borenstein attended Buffalo Grove High School in Illinois, where he was a ''Chicago Tribune'' and ''Chicag ...

, professional baseball player *

Randy Myers Randall Kirk Myers (born September 19, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Bl ...

, former American Major League Baseball pitcher with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

and the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

between 1985 and 1998. 4x

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

. *

Marty Pattin Martin William Pattin (April 6, 1943 – October 3, 2018) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 475 games in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots / ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Stan Royer Stanley Dean Royer (born August 31, 1967 in Olney, Illinois) is a former third baseman/first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the St. Louis Cardinals (1991–1994) and Boston Red Sox (1994). Listed at 6' 3", 195 ...

, MLB baseball player for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Kevin Seitzer Kevin Lee Seitzer (; born March 26, 1962) is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. He is currently the hitting coach for the Atl ...

, retired all-star

player

Basketball

Henry Domercant Henry Domercant (born December 30, 1980) is an American and Bosnian-Herzegovinian professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League, the development team for the Chicago Bull ...

, former professional basketball player in Europe *

Kevin Duckworth Kevin Jerome Duckworth (April 1, 1964 – August 25, 2008) was an American professional basketball player who played as center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of Illinois, he played college basketball at Eastern Illinois U ...

, former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

all-star

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Kyle Hill Kyle Eric Hill (born April 7, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player. He was picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2001 NBA draft with the 44th overall draft pick. Hill's National Basketball Association, NBA rights were then ...

, former professional basketball player * Jay Taylor, former NBA player for the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Football

* Brad Childress, former

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

of the

* Ray Fisher, former lineman for

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

and

of the

, quarterback for

* Kamu Grugier-Hill, NFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

for the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

Jeff Gossett All American D2 Baseball at Eastern Illinois. All American punter 1977 D2 at Eastern Illinois. Jeffrey Alan Gossett (born January 25, 1957) is a former American football punter who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the United Sta ...

, NFL Pro Bowl punter *

Mike Heimerdinger Michael Heimerdinger (October 13, 1952 – September 30, 2011) was an American football coach who held various coordinator and position coach roles during eighteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He began his career by coaching hi ...

, former NFL

Offensive Coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...

with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

and

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, died 2011 * Alexander Hollins, wide receiver for the

Otis Hudson Otis Hudson (born July 19, 1986) is a former American football guard. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Eastern Illinois. Early years Otis was born and raised in the ci ...

, NFL

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

* John Jurkovic, former NFL defensive lineman *

Tim Kelly Tim or Timothy Kelly may refer to: * Tim Kelly (Alaska politician) (1944–2009), Alaska state legislator * Tim Kelly (Minnesota politician) (born 1964), Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives * Tim Kelly (Mich ...

offensive coordinator for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

Ray McElroy Raymond Edward McElroy (born July 31, 1972) is a former professional American football cornerback who played for six seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Bears, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. Attended Proviso ...

, NFL defensive back for

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

and

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

* Sean Payton, head coach of the

of the

* Ted Petersen, former lineman for

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

and

of the

, former quarterback of the

of the

* Mike Shanahan, former head coach of the Washington Redskins,

and Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders of the

* Chris Szarka, fullback (American football), fullback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League * Pierre Walters, linebacker (American football), linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs, of the

, head coach of the University of Chicago Maroons football

Handball

* Tim Dykstra, former Team handball, handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

MMA

* Brian Ebersole, Panther wrestler; professional Mixed martial arts, MMA fighter formerly with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC * Matt Hughes (fighter), Matt Hughes, NCAA All-American wrestler; retired professional Mixed martial arts, MMA fighter, former 2-time UFC Welterweight Champion, UFC Hall of Fame member * Kenny Robertson, four-time NCAA Division I qualifier for wrestling; professional mixed martial artist formerly with Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC and Bellator MMA, Bellator Fighting Championships * Mike Russow, former wrestler; current mixed martial artist once for Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC * Louis Taylor, wrestler; current professional Mixed martial arts, MMA fighter * Ryan Thomas (fighter), Ryan Thomas, wrestler; current professional mixed martial arts fighter for American Top Team * James Warring, Professional Boxing, boxing world champion, kickboxing world champion, Professional Boxing, boxing referee * Matt Veach, current mixed martial artist, formerly for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC

Rugby

*Lauren Doyle, represented the United States of America for Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Soccer

* John Baretta, former North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League goalkeeper * Matt Bobo, former North American Soccer League (2011–2017), North American Soccer League player * George Gorleku, former Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) player * LeBaron Hollimon, former National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) player * Schellas Hyndman, former head coach of soccer's FC Dallas * Damien Kelly, former National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) player * Mark Simpson (soccer), Mark Simpson, former goalkeeper and assistant coach for D.C. United * Jason Thompson (soccer), Jason Thompson, former player for D.C. United * Glen Tourville, former Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) player

Track

* John Craft, placed fifth in the Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's triple jump, Men's triple jump at the 1972 Summer Olympics * Sandy Osei-Agyemang, advanced to the second round in the Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres, Men's 100 metres and Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay, Men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics * Dan Steele, track All-American, 400-meter national champion, and bronze medalist at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics * Darrin Steele, competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics

References

External links

*
EIU Athletics website
{{Authority control Eastern Illinois University, State universities in Illinois Public universities and colleges in Illinois Educational institutions established in 1895 Education in Coles County, Illinois Buildings and structures in Coles County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Coles County, Illinois 1895 establishments in Illinois Charleston, Illinois