093_HR0017
LRB093 03913 HSS 03949 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Institutions of higher learning are of utmost
3 importance to the State of Illinois, both to its history and
4 its future; and
5 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that this year
6 marks the 175th Anniversary for McKendree College in Lebanon,
7 the oldest college in Illinois; and
8 WHEREAS, McKendree College was founded by Methodist
9 pioneers on February 20, 1828 and has experienced remarkable
10 growth in the years since its founding; and
11 WHEREAS, McKendree is a four year private liberal arts
12 college that had the distinction of being ranked as a Top
13 Tier Midwest Liberal Arts College by US News and World
14 Report; it has welcomed its first group of students from
15 France as part of a new exchange program in its Business
16 Division; the faculty has grown 65 percent and includes
17 professors well-published and recognized in their fields of
18 expertise; the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
19 Teaching has selected Dr. Nancy Beck Young, McKendree
20 professor, as the Illinois Professor of the Year for 2002;
21 the McKendree College Debate and Forensics Squad is
22 nationally ranked; and
23 WHEREAS, The student body has grown 67 percent in the
24 past 10 years and the residential population has increased
25 more than 300 percent with approximately 1,300 students
26 currently enrolled at the Lebanon campus; the current
27 freshman class is the third largest body in the history of
28 McKendree and includes 22 valedictorians; students from 15
29 different states and five countries are enrolled at
30 McKendree; and
31 WHEREAS, This year, the men's basketball team has been
-2- LRB093 03913 HSS 03949 r
1 ranked number one nationally in the NAIA, the first time in
2 the history of the college that an athletic team has earned a
3 first place ranking; the football team made the NAIA
4 semi-finals with a record of 11 and 2; McKendree Athletic
5 Director and men's basketball coach, Harry Statham, has been
6 inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame, earned recognition as
7 Coach of the Year, and this year, broke the record to become
8 the winningest coach in NAIA history; in Track and Field,
9 McKendree Athletes have won several national team
10 championships; therefore, be it
11 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13 we honor McKendree College on the occasion of its 175th
14 anniversary and commend the members of the faculty, staff,
15 and administration for their continued commitment to serving
16 students from the State of Illinois, other states, and the
17 global community; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to Dr. James Dennis, 32nd president of McKendree
20 College, with our best wishes for the continued success of
21 the oldest college in the State of Illinois.