[3] From the beginning, Gregory's desire to establish an institution firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition, which was at odds with many State residents and lawmakers who wanted the university to offer classes based solely around "industrial education"[6] The university opened for classes on March 2, 1868, with two faculty members and 77 students.

The debate between the liberal arts curriculum and industrial education continued in the university's inaugural address, as Dr. Newton Bateman outlined the various interpretations of the Morrill Act in his speech.

Clashes between Gregory and legislators and lawmakers forced his resignation from his post as president in 1880, saying "[I am] staggering under too heavy a load of cares, and irritated by what has sometimes seemed as needless opposition.

Eventually, then University President Edmund J. James, in a speech to the board of trustees in 1912, proposed to create a research library on par with those at the great German academic institutions.

[5] In a three-year search after Peabody's removal the university offered the presidency to such people as Woodrow Wilson and Washington Gladden.

In addition to the search the university began a period of rapid growth under the guidance of Acting Regent Thomas J.

The agricultural (1888) and engineering Library and Information Science (1904) experiment stations brought public and national attention to the university's research interests.

Also, the now Altgeld Hall was built starting in 1896 was designed by Nathan Ricker and James McLaren White of the university's architecture department.

Some student alumni from Illinois later influenced China's development, including Coching Chu (class of 1913) who is known as "Father of Chinese Meteorology".

[27] In addition, during Jame's presidency, class rivalries and Bob Zuppke's winning football teams contributed to campus morale.

Prior to Kinley, Fraternity row was established in the early 1900s while sorority housing concentrated on John Street.

The statue was originally stood behind the Auditorium until moved to its current location on August 22, 1962[29] Presidents Harry Woodburn Chase followed in 1930 to 1933.

In the years following World War II, under president David Henry the university experienced rapid growth.

This period was also marked by large growth in the Graduate College and increased federal support of scientific and technological research.

His 1960 letter to the Daily Illini defending premarital sex provoked public outrage and prompted his firing from the university by President David Dodds Henry.

The UI Board of Trustees supported Henry, while the University of Illinois Senate voted to reprimand Koch but not to censure him.

[36] In addition, in 1978 three social work graduate students wrote a piece critical of Chief Illiniwek in The Daily Illini Forums.

[36] The campus gained national renown for its celebration of Earth Day 20 in 1990, organized by the Students for Environmental Concerns and led by Sophomore Jeremy Hayes.

In January 1998, President Bill Clinton visited the University of Illinois the day after making his State of the Union address before Congress.

[37] The campus airport gained some notoriety incident in which Air Force One became stuck in mud, requiring a backup aircraft to transport Clinton from a speaking engagement at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.

[11] In past years, the state of Illinois supplied roughly two-thirds of the university's budget while the federal government funded 90% of research.

For years prior several groups protested that the use of a Native American figure and indigenous customs in such a manner was inappropriate and promoted ethnic stereotypes.

[47][48][49] Dr. Kenneth Howell, an adjunct professor teaching Introduction to Catholic Thought, was not rehired in 2010 after a complaint that his comments about homosexuality, especially in an email to all students in the class, were offensive.

[50] The Alliance Defense Fund took up Dr. Howell's case, stating that his dismissal was a violation of academic freedom and the First Amendment.

Eventually, Dr. Howell was reinstated by the University of Illinois as an adjunct instructor for the fall 2010 term to teach "Introduction to Catholicism".

There were faculty who said the enrollment controversy during his presidency was symptomatic of a larger problem of what they described as "Hogan's arrogant, manipulative leadership style and bullying of people who disagreed with him.

"[53] On September 12, 2014, talks began to introduce a new medical school to the university, which would be the first new college created in Urbana-Champaign in over 60 years.

[54] By drawing on the large number of engineering resources that the university is known for, the new college of medicine could "graduate physician-scientists who could work in clinical practice but also be positioned to develop new medical equipment and innovations.

[22] The university also made national headlines between 2013 and 2015, the then Chancellor Phyllis Wise fired faculty member Dr. Steven Salaita.

These include Ernest L Stouffer, Nathan Clifford Ricker, Charles A. Platt, James White, Clarence Howard Blackall, Holabird & Roche, and W.C. Zimmerman.