His sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was later the author of the influential anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin and a visitor to the campus.

Jonathan Edwards Spilman composed the familiar music to Robert Burns’ poem “Flow Gently, Sweet Afton.” William Jennings Bryan, a member of the class of 1881, is one of the most prominent alumni of Illinois College.

Among the visitors and lecturers on campus during the early years were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Amos Bronson Alcott, Mark Twain, Horace Greeley, Oscar Wilde and Wendell Phillips.

Illinois College was a center of the abolitionist movement due to its Northern location near the Mississippi River and outspoken campus leaders such as President Edward Beecher and Professor Jonathan Baldwin Turner.

Two campus buildings also have ties to the abolitionist movement; Beecher Hall is believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad, and a campus house, the Gillett House, has attained the prestigious National Park Service certification as a “National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom” site.

[11] The college's Epsilon Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society is one of only eleven in the state; it was established in 1932.

is a 32-credit hour on-campus degree program which was designed to specifically accommodate the professional development needs of in-service teachers.

It contains artifacts related to Findley's political career, his interest in Abraham Lincoln, and his involvement in human rights and Middle East issues.

[14] Items currently on display include Lincoln's 1837 law office sofa, Findley's congressional desk, WWI and campaign memorabilia, and gifts from seven U.S. presidents and international leaders.

[27] Illinois College's men's athletic teams are known as the Blueboys which is a reference to the uniforms worn by Union soldiers during the American Civil War.

Illinois College student Missy Norville won nine NCAA Division III National Champion titles for indoor/outdoor Track and Field while at the school.

In 2010, student Dillon Binkley became the High Jump National Champion for NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field.

[29] Before Binkley, Illinois College student J.R. Dugan also became the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National High Jump Champion in 1989.

[30] From 2003 to 2008, the Illinois College women's golf team won six consecutive Midwest Conference Championship titles.

The fieldhouse section of the building includes a 200-meter indoor track and four multipurpose courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis.

This includes the notable Sturtevant Hall which is often featured in pictures because of its unique towers and windows which are currently found in the college logo.

Whipple Hall, which was once a preparatory school, underwent renovations, and is now the home to the Al Habtoor Leadership Center, Congressman Paul Findley's Congressional Office, and the Communication and Rhetorical Studies department.

The lower quad is the newer section of campus where many of the residence halls are located along with the Caine Student Center.

Just south of the lower quad is the Bruner Fitness Center as well as the athletic fields for football, soccer, baseball, softball, and tennis.

[34] In addition to the residence halls, Illinois College owns and maintains an apartment building close to campus which serves as housing for upperclassmen.

SAB sponsored events include comedians, bands, community service projects, trips, lectures, dances, and more.

Each year, the Homecoming Committee helps plan the pep rally, Powder Puff Football games, parade, formal dance, and an event called Follies which features the talents of students.

Activities include but are not limited to: Literary Productions, intramural sports teams, service events, and social gatherings.

The brothers would share with Lincoln, through books and notes, what they had learned from Illinois College professor Jonathan Baldwin Turner.

[41] In 2009, a statue of Abraham Lincoln was dedicated on the Illinois College campus, and he was posthumously awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree from the school.