Lincoln College (Illinois)

Lincoln College's roots date back to the 19th century. It is the only college named for Abraham Lincoln while he was still living. The college was established in 1865 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, but is now independent and has no formal church affiliation. There were a few sites that were looked at as possibilities for the institution, prior to Lincoln, Illinois; however, in December 1864, the City of Lincoln was chosen.[7] Due to the Civil War, the denomination wanted to create a college in the north because the denomination's other schools were located in the south. At this same time a movement started in the new community of Lincoln to start a college.

On February 6, 1865, the Illinois General Assembly granted the charter that established the university.[7] President Abraham Lincoln was aware the school would be named in his honor. Lincoln University was the first institution named for Abraham Lincoln and the only one during his lifetime. The groundbreaking for University Hall, the first college building, was held on Abraham Lincoln's last living birthday, six days after the charter had been granted; in September 1865 the building's foundation was completed and the cornerstone was laid. In November 1866, the college opened its doors to men and women alike. In 1868, there were three people who had earned their degrees.[7]

In 1901, Lincoln College affiliated with the Decatur College and Industrial School (now Millikin University) in Decatur. The name of the school was changed from Lincoln University to Lincoln College of the James Millikin University. James Millikin, a wealthy Decatur livestock breeder, offered Lincoln University a $50,000 grant for a new building at the Lincoln campus if the school would turn over its charter. The $50,000 grant was on the condition that the citizens of Lincoln would raise $25,000 towards the new building project. The $25,000 was raised and the $50,000 grant was provided to the Lincoln campus.

In 1929, Lincoln became a two-year junior college, no longer offering four-year degrees as it had done since its inception. Many junior colleges were created in the 1920s and 1930s. The move helped the college through the financial problems of the Great Depression and World War II.

The Lincoln College campus experienced substantial growth following World War II. The college has seven dorms, numerous classroom buildings, a library, and a new building dubbed the Lincoln Center, which hosts a gymnasium, state of the art classrooms, and Lincoln Heritage Museum.

In 2015, Dr. David Gerlach was selected as the 22nd President of Lincoln College. Shortly after Dr. Gerlach's appointment, the Lincoln College Board of Trustees approved a plan to return Lincoln College to its roots as a full bachelor's degree-granting institution, while still retaining its associate degree programs.[8] As of the 2018–2019 school year, about half of the full-time students on the Lincoln campus had declared majors in bachelor's degree programs, with associate degree students comprising the other half of the Lincoln campus student population.

In 2018, business programs at Lincoln College were consolidated under the new MacKinnon School of Business, named in honor of distinguished graduate and successful businessman Alexander "Sandy" MacKinnon.[9]

On March 30, 2022, Lincoln College announced that, due to significantly decreased enrollment, the college will not be able to sustain itself past the semester and that, unless a "transformational donation or partnership" arises, the college will close on May 13.[10][11] The Illinois Board of Education will take over student transcripts and records for future need.

Lincoln College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2010, Lincoln College, Lincoln, Ill. campus, received Accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for their Bachelor of Arts degree in theater. In 2013, the campus began offering studies toward a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies (Now Contemporary Jazz Studies). Additional bachelor's degrees have been added since. The college now offers more than a dozen undergraduate programs. Business Programs at Lincoln College are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education.

Lincoln College offers nearly two dozen men's and women's sports at the NAIA level including baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. The college began its first season in the four-year NAIA in 2018. Previously, Lincoln College was a member of the NJCAA and its conference was the Mid-West Athletic Conference, stemming from its many years as a junior college. Prior to that, Lincoln College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1910 to 1928.

As a junior college, the Lincoln College wrestling team produced numerous NJCAA All-Americans and the team often placed in top positions in the NJCAA Nationals including national champions in 1989 and 1991. Lincoln College is also a basketball powerhouse and has also won back to back Basketball National Championships in 2010 and 11. In 2018, the Lynx Volleyball Team won the Men's Division II National Championship in the NCVF National Collegiate Club Volleyball Championship. The Lincoln College swimming and diving teams have attracted a number of athletes in recent years who have represented their home countries in the Olympics. The school mascot is the Lynx.

The college plans to add men's and women's bowling to their intercollegiate sports offerings for the 2019–2020 season. The college will also add collaborative online gaming ("Esports") as an officially sponsored club sport.

Lincoln College announced they would be joining the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the 2020–2021 academic year.

Lincoln Heritage Museum began as the Lincoln Room at Lincoln College in 1941 with a large donation of Abraham lincoln artifacts from alumnus Judge Lawrence Stringer. Over time the collection grew with a notable donation coming from Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, the last descendant of the Lincoln family. As Lincoln College's collection expanded, the Lincoln Room transformed into the Lincoln College Museum within the McKinstry Library. By 2014, the museum had outgrown its space again and Lincoln Heritage Museum was formed in the newly constructed Lincoln Center building.

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• Marisa Buscaglia, Chicago businesswoman
• Brenda Chapman, American writer, animation story artist, and director
• Kevin Gamble, basketball player for the Boston Celtics and the University of Iowa
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• Edward Madigan, former U.S. Congressman
• Stephen Mandel, Canadian politician
• Brian Snitker, World Series-winning manager of MLB's Atlanta Braves (2016–present)
• Alice Bellvadore Sams Turner (1859–1915), physician, writer
• Albert R. Taylor, fifth president of the Kansas State Normal School in Kansas
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lincoln College (Illinois).

• Lincoln College at the Wayback Machine (archived 2022-03-29) — copy of official website just before closure announcement
• LC Admin Building Virtual Walkthrough on Vimeo — 2021 virtual re-creation of Lincoln College Administration Building that was destroyed in January 1969