Illinois Alumni News | University of Illinois Archives

<p class='main'>The University of Illinois Alumni Association published the first issue of the Alumni Quarterly in January 1907, under the editorship of Frank W. Scott, '01.<a href='#ftn1'>¹</a> The purpose of the publication was to keep alumni informed of their own activities, the life of the University and the life of the undergraduates.<a href='#ftn2'>²</a> Alumni Quarterly was in a journal format and filled about sixty pages per issue.<a href='#ftn3'>³</a> In 1913 Fortnightly Notes was created to supplement Alumni Quarterly.<a href='#ftn4'>⁴</a> Fortnightly Notes carried current news and personal items about alumni and created more space for articles and illustrations in Alumni Quarterly.<a href='#ftn5'>⁵</a> In 1915 the two Alumni Association publications merged into Alumni Quarterly and Fortnightly Notes, also known as A.Q.F.N.<a href='#ftn6'>⁶</a> A.Q.F.N. had sixteen page issues published twice a month and longer issues (usually forty-eight pages) quarterly.<a href='#ftn7'>⁷</a> In 1919 A.Q.F.N. changed to a magazine format with sixteen pages per issue except at homecoming and commencement when longer issues were published.<a href='#ftn8'>⁸</a> In 1922 the thirty-two page monthly (except in August and September), Illinois Alumni News, replaced A.Q.F.N. as the official organ of the Alumni Association.<a href='#ftn9'>⁹</a> In 1940 Illinois Alumni News merged with the University of Illinois Foundation's Illini News.<a href='#ftn10'>¹⁰</a> At this time the University of Illinois began to issue Illinois Alumni News in a new sixteen page monthly page format for the Alumni Association, and advertising, a prominent part of previous issues, was limited to the University.<a href='#ftn11'>¹¹</a></p>

<p class='main'>Since 1940 the Illinois Alumni News has maintained the newspaper format, but the number of monthly issues has fluctuated between eight and eleven per year.12 In 1978 Illinois Alumni News was published in eight monthly issues with a circulation of 52,650 copies.13</p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn1'>1.  Alumni Quarterly, (January 1907) 1:1, p. 1.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn2'>2.  Ibid., p. 20.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn3'>3.  Frank W. Scott to George W. Cook, December 6, 1906, RS 26/2/1.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn4'>4.  Illinois Alumni News, (October 1, 1922) 1:1, p. 1.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn5'>5.  Fortnightly Notes, (January 1, 1913) 1:1, p. 1.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn6'>6.  Illinois Alumni News, (October 1, 1922) 1:1, p. 1.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn7'>7.  Ibid.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn8'>8.  Ibid.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn9'>9.  Ibid.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn10'>10.  Illinois Alumni News, (June 1940) 18:9, p. 5.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn11'>11.  Illinois Alumni News, (July 1, 1940) 19:1, p. 8.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn12'>12.  Illinois Alumni News, (July 1942) 21:1, p. 1; (January 1948) 27:5, p. 4; (February 1958) 37:1, p. 2.</a></p>

<p class='note'><a name='ftn13'>13.  Telephone interview with Ruth Weinard, Associate Editor, Illinois Alumni News, February 6, 1979.</a></p>