Departmental Correspondence, 1905-09 | University of Illinois Archives

Courses have been taught in Zoology since 1868 under the Department of General Science and Literature;¹ Department of Natural History (1868-69);² College of Natural History, Zoological Department (1870);³ College of Natural Science, School of Natural History (1871-90);⁴ College of Science, School of Natural Science (1891-93);⁵ College of Science, Natural Science Group (1893-1900 );⁶ College of Science, General Science Group (1900-01);⁷ College of Science, Department of Zoology (1901-13);⁸ and in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (1913-73).⁹ In 1884, the Department became a clearly defined course of study.¹⁰ The Department granted B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Zoology and offered courses in genetics, parasitology, ecology, and physiology.¹¹ In 1973, the Department of Zoology was divided into two provisional departments: the Department of Ecology,Ethology, and Evolution and the Department of Genetics and Development within the of Life Sciences. In March 17, 1976 the Board of Trustees approved the reorganized department.¹² Genetics and development was approved by the University Senate as one of the specializations within regulatory biology to convey an emphasis of the department.¹³ The Executive Committee of the School of Life Sciences in 1986 decided to dissolve the Department of Genetics and Development and in 1990 approved a Senate recommendation to terminate the department.¹⁴ According to Professor David Nanney the dissolution of thedepartment was a "turf war" concerning genetics and its proper location within the university.¹⁵ The Board of Trustees renamed the Department of Anatomical Sciences as the Department of Cell and Structural Biology.¹⁶

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 1st Report, June 13, 1868, p. 50.

2. Ibid, 2nd Report, January 12-22, 1869, p. 5-6.

3. Fourth Annual Circular, Illinois Industrial University, 1870-71, p. 34.

4. Catalogs and Registers, 1878-79, p. 23; 1889-90, p. 35.

5. Catalogs and Register, 1891-92, p. 26.

6. Catalogs and Registers, 1893-94, p. 48.

7. Catalogs and Registers, 1900-01, p. 61.

8. Catalogs and Registers, 1901-02, p. 124.

9. Board of Trustees Transactions, 27th Report, July 5, 1912, p. 71.

10. Catalogs and Registers, 1884-85, p. 67.

11. Graduate Study Catalog, 1971-72, p. 288-293.

12. Board of TRustees Transactions, 58th Report, March 17, 1976, p. 576.

13. Board of TRustees Transactions, 62nd Report, July 21, 1983, p. 298-299.

14. Board of Trustees agenda, June 14, 1990, #17.

15. Daily Illini, Tuesday, June 19, 1990, p. 1, 4.

16. Board of Trustees Transactions, 64th Report, April 14, 1988, p. 514.