Aurora University celebrating school’s 100th anniversary

Submitted by Aurora University

On April 3, 1912, the members of a tiny college community in Mendota, Ill., packed up their collective belongings and boarded the train for a short ride to nearby Aurora.

Once they arrived, they paraded through the streets of the city on their way to their new home on the west side of town. A day later, they convened for the first day of classes as Aurora College.

Now, 100 years later, Aurora University plans to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the move to Aurora by looking back on the history of the institution and celebrating a century of progress. From a single academic building and two residence halls to a bustling campus of 40 acres and more than 4,000 students, AU has grown alongside the host city currently celebrating its 175th anniversary.

Originally founded as Mendota Seminary by a group affiliated with the Advent Christian Church, the institution soon adopted a broader mission and moved to Aurora to take advantage of the growing city’s resources. Groundbreaking for the new campus took place on May 31, 1911, and students began classes in Eckhart Hall on April 4, 1912.

This year on Wednesday, April 4, Aurora University will celebrate a century of service, leadership and community collaboration with the following public events in the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. To reserve a seat for events in Crimi Auditorium, email smcgary@aurora.edu or call (630) 844-6534.

Ÿ “Journey of a Lifetime: The Rocky Road from Mendota to Aurora” — Susan Palmer, professor emerita of history, will explore the issues and circumstances surrounding the decision to move from Mendota to Aurora with a multimedia presentation at 4 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium.

Ÿ “From Mendota to Aurora: A College on the Move” — This gala celebration will feature AU student and faculty artists leading a musical and theatrical tour of the university’s early history, including performances of all versions of the alma mater, at 7:30 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium.

Ÿ Centennial Celebration Exhibit — This exhibition created by AU students, on display from April 4-15, showcases pictures and artifacts from the early days in Mendota to the present. It can be viewed during normal business hours in the lobby of the Institute for Collaboration.

In anticipation of its centennial celebration, Aurora University conducted more than 100 video interviews with alumni around the country as part of the Storytellers oral history project. To watch the interviews and see a timeline of AU history, visit aurora.edu/storytellers.