About Us

History

The College of Nursing at the University of Illinois has a vibrant history full of many memorable achievements. Although formal nursing education can be traced back to 1873, it was nearly seventy years before the University of Illinois began establishing a school of nursing. Until then, Illinois nurses were trained at hospital schools where they focused on hands-on experience. As the demands of the profession grew, so did the need for higher education.

Nursing courses were offered at the University of Illinois at the request of hospitals in the early 1940s. In 1949, the Affiliate Collegiate program was established between the University of Illinois and four area hospital schools of nursing. The program allowed hospital students to earn their bachelor’s degrees and inaugurated the RN-BSN program. In 1951, the Board of Trustees for U. of Illinois authorized the organization of the School of Nursing as an autonomous unit of the university. The Affiliate Collegiate program was discontinued and UIC became the first public institution in Illinois to offer a curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The result attracted bright and energetic students that might have otherwise forgone nursing.

The admission of the first class to the School of Nursing in September 1954 marked a defining moment in the history of nursing at UIC. Emily C. Cardew became the first dean in 1956 and the first class of eight students graduated in 1957. Re-designated as a College of Nursing, UIC established a Master of Science in Nursing and in the late 1960s completed the construction of a new building at 845 South Damen Avenue. These facilities allowed the number of incoming students to triple. The 1970s saw the college expand to include Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana regional campuses; the first PhD program in Illinois; and the first ever graduate program in nurse midwifery in the country. The College expanded to Quad Cites in 1980 and was designated as the first World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Development in the U.S. in 1986.

The 1980s and 1990s witnessed the college emerge as a leader in nursing research with numerous federal and state funded grants. These research endeavors, along with the highest quality education and patient care, have brought national recognition to the College of Nursing as one of the premiere programs in the nation. In 2005, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago – a fitting location for a college that continues to reach for the stars.

UIC College of Nursing Historical Timeline (PDF)