A Reflection

(1855 – 2007 - & beyond…)

Linking past, present, and future

March 31 brings us to the end of a month in which we have shared stories of our collective past that illuminate the “Spirit of Eureka” and remind us of the important work that has transpired here for the past 152 years. The "Matrons of Distinction" that have been introduced in this series were all ordinary individuals who were enabled to do extraordinary things at critical points in their lives. For many of them, the enabling process resulted from the transforming experience associated with their formative years spent on this campus and the people they encountered here.

We have probably all heard the statement before: "Eureka College was the first college in Illinois and the third in the nation to educate women on an equal basis with men." –but what exactly does it mean? Does our familiarity with and lack of reflection upon this often-repeated phrase diminish somehow the profound nature of such a historic achievement? Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

The abolitionist Founders of this town and this institution were radicals in their day who recognized dignity and worth in their daughters, sisters, and wives—sentiments that were not readily accepted in the early years of the nineteenth century. Rather than believing that women should be relegated to second-class citizenship, the Founders of Eureka College saw educational opportunity as the gateway to opportunity and limitless promise. In an era that recognized a "cult of domesticity" that generally restricted the role of women in society, Eureka College shattered that myth by training women to speak publicly, become activists, support social causes, and change the world through actions great and small.

By providing an education for women “on an equal basis with men,” the Founders of this school were preparing women with the audacious promise of a world that did not yet exist. If you are looking for people of vision, you don’t need to travel beyond the limited confines of old Walnut Grove. And the fortunate women who were the recipients of this educational experience did not simply sit back and wait for society to change as it recognized their intrinsic worth and value. Instead, they acted boldly to demonstrate their capabilities and became the true agents of change who were inspired by their training in the liberal arts and sciences.

Over the past month in some 20,000 words and a small collection of images we have been reminded of why Eureka College matters. These are the untold stories of the often unheralded, ahistorical figures that have graced this community and served the world as well. In learning of their deeds we valorize their memory and their spirit becomes one with ours. Most of the individuals featured in this series were influenced not just by this place, but by the people whom they encountered while they were here. In this regard, we are all teachers and we all influence in ways both great and small the individuals that we meet along the way. If our past is any indicator, future “matrons of distinction” certainly exist among us today.