Lakeland University history

Conceived in 1964 by a group of 22 Lake County citizens, the college has grown considerably while serving the educational needs of over 250,000 people.

Anxious to move forward, the League of Women Voters began a petition drive in 1965 to place the issue before Lake County voters.

SEPT. 24, 1966– Referendum vote creating Lake Land College district passes: Residents in thirteen school districts approved the creation of a junior college in the East Central Illinois area.

JUNE 30, 1967– President’s First Annual Report released: Documenting the school’s first-year achievements and outlining ten important long/short range goals were a few of the important sections in President Judge’s report.

AUG. 18, 1968– First Commencement held at Mattoon’s First Baptist Church: Seventy-nine graduates, mostly in the practical nursing and associate of science areas, earned the first degrees bestowed by the college.

MAR. 23, 1969– Ground-breaking for First Phase of the Campus Master Plan: The ground-breaking ceremony formally marked the beginning of construction on four campus buildings: the Northwest and Northeast classrooms, the library, and the power house.

APR. 13, 1970– Tenure policy adopted by the LLC Board.: The policy governing tenure followed a year of committee work that examined how best to evaluate student performance.

MAR. 11, 1971– Ribbon cutting ceremony for Phase I: There were nearly 100 people at the official opening of the permanent campus to students.

SEPT. 1, 1972– Virgil H. Judge formally retires and Doctor Robert Webb is named President-elect: After five years as Lake Land College’s first president, Virgil H. Judge retires.

MAY 1, 1973– Nature trail being developed: Spearheaded by faculty members Denny Gathman and Doctor Donald Garren, a nature trail that surrounds the college is being planned.

MAR. 18, 1975– Lake Land College men’s basketball team wins first-ever Illinois state title: In a win over Belleville junior college at the State Regional tournament, the Lakers secured their first state title.

JULY 26, 1976– Leland Glazebrook named to first term on Board of Trustees: Glazebrook was a Sullivan resident who was known in the area for his ties to education and his farm radio programs.

NOV. 13, 1977– New college center dedication: Lake Land College adds 28,000 square feet to Lake Land College’s campus.

DEC. 15, 1979– Referendum passes: A special election called by the Board of Trustees resulted in a 15.5 cent tax rate that went into the school’s general educational fund.

NOV. 29, 1981– Founders’ Day celebrates the college’s 15 years of service.

NOV. 15, 1984– Partners in Adult Literacy (PAL) program begins: Lake Land College worked with Mattoon Area Adult Education Center on the new academic initiative.

SEPT. 22, 1986– Lake Land College Faculty Association and Lake Land College Secretarial Association go on strike: For the first time in the school’s history, a work stoppage occurred at Lake Land, effecting about 3,400 students.

JAN. 12, 1989– The new Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program is introduced: The program was coordinated and directed by Marilyn Thompson, and possessed more rigorous admission standards than other college curriculum.

In 1990, Lakeland formed its two-year campus in Tokyo, Japan, a sign of the institution’s strong commitment to a global education, which continues today.

A second campus was founded in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1991 and is known as the "Japan Campus", featuring academics and English for Academic Purposes programs, and is MEXT/Monkashō-accredited as a foreign university/college.

Before his administrative duties as a vice president, Lensink taught in the Business Division (1992) where he served, in addition to his teaching duties, as the director of management and business, as well as serving as its Division Chair after the departure of Max Jaeger.

FEB. 16, 1993– John Deere and Lake Land College form a partnership: Lake Land began offering an Ag.

OCT. 15, 1994– First group of Student Ambassadors were chosen to serve as official representatives of the college: Student Ambassadors quickly became a meaningful part of Student Services’ effort to recruit and retain students.

1995– Livestock judging team wins national competition: At the North American International Livestock Expo (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky, the livestock judging team took home first place for the first time in the organization’s history.

JULY 30, 1998– East Classroom Building ground-breaking ceremony: Overcrowding, continued increase in student enrollment, and need to prepare graduates for jobs were cited as the reasoning behind the first new building in 25 years.

OCT 30, 2000- College hires first Master Gardner: Lake Land College hired Curt Devore as the first Master Gardner for the campus and Devore’s work reflected the school’s commitment to the beautification initiative.

2001– Lake Land College named as the fastest growing community college in Illinois by Illinois Community College Board.

OCT. 4, 2005– East Classroom Building is renamed and rededicated in honor of Burnham E. and Nancy Neal: Burnham Neal donated his business’ corporate office (Neal Tire) in Toledo to the Lake Land College Foundation.

JUNE 30, 2006– Doctor Robert K. Luther formally retires: Doctor Luther, described by the editorial board of a local newspaper as a “courtly, dedicated, and principled man,” retired after 18 years as LLC’s 4th president.

2010– Leland Glazebrook was honored by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association with posthumous honorary membership; which is the ICCTA’s highest award.

The Holden University Center of Lakeland Community College opened in the fall of 2011 to offer convenient access to complete a bachelor's or graduate degree from a variety of leading colleges and universities.

In celebration of this anniversary, the college showcased its rich history in a variety of multi-media approaches surrounding the peak festivities in June of 2012.

Agribusiness, class of 2014, former Miss Rodeo Canada.

DEC. 2015– Lake Land College hosts first “One Stop Community Christmas” on campus in the West Building.

On July 1, 2016, Lakeland College became Lakeland University, a change which accurately reflects the current reach and the diversity of offerings.

FEB. 3, 2017– Lake Land College welcomed over 400 students from 26 school districts for the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering competition.

AUG. 2018- The Allied Health division graduates its first class of the Medical Assisting certificate program in August.

DEC. 2019- The online site Real Work Matters lists Lake Land College as the fourth best vocational college in Illinois, with our CAD and Accounting programs in the top 20.

AUGUST 2020– Construction is well underway for the new Workforce Development Center on the main campus.

FEBRUARY 2021- Counseling Services-The Virtual Transfer Expo was developed in Canvas and held on November 18th.