Illini 411: What was the U of I’s smallest graduating class?

Question courtesy of Richard Kammann, ’62 BUS

Black and white portraits of Alice Cheever Bryan and Frances Potter Reynolds. Alice Cheever Bryan and Frances Potter Reynolds (Images courtesy of University Archives)
Question courtesy of Richard Kammann, ’62 BUS

A: Although, at 20 members, the University’s first graduating class (1872) was this close to fitting in a clown car, the Class of 1874 has them beat. The third graduating class included only 19 students, among them Alice Cheever Bryan and Frances Potter Reynolds, the U of I’s first alumnae. By comparison, more than 10,500 students graduated from the U of I in Spring 2023. Try fitting them in a clown car!

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