Aurora University Celebrates a Century of Service

Aurora University will be celebrating the centennial anniversary of their move from Mendota, Ill. from Aurora, Ill. on April 4, 2012.

The university was formerly known as Mendota College. When the institution broke ground for the new campus in Aurora, in May 1911, the name was changed to Aurora College and the first classes were held on April 4, 1912.

When Mendota Seminary, the originally founded name of Aurora University, adopted a broader mission they moved to Aurora and took advantage of the growing city’s resources. Aurora University expanded from a campus of one academic building and two residence halls to being over 40 acres and having more than 4,000 students.

As part of the celebration Aurora University is engaging alumni in video interviews for their Storytellers oral history project. They are asking the alumni of Aurora College, Aurora University and George Williams College to reflect on their educational experiences and share their vision for the institution.

On April 4 2012, join Aurora University in celebration of a century of service with these events for the AU faculty, staff, students and alumni.

• Lecture: “Journey of a Lifetime: The Rocky Road from Mendota to Aurora”
  Susan Palmer, Professor Emerita of History and Curator of the Jenks Memorial Collection of Adventual Materials, will explore the issues and circumstances surrounding the decision to move from Mendota to Aurora.
  4 to 5 p.m. in the Crimi Auditorium, Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave.
• Centennial Dinner: “Cooking with Class”
  By special invitation (limited to the first 200 guests)
  This epicurean salute to favorite Aurora College recipes will include a menu featuring favorite items from college cookbooks.
  6 to 7 p.m. in the University Banquet Hall at Alumni Hall, 1410 Marseillaise Place
• Music and Theatre Program: “From Mendota to Aurora: A College on the Move”
  This gala celebration will feature an evening of music and theatre featuring AU student and faculty artists. The program will be led by Richard Westphal, Professor Emeritus of English and Fine Arts; and Lisa Fredenburgh, Associate Professor of Music, Program Chair and Director of Choral Activities.
  7:30 p.m. in the Crimi Auditorium, Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave.
• A Centennial Celebration historical exhibit
  The exhibition, created by AU students, showcases pictures and artifacts from Mendota College to today.
  April 4 – 15 in the Atrium, Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave.
• “Unraveling Revelations: Decoding the Prophetic Charts”
  This exhibit, curated by students in the MST2200 Museum Exhibitions course, features eight of the 38 charts from the Aurora University Jenks Memorial Collection of Adventual Material that prophesied the second coming of Jesus Christ in the early 19th century. Aurora College President Orrin Roe Jenks collected the charts to preserve the history of the early years of the Advent Christian denomination and the college. Also on display from the collection’s archives are photographs, letters and scrapbooks.
  April 11-December 15, 2012 in the Schingoethe Museum, Dunham Hall, 1400 Marseillaise Place

To reserve a seat for celebration events email smcgary@aurora.edu or call 630-844-6534.

David Crimi Aurora University Storytellers