Do Well, Do Good: Student Involvement at IWU

Students at Illinois Wesleyan have shown interest in the social aspects of college life undoubtedly since the beginning of the institution. The first recorded event related to student involvement featured a gathering of the Philomathian literary society on December 5, 1854. Other early activities included music programs, joint outings with the nearby Central Illinois Female College, and political events, including attending the 1854 speeches given by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in Bloomington.

Those early ventures into college life soon grew to include the formation of more organizations, beginning with the rivaling literary societies of the 19th century and continuing with fraternities, sororities, service groups, and student publications. Student government emerged in 1915 with the creation of the Student Council, currently known as the Student Senate. Student activism also formed a major part of campus life, expanding in the 1960s and 70s with the Civil Rights Movement, second-wave feminism, and the Vietnam War.

Today, Illinois Wesleyan boasts more than 100 student organizations and 10 fraternities and sororities. The objects included in this section highlight the history of student involvement on campus.