Mary Jane Roach Masters Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

agenda. She was politically adept. Excellent in P.R. and she has steered us into that. Sanpamoq
Skt~ into the University of Illinois OPENLY. Nothing sneaky about it.
Q. She immediately got us the local Foundation under her control didn't she?
A. Immediately, and she has been primarily a P.R. person and a fund raiser. That has been her
focus. The people under her have provided the Administrative focus, but this is called leadership.
So.. .
Q. Enrollment is up.
A. Oh, Sure, but it is, of course, in many places. I hope this continues. The thing about
Sangamon State that I'm proudest of was elucidated by a black man named Hanis at the time of
the great celebration of the transfer to the University of Illinois. He said, "This University has
given a great many people who would never otherwise have had an opportunity to learn
something on a higher level," and I'm very proud of that.
Q. Perhaps you can explain why we have a Lincoln Land Community College right next door and
that they haven't joined.
A. It's another circuit entirely. This also must have been a political decision because we were
instructed not to poach. We were not to try to absorb them and become a four year university by
absorbing Lincoln Land. This was just simply another circuit.
Q. Are they under completely different auspices?
A. A Completely different system. We were in a Higher Ed. System and they were in, what used
to be called, a Junior College, a Community College System, and the man who came here,
Poorman, did an excellent job with Lincoln Land.
Q. And they're stronger and stronger as well all the time.
A. They had a consistent leadership whereas there were troubles at Sangamon State with
leadership for several decades. I'm exaggerating, for after all it's only twenty five years old, but
for a good many years. . .
Q. You know, with the Auditorium, they've been struggling with raising moneys for that alone
for the past two years.
A. This is the only real community involvement here. The University of Illinois people were not
interested in us at all and we had trouble raising money. I was President of the Foundation and I
speak from experience on that. The community loved having a place where they could put on
symphony and big shows and so forth and it has always been interested in that, and I think