Glacial Deposits.indd - Department of Geography - Geology - Illinois ...

YESTERYEARS
By Michael D. Sublett
Glacial Deposits 30 Years Ago, Volume 8, 1979-1980
Computers really were available for cartographic projects three decades ago; but the maps then
emerged from “the Department’s computer mapping library maintained at Julian Hall,” according
to an article that Professor Donald E. Luman wrote for Volume 8, entitled “A Sample of
Computer Cartography Output.” Words, seldom seen now, like CALFORM, SYMVU, SYMAP,
and SYMAPVU appeared in his five-page piece. These were the programs that Don, fellow
geographer George Aspbury, and their students used on the mainframe computer in Julian.
Accompanying his page of text were several maps, including a perspective drawing of Illinois
showing farmland values by county, an “isarithmic slope map…of 3300 points depicting the area
encompassed by Timberline Subdivision at Goodfield,” “a planimetric line-printed map, as well
as the two-point perspective line plotted map” of nationwide precipitation on 9 November 1977,
and a “low-order trend surface” map of Washington state showing family income. Don soon left
the Department to teach at Northern Illinois University and now works for the Illinois State
Geological Survey, on the campus of the University of Illinois.
Glacial Deposits 20 Years Ago, Volume 18, 1989-1990
Computers made the news in the late 1980s as a novel way for registering our students. Donna
L. Mau, Student Editor for Volume 18, interviewed Professor Eric Johnson, the Geography
Advisor, for her article, “Easing Up on Registration.” Dr. Johnson told her that “the new system
makes looking through a stack of student files [file folders] unthinkable.” Every record that he
needed to advise majors was available “by the touch of a few keys.” If a graduating senior
wanted to know whether “his or her senior hours are completed,” all Eric had to do was give the
computer a “matter of seconds” to find the answer. Making life for students even easier was the
computer feature that allowed “a student to change majors to Geography or Geology without all
the running around back and forth between department offices and Hovey Hall.” Donna
graduated and worked several years at Walgreens headquarters. Eric Johnson retired in the
late 1990s and has since passed.
Glacial Deposits 10 Years Ago, Volume 28, 1999-2000
Computers were playing a huge role in the preparation and publication of Glacial Deposits by
the time Volume 28 appeared. In my annual editorial, I suggested that the cover that year was
“worth a few lines” because for the first time, after 27 issues, we had “the chance to publish
items in full color,” which we did on the inside and outside of the front and back covers. Key to a
color process that the Department could afford were the Director of Printing Services, David
Nelson, “and their new Heidelberg Quickmaster DI (digital imaging) color press,” which retailed
“for just under $500,000.” Jill Freund Thomas, in charge of rendering our graphics (then and
now), was “able to go all out with color efforts on type, logos, photographs, and maps.” I noted
that we were just then beginning to use digital photographs (one of incoming faculty member
Dagmar Budikova and another of President Vic Boschini). The other photos in that volume were
film prints that Jill had to scan and prepare for the printing press. Dave Nelson retired in 2010,
but the Heidelberg continues to march.
56