Slavic and East European Journal Editor's File, 1968-76 | University of Illinois Archives

The formation of such a department had been in consideration since 1934 when the University was requested to establish a chair by the Czechoslovak National Council of America.¹ Courses in Russian began to be offered in 1942 on the undergraduate level and in 1952 on the graduate level. ² Formerly part of the French Department, a separate Russian Department was established in 1959.³ In the same year the program leading to a masters degree was approved and in 1961, one leading to a Ph.D. was approved.⁴ In 1963 the University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the Department to Slavic Languages and Literature.⁵

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 37th Report, February 24, 1934, p. 454; May 22, 1934, p. 574-75.

2. Catalogue & Register, 1942-43, p. 332; Undergraduate Study Catalog, 1952-53, p. 340.

3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 50th Report, May 16, 1959, p. 406.

4. Ibid., 50th Report, October 18, 1959, p. 1073; 51st Report, November 26, 1961, p. 1186-87.

5. Ibid., 52nd Report, December 18, 1963, p. 936.