Among the graduates in the first class of 1872 was 29 year-old Nathan C. Ricker. After a European trip, Ricker returned as an instructor in architecture. By 1875, he was a professor, and by 1878 he was Dean of the College of Engineering. President of the Alumni Association from 1874 to 1878, Ricker made a major contribution to the education of architects and the building of the University of Illinois.