Since at least 1944, Ecuadorian students have been attending the University of Illinois. Early Ecuadorian Illini have included agriculturalists, chemical engineers, civil engineers, educators, and industrial designers too.

Read on to learn about early Ecuadorian Illini!

Early Illinois – Ecuador Connections

A review of the Board of Trustees proceedings (Record Series 1/1/802) yields multiple instances of emerging connections between the University and Ecuador. For example, as early as academic year 1950-1951, College of Education Professor Thomas E. Benner (Record Series 10/1/21) had been approved for a sabbatical in Ecuador but plans fell through. [1] While from 1959 until 1982, Anthropology Professor Joseph B. Casagrande (Record Series 15/2/22) investigated the experiences indigenous populations in modern Ecuadorian society.

Early Ecuadorian Illini

The first Ecuadorian student might have been Mr. Eduardo A. Pazmino, (B.F.A. Industrial Design, 1948) and his photo can be found in the Illio yearbook. From Daily Illini reporting, we learn that Mr. Pazmino was a member of the multicultural student organization Cosmopolitan Club, and he spoke about Ecuador on campus too. At one International Friendship Committee event at the YMCA, Mr. Pazmino even spoke about the difficult economic challenges facing Ecuadorians in the 1940s, the status of women, and where he thought U.S. – Ecuadorian foreign policy should be.

The year after Mr. Pazmino graduated, a homesick Mr. Carlos Gonzalez went to the campus film library in search of a film on Ecuador. A copy of the documentary This is Ecuador (1942) was located and screened. While watching the film, Mr. Gonzalez excitedly told another student his recalled memories of Ecuador as the film displayed many familiar sights. During the film, to the both men’s surprise, the filmmakers went to the University of Quito, where Mr. Gonzalez was a student previously. Then, the surprises continued as Mr. Gonzalez was surprised to see himself in the film too. [2]

During the 1950s began the tradition of Ecuadorian Illini graduate students. Some of the earliest Ecuadorian Illini graduate students have included: Mr. Gaston Buchely, (M.S. Civil Engineering, 1954), Mr. Alfredo Nicolas Usubillaga, (M.S. Chemical Engineering, 1959), and Mr. Frethman Anibal Hervas, (M.S. Physical Education, 1969).

Then, later, in 1962, in a longer article about student perspectives of the Cuban Missile Crisis, one Ecuadorian Illini engineer thought that the U.S. should be more proactive in diplomatic actions with Cuba and the U.S.S.R.

Ecuadorian Student Exchanges

During the 1960s, Illinois students would travel to Ecuador and Ecuadorian students would come to Illinois, through a variety of cultural exchange programs.

For four days during late March of 1960, as part of a U.S. State Department program, the University hosted 22 Ecuadorian students from four different Ecuadorian universities, the Daily Illini reported. Travel arrangements were made by foreign student advisor Robert Schuiteman. Housing was provided by McKinley Hall, Wescoga, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Psi Upsilon, and Four Columns. And although only 3 students were reported to speak conversational English, the University student organization Spanish Club provided translation services. The Ecuadorian students met University students and faculty, they attended student senate meetings and musical performances too.

Daily Illini reporter Margie Schaefer interviewed some of the students through the translation help of Colombian student Dario Abad. Ms. Schaefer and Mr. Abad interviewed Franklin Ramirez (Central University of Quito), Ligia Andio (University of Quito), Aquiles Rigall (University of Quayaquill), and Guillermo Salas (University of Loja). Among their observations, the men admired the friendly relations between students and faculty, the university college and department structure, and the opportunities for paraprofessional practice in addition to theoretical coursework for programs like law. Regarding education in Ecuador, the men explained that there is great opportunity in the Ecuadorian government working with indigenous populations to participate in higher education as well as the broader population too.

Although the program was successful, a Daily Illini editorial argued that American students could be doing more to support such programs through actively learning a foreign language like Spanish and through taking the time to welcome and support foreign guests like the Ecuadorian students.

In 1964, one American student was selected to join a 15-student summer program in Ecuador, for the Building for Brotherhood Work Camp, sponsored by the National Student YMCA. As the student told the Daily Illini, he was excited to study Spanish, meet Ecuadorian students, and possibly visit neighboring countries, to meet people and to “get a clearer picture of South America as a whole“.

In May of 1966, seven civil engineering students from Ecuador toured multiple U.S. cities and their trip included a visit to the University campus after visiting nearby St. Louis. Upon their arrival, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies hosted a public reception at the Illini Union faculty lounge. It was two days later at the Illini Union bowling alley, where Daily Illini reporter Ardyth Broadrick interviewed the men, in English and his own “sketchy” Spanish. Mr. Broadrick reported that although not all of the men spoke fluent English, they enjoyed their trip. Among the cultural differences the men noticed in America, as Mr. Broadrick reported, the students observed that Americans were less formerly dressed for classes while some others were very pretty.

Organizations

Ecuadorian Illini enrollment remained steady through the 1970s and 1980s, before significantly increasing during the 1990s and beyond. In 2001, Ecuadorian Illini graduate students Mr. Carlos Suárez (M.S. General Engineering, 2003; PhD Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering, 2009) and Mr. Antonio Salvador (M.S. Agricultural and Consumer Economics, 2002) established the Ecuadorian Student Association. The ESA “promotes unity and fraternity among students and staff” while promoting Ecuadorian cultures across the University campus today.

Are you an Ecuadorian Illini? Do you know someone who is? We’d like to hear from you! Please send us a message or leave a comment below. We want to include you and your story, as we celebrate the first 150 years of the University of Illinois.

Happy First 150 everyone!

References

[] As always, a special thank you to all staff and students whose tireless work for student life and publications (many of which are available at the University Archives) help preserve the memories of Illini everywhere.

[1] Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, February 15, 1951, page 535, Record Series 1/1/802.

[2] Our neighbors at Indiana University have a digitized copy of the film This is Ecuador (1942) online. Be sure to tell them thanks!