Since at least 1959, Honduran students have been attending the University of Illinois. Early Honduran Illini have included city planners and dancers too.

Read on to learn more about early Honduran Illini!

Illinois – Honduras Connections

Before the first Honduran Illini arrived, other residents of Honduras came to Illinois to study too. For example, as early as 1879, future U.S. Vice Consul Philip S. Burchard completed taxidermy classes for a few days in March. That following summer, another Illini visited Honduras and published selections of his travelogue in the Daily Illini. In 1930, U.S. Consul to Honduras Julius I. Puente was an invited speaker at the sixth annual International Banquet of the off-campus Y.M.C.A. Class of 1935 Journalism alumni John L. Strohm (Record Series 26/20/75) visited Tegucigalpa in 1941, evidenced in multiple photographs and his journal entries too. Then in 1964, the University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Professor Bernard Goodman, toured Central and South America with a stop in Honduras too, which can be viewed in the Tour Scrapbook (Record Series 41/65/16).

Students

Some of the earliest Honduran Illini may have been students during the 1950s and at least one student left some records behind.

Ms. Ella Flores (B.S. City Planning, 1963), was student leader involved in multiple organizations including Forsite, and Latin American Students Association, and the Illini Union Committee. She was also a dancer, evidenced in at least two articles in the Daily Illini. At the 1959 Spanish Club Christmas Party, Ms. Flores performed the Pasodoble dance. Later, at the 1960 Colombian Night, with Colombian Illini, Ms. Flores would dance the Cumbia with other students too.

Although Honduran Illini documentation is limited after the 1960s, student enrollment figures document a Honduran Illini enrollment which has continued almost without interruption since the University centennial in 1967 and hopefully for much longer too.

Are you a Honduran 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 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.