MacMurray College announced closure on Friday, March 27, 2020, and will cease enrollments at the end of the 2020 Spring Semester.

Closure Information & Resources for Alumni & Donors

Thank you for your support of MacMurray College. Our alumni and donors have helped sustain the 173 years of higher education that generations have been able to experience at MacMurray. Although the College has fulfilled its mission, its legacy and traditions will continue to live on through MacNation.

As family and friends of the College, you are able to refer to this page for answers to questions regarding the closure of MacMurray. We will continue to update this section of the website as we get more information.

If you have further questions, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations:
217-479-7024
[email protected]

Guidelines for MacMurray Campus Visits

As COVID-19 restrictions change over the summer months, alumni will be welcome to walk through campus, but all campus buildings will remain closed.

View our Visiting Campus page for guidelines on how to plan an effective visit.

How to Obtain a Transcript

How to Obtain a Diploma

MacMurray is no longer able to assure that we can deliver replacement diplomas before our closure and therefore must stop accepting orders for them. Our printer, Josten's, puts delivery time into June given the ongoing COVID-19 disruptions and states that orders may be delayed past that time.

If we can make alternative arrangements for replacement diplomas after we close, that will be publicized.

We regret the inconvenience incumbent in this situation.

Alumni Awards

The MacMurray College Alumni Association presented various awards during the 1846 Donor and Alumni Recognition Dinner that was held on Friday evening of Homecoming. The awards included the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Distinguished Career Award, the Community Service Award, and/or the Young Alumni Award. The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony was usually held on a Saturday evening in late January or early February.

Click on the name of an award below to see those alumni to which they were awarded.

Traditions

Homecoming

To view information for the most recent Homecoming events, click on a logo below.

The Green Ribbon Ceremony

In the fall of 1928, the sophomore class initiated a new tradition, a form of freshman hazing that continued well into the 1990s. The sophomore women required the new freshmen to wear a green ribbon around their necks until Thanksgiving. If caught without the ribbon, a fine of 25 cents was imposed. On November 28, 1928, out of rage and rebellion, the freshmen burned an effigy of the sophomore class as well as the ribbons.

The tradition continued, but with less emphasis on hazing and more emphasis on its symbolism: a binding of sisterhood and a connection of the present with the past. Dressed in white, the senior Big Sister ties the green ribbon — a symbol of loyalty — around the freshman Little Sister during a candle-lit ceremony in the chapel as the senior women serenaded the freshman with traditional college songs of "Our Best to You," "You'll Never Walk Alone" or the Alma Mater. At the end of orientation week, the green ribbons were then snipped off, and the women formed a two-ring circle to burn the ribbons outside on Rutledge lawn.

By Stately Elms

Known as the "College Song," "By Stately Elms" was written in 1890 by then-instructor in voice Phebe K. Murray '90. The first public performance of the song was given in 1907 by the Glee Club. The original second verse, which referenced Belles Lettres and Phi Nu, was re-written to reflect the addition of other societies on campus, but the first verse has remained unchanged over the years.

Hail to MacMurray

"Hail to MacMurray" first appears in the College's history in 1932 in a class day program. The original lyrics are credited to Mildred Rose Kane '34, and the original music is credited to Vivian Swengel Smith '34. When MacMurray College for Men was established under President Norris in 1955, male students adopted their own school song, and it was sung along with "By Stately Elms" at graduation until 1971, when "Hail to MacMurray" was adopted as the alma mater for both. At that time, the second verse of "Hail to MacMurray" was re-written to include the men's motto, which used words written by Dale Wolff '61.

The words used today are as follows:

Hail to MacMurray, the pride of us all!
Hail to our alma mater, may her standards never fall!
Hail to MacMurray, we pledge our loyalty!
Knowledge, Faith, and Service shall our ensign ever be.
Wisdom gained through college illuminates the way:
How to meet with reverence the duties of each day.
Thus our code is molded to lead a loyal clan.
Wisdom, Duty, Reverence shall be our goal and plan.

Thanksgiving on Campus

It used to be that students didn't get to return home to celebrate Thanksgiving, rather they had their own traditions that took place for many years at MacMurray.

Students were woken at dawn by the seniors, who, dressed in their black caps and gowns, carried lighted candles and sang Thanksgiving hymns through the corridors of each dorm. The students then ate the traditional breakfast of oranges, hot dogs and Mrs. Ollie Brown's Cinnamon Rolls along with coffee or milk. Next came the hockey game, where the Army team (freshmen and juniors) played against the Navy team (sophomores and seniors) for the championship title. Following the game was the formal banquet held in McClelland Dining Hall where students gathered together to eat with their MacMurray Family, and afterwards walked to the Social Room for the yearly Tea Dance sponsored by the YWCA. The evening brought another buffet supper served in Harker Hall, and finished off with a play performed by the Drama Club in the Little Theater.

MacNation

President Mark Tierno embarked on an eight-week trek traveling a total of 14,169 miles around the nation to rally the alumni army from June 1 to July 26, 2017. The MacNation Tour 2017 was executed to thank longtime supporters of MacMurray College, to increase alumni participation, to inform alumni and friends of the College's mission and vision and encourage them to support the institution and to engage with current and prospective students.

Within the two-month span, the Tour hosted 28 events with a total attendance of 861 individuals across the country; President Tierno made 38 visits to longtime donors of the College; 161 current and prospective students attended various events and were awarded a $500 one-time award for attending; and a total of $301,734 was secured as a result of the Tour.

Thanks to the hard work of numerous staff, faculty and volunteers as well as the detailed planning and success of the Tour, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education named MacMurray College a gold award winner of both its 2018 Circle of Excellence awards program and its Pride of CASE District V Awards Program. A panel of experts selected the College's entry in the Special Events: Multi-Day category from among 34 entries. The CASE Judging Panel noted that the MacNation tour 2017 was a "very well thought out and meticulously planned program." "This entry provided clear objectives and provided excellent evidence to support their outcomes," said the CASE Judging Panel. "The program was creative and included a number of volunteers and alumni to support the program. Not many presidents would travel for 8 weeks straight in an RV."

Mrs. Ollie Brown's Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Shared by Liz Reeves, a manager at The Hub in the basement of Rutledge Hall, this recipe originally belonged to her mother, Mrs. Ollie Brown. Reeves' cinnamon rolls were truly a "hot" item, known to be the sole reason many students got out of bed each day.

1 cup lukewarm water
2 cakes yeast (Fleischman's)
1 tsp salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup soft butter or margarine
2 whole eggs
3 cups flour
Place water in a large bowl. Add the yeast, salt and half of the sugar. Stir in one cup of flour. Let stand about ten minutes. Add rest of ingredients, make a soft dough that can be handled. Let rise until double in bulk. Knead well, roll out about ½ inch thick. Spread with melted butter, then cinnamon mixed with sugar. Roll up like a jelly roll and cut in ¾ inch slices. Place in well-greased pan, then sprinkle with ¾ cup brown sugar mixed with cinnamon, dot with ⅓ cups butter. Let rise until light. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 20-30 minutes.

Mac Dessert

½ lb vanilla wafers
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen strawberries
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
½ pt whipping cream, whipped (or 2 cup Cool Whip)
Crush wafers; combine with butter. Press ⅔ of crumbs into 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cream 1 cup powdered sugar and ½ cup margarine. Add to above one package frozen strawberries, ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans and ½ pint whipped whipping cream (or 2 cups Cool Whip). Pour strawberry mixture over crumbs and sprinkle on remaining crumbs. Freeze at least 24 hours before serving.

MONTAGE

Montage was the College literary magazine which was published each spring from 1966 to 2014. Created by MacMurray students, staff and faculty, it included numerous works of poetry, art and fiction within its pages.

FAQ for Alumni

Will my degree from MacMurray still be considered valuable?

Yes, your degree from MacMurray is still valuable! It will be recognized by employers and other colleges/universities as a valid degree with full regional accreditation.

What will happen to my academic records after closure?

Academic records will be preserved and accessible after MacMurray College closes. Records will be transferred to a custodian institution which is still to be determined.

How will I be able to obtain an official transcript?

The current process to request transcripts has not changed. Students and alumni can order official transcripts through the Parchment electronic service:

  1. Set up an account at the Parchment website.
  2. Follow the on-site directions to submit orders.

Your legal signature is required to release a transcript which is collected by Parchment, so MacMurray cannot accept requests by phone. Ordering in person or by mail, fax, or email also is no longer available. You must submit a Parchment request, pay the transcript fee and resolve any outstanding holds at MacMurray before we can release transcripts to Parchment for delivery.

All transcripts, including those sent directly to you, require the same processing. Transcripts through Parchment are a total of $15 including their fee. Additional delivery options through Parchment are ordered and paid through them.

For further information or in case of problems, please contact the Registrar's Office at 217-479-7017 or email [email protected].

How can I obtain a replacement diploma?

MacMurray is no longer able to assure that we can deliver replacement diplomas before our closure and therefore must stop accepting orders for them. Our printer, Josten's, puts delivery time into June given the ongoing COVID-19 disruptions and states that orders may be delayed past that time.

If we can make alternative arrangements for replacement diplomas after we close, that will be publicized.

We regret the inconvenience incumbent in this situation.

What will happen to the MacMurray campus after the college closes?

MacMurray College is still working to determine what will happen with the College's assets. This section will be updated as this information is made available.

What will happen to MacMurray's endowment?

MacMurray College is still working to determine what will happen with the endowment. This section will be updated as this information is made available.

FAQ for Donors

I have made arrangements for an estate gift to MacMurray. What can I expect?

We are working to provide more information about this topic. This section will be updated as this information is made available.

What will happen to all of MacMurray's assets? Can I ask for, or purchase, a specific item?

MacMurray College is still working to determine what will happen with the College’s assets. This section will be updated as this information is made available.