Born and raised in Chicago, Beverly Effort Biggs applied to Illinois at the encouragement of a high school teacher in 1961. Up until then, her educational environments had been majority - black. She came to Illinois at the young age of 16 and found a sense of belonging through the Black Greek system by joining Delta Sigma Theta her junior year. She remembers coming of age through the sorority and picketing with sisters in the Civil Rights Movement for fair housing.
Bob Lumsden’s association with the University of Illinois began almost at birth and has continued to the present. He was born in town, attended starting in 1949 and graduated in 1953 with a marketing degree. Later, he returned as Coordinator of Campus Tours and fostered the creation of the Student Alumni Association, the revitalization of Homecoming, and other major events on campus. In this interview, he discusses his life, career, and the connections with students and staff he made along the way.
