Body

Faculty Emeriti

  • Elmer Antonsen (1929-2008)
    • 1967/1992-1996: Professor, Germanic Languages and Literatures / Linguistics
    • 1992-1996: Head, Linguistics
    • Professor, Center for Advanced Study
  • Larry Bouton (1931-2017)
    • 1969-1999: Professor, Division of English as an International Language
  • Braj B. Kachru (1932-2016)
    • 1963-2001: Professor, Linguistics
    • 1969-1979: Head, Linguistics
    • 1985-1991: Director, Division of English as an International Language
    • Director, Center for Advanced Study 
  • Yamuna Kachru (1933-2013)
    • 1965-1998: Professsor, Linguistics
    • 1968-1995: Professor, Division of English as an International Language
  • Henry Kahane (1902-1992)
    • 1941/1965-1971: Professor, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese / Linguistics
    • 1984: President, Linguistic Society of America
    • Professor, Center for Advanced Study
  • Ladislav Zgusta (1924-2007)
    • 1971-1995: Professor, Linguistics
    • Director, Center for Advanced Study

Former Faculty

  • Robert Lees (1922-1996)
    • 1965-1968: Professor, Linguistics
    • 1965-1968: Head, Linguistics
  • Theodore M. Lightner (1934/9-1984)
    • 1965-1969: Professor, Linguistics
  • Peter Cole (1941 - 2023)
    • 1973: PhD in Linguistics, UIUC
    • 1973-1988: Professor of Linguistics
  • Molly Mack (1950-2008)
    • 1985-2000: Professor, Division of English as an International Language
    • 2000-2008: Professor, Linguistics

 

Timeline of the Department of Linguistics at Illinois

  • 1946: ESL instruction first began on campus
  • 1961: Graduate Program in Linguistics organized
  • 1965: Department of Linguistics founded by Henry Kahane
    • Original faculty members: Braj B. Kachru, Henry Kahane, Howard Maclay, Charles E. Osgood, and John F. Yegerlehner; Robert Lees appointed as first head
  • 1966: Division of English as a Second Language founded
  • 1967: Phonetics Lab founded (Chin Woo Kim, Director)
  • 1968, 1969: LSA Summer Institutes hosted
  • 1971: First issue of Studies in the Linguistic Sciences (SLS) published
  • 1978: LSA Summer Institute hosted at Illinois
  • 1986: First issue of Issues and Developments in English and Applied Linguistics published
  • 1990: 25th anniversary, including lecture series and special volume of SLS describing the history of the department
    • Invited alumni speakers: Ronald Langacker, Jerry Sadock, Fritz Newmeyer, David Odden, Lise Menn, Peter Lowenberg, Gabriella Hermon, and S.N. Sridhar
  • 1999: LSA Summer Institute hosted
  • 2008: Merger of Linguistics and the Division of English as an International Language
  • 2009: First Illinois Language and Linguistics Society (ILLS) conference
  • 2015-16: 50th anniversary celebration, including six invited alumni lectures at ILLS8
    • Invited alumni speakers: Peter Cole, Laura Downing, Khalil Iskarous, Nkonko Kamwangamalu, John Levis, and Jerry Sadock