Today UIS welcomes a new sculpture of a smiling young Lincoln crafted by George Lundeen. History Department faculty members Dr. Holly Kent and Dr. Michael Burlingame helped bring this beautiful sculpture to our campus. Dr. Kent served as a member of the sculpture advisory board and Dr. Burlingame advised Mr. Lundeen on Lincoln’s personality, traits, and history. Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Act on July 2, 1862 which provided the resources for creating the University of Illinois. In 1867, University of Illinois was established  for the “purpose of fostering access to higher education for the working people” a continuing goal of UIS.