He is remembered for his 45-year career at Illinois College where his love of writing, literature and the arts; his dedication to honoring IC tradition; and his commitment to serving others had a positive impact on the lives of countless students.

“Dean Eldred served generations of Illinois College students and his loss will be deeply felt by our community,” said Illinois College President Barbara A. Farley. “He taught students skills that transcended his academic discipline because Dean Eldred believed in the capacity of the liberal arts to empower young people to make a difference in the world.”

Eldred came to Illinois College in 1961, after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dubuque and a Master of Arts degree from Northwestern University. While at IC, he served as dean of men, dean of students and professor of English and communication. Eldred has credited his love of words as the catalyst for devoting his life to teaching. The wordsmith often contributed poetry to IC’s Forté magazine and shared his passion and enthusiasm for literature and writing with the IC students who were in his classroom each semester.

Alumni remember Dean Eldred as an inspirational mentor and excellent professor who was committed to the success of each student. Eldred’s legacy at IC includes founding the prestigious Julian M. Sturtevant Campus Leadership and Service Awards, an annual honor to recognize the work of exceptional seniors who have made a difference in the campus community. He was the founder of the silver cup to award outstanding literary work by the men’s literary societies. Pi Pi Rho Literary Society made him an honorary member. Throughout his life, Eldred traveled to England dozens of times, including three months he spent living abroad. He also encouraged his students to expand their education through global travel and led BreakAway trips throughout England, Scotland and Ireland.

During his tenure, Eldred cultivated a remarkable body of work and made several lasting contributions to the College. He was the founder of the Illinois College Fine Arts Series, originally entitled the McGaw Fine Arts Series. He worked with the series for 30 years, including 15 years as chair and more than 20 years as fundraiser. Eldred was actively engaged in his faith, serving as a lay minister in several churches in Morgan County, including the Waverly Congregational Church and Bielschmidt Chapel located in Passavant Area Hospital.

In 2004, Illinois College conferred upon Eldred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. He was recognized as a “Friend of the College” for his dedication and outstanding service to the College and the Jacksonville community by the Illinois College Alumni Association in 2013. On April 23, 2018, Congresswoman Cheri Callahan Bustos ’83, Representative for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, formally recognized Eldred’s 90th birthday with Congressional remarks honoring the dean as a pillar of the Jacksonville community. A memorial service in honor of Dean Eldred was held in Rammelkamp Chapel on November 17.