Most of the historical information in this article was found in the Centennial archives of McKendree, and you can read more here.
The McKendree Review began on November 15, 1921. It began as a means for the journalism students to practice their work, and was published by them from the beginning. The paper, printed and distributed throughout the campus, was usually between four and six pages long, with longer versions attributed to special campus events like Homecoming or important sports events.
The paper began with editors and other staff aside from the writers. The first staff consisted of Mabel Bower (Editor), Mildred Wilton (Assistant Editor), Violet Glenn (Circulation Manager), and Fred Faverty (Business Manager). Mr. Milburn P. Ackers was an integral part of the Review’s beginning, acting as editor and manager during his time at school and providing help to the paper’s staff even after he graduated.
Did you know it used to cost money to read the Review? The subscription price began at $1.50 per year and fluctuated a bit in the years following. Published content was very similar in the beginning to what it is today, but there were more details included in each issue. For example, one issue from the late 1920s included a list of new books in the campus library. Of course, details like this could be included in today’s stories, but the smaller, older version of the school had the means to regularly report on the small things.
For a long time, the paper was printed and published in Lebanon, distributed mostly on campus. However, in its origin, the Review was a part of the Illinois College Press Association. This year, as we combine with McKendree Radio to become McKendree Media, we are once again entering this association!
Since its establishment, the McKendree Review has gone through many phases. There used to be about 30 issues per year, with no posts during summer, holiday break, or final exam weeks. In fact, the regular posting schedule remained one issue every two weeks for many years. Posting regularity changed with different staff, too. For example, in 2002, issues were published bi-monthly. Today, articles go up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, as many of our wonderful readers already know.
One aspect of the paper that has changed is who can write and be published. It used to be that only members of the Press Club could write for the Review, and members were selected very carefully. This eased up as time went on, and today—despite our full staff and their titles—anyone is welcome to write for the school newspaper. As always, the Review is “devoted to the interests of McKendree.”
The history of the Review is rather interesting, and the current staff encourages you to look into it via Holman Library’s archives. The photos included in this article are from their site. All in all, we are happy to include our audience in the celebration of this very important anniversary. Happy 100 years!
