Spotlight: Robert G. Buzzard
Who was the man for whom Buzzard Hall was named?
What was his role in the formation of the Lab School?
Dr. Buzzard’s tenure as Eastern’s President spanned from 1933 - 1956. One of his objectives as president was to enlarge the campus by building new facilities, such as a gym, science building, and library. He also set a goal to replace the Training School with a new building for a Laboratory School to increase the caliber of the education program at Eastern.
His vision for this institution's future growth included evolving Eastern from a teacher-training facility to a more inclusive and renowned research institution. A Laboratory School would be one way to advance the education field, as well as provide a more scholarly focused and cutting-edge training to future educators.
Dr. Robert Guy Buzzard, photo courtesy of EIU archives.
In 1947 Dr. Buzzard also had the foresightedness to open up the degree programs at Eastern to include non-teaching Bachelor Degrees in anticipation of veterans seeking college degrees after World War II ended. The college was then renamed Eastern Illinois State College, and the high school was called Eastern State High School. Buzzard’s intuition served him right. The rapid increase in enrollment necessitated the building of more facilities for housing as well as education.
Eastern's Lab School, ca 1950's, photo courtesy of EIU archives.
War surplus barracks were donated by the Federal Housing Administration to compensate for the influx, including a Quonset hut to temporarily house the Lab School.
In 1956, Dr. Buzzard announced his retirement. At his retirement gala in May of that year, his friends and colleagues made the observation: "On the big decisions he's always been right."
Two years later Dr. Buzzard’s ultimate vision for a permanent state of the art building was realized when construction of the Buzzard Laboratory School was completed under the tenure of the next president, Dr. Quincy Von Ogden Doudna.
Buzzard Laboratory School ground breaking ceremony, photo courtesy of EIU archives.