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IN MEMORIAM

R o b e r t   M i z e   S u t t o n
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By James A. Edstrom

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Dr. Robert Mize Sutton
Courtesy the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

With the passing of Dr. Robert Mize Sutton on May 2, 2005, the community of students and teachers of Illinois history has lost a towering figure. Bob Sutton filled many roles in his long and distinguished career: teacher, history professor, scholar, university administrator and archivist, but he will be remembered by a legion of students and colleagues as a generous mentor and a good friend.

A native of Bunker Hill in Macoupin County, Bob was proud of his roots in southern Illinois. It seems fitting that this future historian of the Prairie State received his earliest degree at Alton's Shurtleff College, which was originally founded in 1827 as the Rock Spring Seminary by the Reverend John Mason Peck, a seminal figure in early Illinois and himself a chronicler of the state's history.

After spending some time teaching school and serving in the armed forces during World War II, Bob Sutton came to the University of Illinois, where he received his advanced degrees. His connection with UIUC continued through the subsequent decades as a Professor of History from 1948 to 1984, an Assistant and Associate Dean from 1956 to 1966, and Director of the Illinois Historical Survey from 1965 to 1984. It was in his role as a researcher and teacher of Prairie State history that Bob Sutton made his most significant contributions. In addition to teaching courses in Illinois and U.S. history at the University of Illinois, he wrote books and articles on a wide variety of subjects, including the history of the Illinois Central Railroad, the pivotal year of 1837, the Northwest Ordinance, early Illinois businessmen, and Governor Edward Coles.

Undoubtedly influenced by his early career as a schoolteacher, Bob was especially interested in the teaching of Illinois history at all levels. In 1971 he and several other professional historians— Charles G. Summersell, Frances Summersell, Harris Harvell, and Bob's wife, Elizabeth Sutton, published Illinois History Filmstrips for use in the classroom. Countless students throughout Illinois (the present writer included) received their introduction to the subject through this audiovisual teaching tool. Bob and his collaborators developed Illinois History Filmstrips in a very methodical and meticulous way. "The Illinois History Filmstrips," they wrote, "are not just a collection of pictures thrown together. Basic concepts were isolated. Key ideas were then written into captions. Only then did the search begin for pictures to visualize these basic ideas." The result was a multimedia production that is still relevant, substantive and informative nearly 35 years later—a judgment underscored when Illinois History Filmstrips was converted to DVD format in 2004 with Bob's blessing and consultation. Indeed, it is largely a tribute to the vision of Bob Sutton and his original collaborators that the DVD version was awarded a Certificate of Excellence only two days before his death. Bob Sutton was also editor of The Heartland: Pages from Illinois History, which has gone through several editions and is in some ways a print version of Illinois History Filmstrips. It, too, was designed to introduce students at all levels to the most important episodes in Illinois history.

Bob Sutton's passion for the teaching and advocacy of Illinois history was also reflected in his life membership in the Illinois State Historical Society, which he served as President from 1962 to 1963. Throughout his Presidency and his membership in the Society, Bob inspired, mentored, and nurtured scholars around the state.

Robert Sutton was a consummate gentleman who was universally respected and admired by his peers and students alike. He had a courtly demeanor and a gentle good humor that endeared him to all who had the good fortune of knowing him. This is his lasting legacy.

James Edstrom of Buffalo Grove is on the faculty of Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Illinois State Historical Society.


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R o b e r t   M.   S u t t o n
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Robert M. Sutton
Courtesy the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

Robert Mize Sutton, former chairman of the University of Illinois Department of History and former dean of the Graduate College, was also a longtime supporter of the State Historical Society. That commitment began in the 1950s and led to his election as President in 1962. In the ensuing decades, he continued participating in Society programs as well as authoring articles for Society publications.

I met Bob in 1973, as the newly hired manager of the Society's statewide Historical Markers program. At that time, the organization sponsored twelve markers each year. Bob was a dedicated member of the Markers Committee, voting on proposed subjects, reading (and correcting) texts, and attending dedication ceremonies. Always, he seemed to enjoy the process and the camaraderie.

In the mid-1980s, the Illinois Sesquicentennial Commission, chaired by Ralph G. Newman, selected Bob to compose the Introduction to a reprint of Clarence Walworth Alford's The Illinois Country, 1673-1818. That publication, originally Volume One of the three-volume 1920 Centennial History of Illinois series, is a classic synthesis of the state's early development.

Among Bob's own publications are The Heartland: Pages from Illinois History and The Illinois Central Railroad in the Civil War.

In recent years, his health gradually declining, Bob continued attending the Society's annual Symposium. He and I, along with our mutual friend, Mary "Stormy" Storm, generally arranged to meet for lunch or dinner. Those were times for hearing about his sons, daughters, and especially his grandchildren.

Stormy and I visited with Bob and his wife, Betty, at their Urbana home just days before his passing on May 2. Although weak in body, his mind was still keen, his wit entertaining. He spoke proudly of the Illinois History film-strip series that he and Betty produced some years ago. How fitting that his former student James Edstrom recently converted those films to a digital format for renewed classroom use.

Bob was a fine gentleman who left an impressive mark. We will miss him.

- Janice Petterchak

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Marquette andjolliet at Starved Rock, painting by Robert Thom.

Janice Petterchak is a former director of the Illinois State Historical Library, former assistant director of the Illinois State Historical Society, and the author of several hooks, including the forthcoming Historic Illinois: An Illustrated History.


Society offers bicentennial prints

Reproductions of three historic Illinois paintings are now available through the Illinois State Historical Society's book store. Robert Thorn's portrayals of Marquette and Jolliet's first meeting with the Illini Indians in 1673 and the British occupation of Fort De Chartres, as well as George I. Parrish Jr.'s "Clark Raids Fort Sackville" have been digitally reproduced and framed in handsome native walnut. The reproductions, which measure 24" x 36," sell for $200 for members, $235 for non-members, plus shipping and applicable tax. For more on the prints, call 217-525-2781.


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