William Uebel Memorial Scholarship created at IVCC

A longtime community college instructor will continue to inspire future teachers.

With a $20,000 donation to the Illinois Valley Community College Foundation, family and friends of William “Bill” Uebel created the William Uebel Memorial Scholarship, which will provide $1,000 a year to an IVCC student pursuing a degree in secondary education.

A graduate of La Salle-Peru High School and LPO Junior College (which became IVCC), Uebel later taught social sciences at both. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Northern Illinois University.

In 1968,  he became one of the initial full-time faculty at the new community college, IVCC. At the time he retired in 1991, he was chairman of the Social Science Department. He died in 2023.

Uebel was known as a dedicated professor and highly regarded by his students and respected by colleagues who especially valued his great sense of humor. If you happened to drop in to the faculty break room, you likely would discover him eating homemade goodies, spinning tall golf tales or talking about one of his five convertibles.

Uebel frequently was approached by former students who thanked him for being a great teacher and influencing their future. His love of education inspired many to pursue a similar career, including his two daughters, Christine and Holly.

“Bill was one of my earliest supporters during my time at IVCC. I credit him as one of the key reasons I was able to start my career here,” IVCC President Tracy Morris said. “Bill held high standards and expectations, along with his love for learning, which are what made him such an important part of our early years of IVCC. This scholarship will make a difference for students to follow their passion for teaching.”