Law College: College of Law, General, 1979-1980

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH William R. Monat, Northern Illinois University's eighth president, was born October 8, 1924 in Virginia, Minnesota. After graduating from Virginia High School in 1942, he served in the U.S. Army until 1945. Monat received both his B.A. (1949) and Ph.D. (1956) in political science from the University of Minnesota. He taught in the Political Science Department of Wayne State University from 1954-1957. From 1957-1960 Monat served as an executive assistant to then Governor Millikin of Michigan. He returned to teaching as a professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University (1960-1968). He served one year as director of the budget for the Pennsylvania State Legislature (1968-1969). Monat was employed by Northern Illinois University as chair of the Political Science Department from 1969-1971. He left Illinois in 1971 to work at Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York. At Baruch, he was dean of faculties (1971-1974) and vice-president of academic affairs (1974-1976). Monat returned to Northern Illinois University to serve two years as vice-president and provost. He became acting president in February 1978 following the resignation of Richard Nelson. Monat was named president in July 1978 and held that office until August, 1984. During Monat's tenure as president, doctoral programs in education, geology, biological sciences, and mathematical sciences were added at NIU. The College of Law was opened at Northern in 1979. Monat left the presidency of NIU in 1984 to become the first chancellor of the Regency Universities System of Illinois, a post he held until his resignation in August 1986. He is currently retired from Northern Illinois University, and resides in DeKalb, Illinois.