Ricker's Works on Campus

The Natural History Building cornerstone holds the Ricker name.

Throughout Nathan Clifford Ricker's entire career, he was involved in the development of modern technology and materials, actively incorporating them into his teaching and campus designs.Initially used for military instruction, the Drill Hall (later called Kenney Gym Annex), which was built in 1890 to replace the Mechanical Building and Drill Hall (razed in 1899), contained a large, unified space. Ricker's progressive use of a wood- and metal-trussed framework left the interior free of support structures. The construction of the eclectically-styled Natural History Building (1892) in the American High Victorian Gothic style brought a change of architecture to the campus. Additions in 1909, 1910, and 1923 complement Ricker's original design and open onto the quadrangle, which was a campus feature by 1905.

A Gargoyle adorns the west side of Altgeld Hall (1896).

The Metal Shop (1895, Aeronautical Lab B, razed in 1993), a utilitarian structure with a steel-truss support system, was originally used for shop practice. Less than a year later Ricker worked with James McLaren White to design Library Hall (1896), later named Altgeld Hall after John Peter Altgeld, a governor of Illinois. The last and finest of Ricker's designs, this Richardsonian Romanesque structure remains an important landmark and is the only structure on campus to receive a perfect 5.0 preservation index rating from the Chancellor's Design Advisory Committee.