Wassaja Hall dedicated in honor of Illinois' first Native American graduate

A new residence hall at Illinois has been dedicated in honor of the university’s first Native American graduate.

Wassaja Hall, which houses more than 500 students at 1202 S. First St. in Champaign, was dedicated on Thursday for the university’s first Native American student.

Wassaja (pronounced WAHS-ah-jah), who was known as Carlos Montezuma, studied at Illinois in the early 1880s. Stolen from his family as a boy, he enrolled at Illinois at age 14 and graduated from Illinois in 1884 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He went on to earn a medical degree.

He later worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a reservation doctor. After witnessing widespread poverty and corruption, Wassaja fought tirelessly for Native American rights and citizenship. When his own Yavapai nation faced eviction from its ancestral home in Arizona, he went to Washington, D.C., to fight the order. He finally secured their land and water rights, setting a precedent for other tribes.

Thursday’s ceremony included eight members of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Tribal Council—including several of Wassaja’s descendants—and several top university officials. It also included drum performances from Ottertrail, an intertribal singing group.

Bernadine Burnette, president of the tribal council, read a proclamation from the council supporting the decision to name the residence hall after Wassaja. She said Wassaja’s tireless efforts on behalf of Native Americans continue to inspire the tiny Yavapai community of some 950 residents, as they have named their health clinic after him and have helped create several scholarships in his name.

“If not for Wassaja’s efforts, it’s safe to say there wouldn’t be a Fort McDowell,” Burnette said. She added: “Besides the value of education, Wassaja taught us that despite our own small size, we can move mountains.”

The ceremony included comments by Illinois President Timothy Killeen; Barbara Wilson, interim chancellor and Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS; Edward McMillan, chair of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees; Jamie Singson, director of the Native American House; and Alma Sealine, director of University Housing.

Killeen pointed out that this is not the first residence hall at Illinois named after individuals who were champions for their cause. Two others are Nugent Hall, named for disability rights advocate Tim Nugent, and Bousfield Hall, named for Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield, who was the first African American woman to graduate from Illinois, in 1906, with a dual degree in mathematics and astronomy. She went on to become a leader in education.

Killeen pointed to studies indicating that living in a residence hall is good for student academic performance, adding that students in residence halls also learn important lessons in leadership, sustainability, and living with people unlike themselves.

“It’s my sincere hope and belief that Wassaja Hall will provide the setting for infinite life changes,” Killeen said.

Wilson called Wassaja Hall one of the best residence halls in the nation, and pointed out that Illinois students were involved in the hall’s design recommendations and color scheme. They also recommended the name.

“It’s hard to think of anyone who exemplifies the Illinois story as well as (Wassaja) did,” Wilson said. “His Illinois experience didn’t just give him a degree or education. It made him a leader, and that’s what we hope for all our students.”

Students moved into Wassaja Hall in August. Learn more about the residence hall here.