U. of I. rehiring of controversial prof imperils donor funds

Two academic programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have begun the process of rehiring controversial professor James Kilgore a decision that could have financial implications for the public university system.

Kilgore, who spent about five years in prison for his part in a 1970s murder, worked as a lecturer and researcher at the U. of I. from 2010 until earlier this year. His employment was not approved for this semester after his criminal past became public and university board members expressed concern.

Earlier this month, however, after faculty pressure to reinstate him, a divided U. of I. board of trustees cleared the way for his rehiring, saying academic units should act under "their existing hiring practices" for part-time faculty, which leaves employment decisions to campus officials.

Kilgore, 66, told the Tribune that two academic units the Center for African Studies and the Global Studies program have "made requests" to hire him for the spring semester that begins in January. Kilgore said he has been transformed since he participated in the Symbionese Liberation Army, a 1970s-era radical group.

But if Kilgore does rejoin the faculty, at least one major university donor has said he will withdraw his pledged support, which would mean about $4.5 million to the University of Illinois at Chicago's bioengineering department. Both UIC and the Urbana-Champaign campus are part of the U. of I. system.

Chicago businessman Richard Hill last year pledged $6.5 million to UIC's bioengineering department, the largest gift in the history of the College of Engineering and one that brought praise from Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Hill said he has given about $2 million so far but will not follow through with the remaining $4.5 million if Kilgore goes back on the U. of I. payroll.

"I no longer wish to be associated with University of Illinois," he wrote in a letter to top U. of I. officials after the board's decision. "The Academy at the University of Illinois has clearly lost its moral compass."

He expanded on his position in further emails with the Tribune, saying the money is available if the university "does the right thing."

"I will not contribute neither time nor money to such a morally debased enterprise," Hill said. "If they stand up and police their own organization to assure they are of the highest standards, I will stand with them till my dying days."

The bioengineering department was named for Hill, making it the first named department at UIC. It's unclear what will happen if he withdraws the promised funding. In all, Hill has given or committed about $8.8 million to UIC.

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U. of I. rehiring of controversial prof imperils donor funds