▁rocks ", ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁its ▁students ▁were ▁veter ans ▁on ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Bill , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁worked ▁other ▁part - time ▁jobs ▁to ▁support ▁themselves . ▁It ▁also ▁accommod ated ▁first - gener ation ▁college ▁students ▁from ▁working ▁families ▁who ▁comm uted ▁from ▁home . ▁( N avy ▁Pier ▁makes ▁an ▁appearance ▁in ▁Robert ▁P irs ig ' s ▁Z en ▁and ▁the ▁Art ▁of ▁Motor cycle ▁Main ten ance ; ▁its ▁protagon ist ▁taught ▁fresh man ▁English ▁there .) ▁ ▁Dem and ▁for ▁a ▁public ▁university ▁education ▁in ▁Chicago ▁remained ▁high , ▁the ▁University ▁made ▁plans ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁permanent ▁degree - gr ant ing ▁campus ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁area . ▁Indeed , ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁two - year ▁school , ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁at ▁Navy ▁Pier ▁needed ▁to ▁transfer ▁to ▁a ▁higher - tu ition ▁private ▁college ▁in ▁Chicago ▁or ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁campus ▁in ▁Champ aign - U rb ana , ▁where ▁there ▁were ▁fewer ▁job ▁opportun ities . ▁ ▁Congress ▁Circle ▁campus ▁D ale y ▁succeeded ▁in ▁getting ▁the ▁state ▁sen ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁to ▁pass ▁a ▁bill ▁calling ▁for ▁a ▁Chicago ▁campus . ▁D ale y ▁then ▁became ▁mayor ▁of ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁and ▁pressed ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁to ▁upgrade ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Under grad uate ▁Center ▁to ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁four - year ▁institution . ▁After ▁a