▁of ▁Illinois ▁at ▁Chicago ▁traces ▁its ▁orig ins ▁to ▁several ▁private ▁health ▁colleg es ▁founded ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁including ▁the ▁Chicago ▁College ▁of ▁Ph arm acy , ▁which ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Phys icians ▁and ▁Sur ge ons ▁( 1 8 8 2 ), ▁and ▁the ▁Columb ian ▁College ▁of ▁D ent istry ▁( 1 8 9 3 ). ▁ ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁was ▁char tered ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁in ▁Champ aign - U rb ana , ▁as ▁the ▁state ' s ▁land - gr ant ▁university . ▁In ▁exchange ▁for ▁agree ing ▁to ▁the ▁Champ aign - U rb ana ▁location , ▁Chicago - area ▁legisl ators ▁were ▁promised ▁that ▁a ▁" poly techn ical " ▁branch ▁would ▁open ▁in ▁Chicago . ▁The ▁Chicago - based ▁health ▁colleg es ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 – 9 7 , ▁becoming ▁fully ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁as ▁the ▁Colleg es ▁of ▁Medicine , ▁D ent istry , ▁and ▁Ph arm acy . ▁Medical ▁education ▁and ▁research ▁expanded ▁in ▁the ▁succeed ing ▁dec ades , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁several ▁other ▁health ▁science ▁colleg es , ▁which ▁were ▁brought ▁together ▁as ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Professional ▁Colleg es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁act ▁of ▁newly ▁elected ▁state ▁representative ▁Richard ▁J . ▁D ale y ▁was ▁to ▁introduce