| 1872 |
|
 Dr. Henry Olin founded the Chicago College of Ophthalmology and Otology.
Back to top
|
| 1887 |
|
Dr. James McFatrich joined Dr. Olin as a full partner in a practice specializing ophthalmology, after a two-year Cook County Hospital internship. He joined Olin’s faculty.
Back to top
|
| 1889 |
|
Dr. Olin retired for health reasons, and Dr. McFatrich took over both the practice and the school’s management.
Back to top
|
| 1891 |
|
 Dr. James McFatrich changed the school’s name to Northern Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Otology (NICOO). Six years later, Dr. McFatrich developed a muriate of berberine-based eyedrop (Murine) and established the Murine Eye Remedy Company.
Back to top
|
| 1898 |
|
Dr. George McFatrich, brother of James McFatrich, took over management of NICOO and amended the school’s charter to be the first leading optometric institution to teach vision care to non-medical personnel.
Back to top
|
| 1907 |
|
 Dr. Needles founded the Needles Institute of Optometry (NIO) in Kansas City, MO.
Back to top
|
| 1921 |
|
During a Chicago speaking engagement Dr. William Needles met with Dr. George McFatrich, who offered him ownership of NICOO.
Back to top
|
| 1922 |
|
Dr. William Needles purchased NICOO’s stock and left Dr. Ernest Occhiena in charge of the Needles Institute of Optometry.
Back to top
|
| 1923 |
|
Dr. Carl L. Shepard headed NICOO's research department.
Back to top
|
| 1926 |
|
 Dr. Needles merged NICOO and NIO, moved operations to Chicago, and changed the school’s name to Northern Illinois College of Optometry (NICO).
Back to top
|
| 1932 |
|
NICO opened the Northern Illinois Eye Institute to the public, treating patients from surrounding schools and welfare agencies, becoming the world’s largest vision correction facility.
Back to top
|
| 1936 |
|
Dr. Reuben Seid established the Midwestern College of Optometry.
Back to top
|
| 1937 |
|
Dr. Seid hired Dr. Carl Shepard from NICO to serve as dean and renamed his school the Monroe College of Optometry (MCO).
Back to top
|
| 1941 |
|
The American Optometric Association adopted the Manual of Accrediting Schools and Colleges of Optometry written by NICO’s Drs. Irvin Borish (NICO '34) and Eugene Freeman (NICO '35).
Back to top
|
| 1947 |
|
Morton L. Abram, LLD, DOS changed MCO’s name to Chicago College of Optometry (CCO) and filed a Council on Education accreditation application.
Back to top
|
| 1949 |
|
The first African-American optometrist to become a faculty member at an accredited U.S. college, Dr. Junius Brodnax (MCO '47), joined the CCO staff.
Dr. Walter Yasko (NICO '48) became Northern Illinois Eye Clinic’s assistant chief of staff.
Back to top
|
| 1950 |
|
Dr. Eugene Tennant (MCO '45) became CCO’s Clinic Administrator.
Dr. Frederick Kushner (NICO '46) was appointed NICO’s dean.
Back to top
|
| 1952 |
|
Dr. Eugene Strawn (MCO '40) became president of CCO’s Alumni Association. He soon became a board member and its executive vice president.
Back to top
|
| 1955 |
|
 NICO and the Chicago College of Optometry, the two most prestigious optometry colleges of the time, merged to become the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO).
Dr. Eugene Strawn (pictured left) became ICO's first president.
Dr. Alfred A. Rosenbloom, Jr. (NICO '48) became ICO's first dean.
Dr. Frederick Kushner became ICO’s first Alumni Association president
Back to top
|
| 1956 |
|
The ICO Eye Clinic was dedicated.
Back to top
|
| 1958 |
|
ICO started the student externship program.
Back to top
|
| 1959 |
|
Dr. Leo Manas (NICO '46), specializing in visual training, published his book Visual Analysis and invented the ICO Maze.
Back to top
|
| 1961 |
|
Dr. Stanley C. Pearle (NICO '39) pioneered the concept of one-stop, total eye care with the opening of Pearle Vision.
Dr. Frederick Kushner and Dr. C.K. Hill (NICO '49) initiated an Alumni Association fund raising drive that provided exceptional financial support for ICO.
Back to top
|
| 1964 |
|
Construction began on Brady Hall, which provided on-campus dormitory housing for ICO students.
Back to top
|
| 1965 |
|
 Brady Hall was dedicated and ground was broken for a clinic wing.
Back to top
|
| 1967 |
|
ICO changed its curriculum from a three-year to a four-year professional program.
Back to top
|
| 1969 |
|
Drs. John Howlette (CCO '51) and C. Clayton Powell (CCO '52) founded the National Optometric Association.
Back to top
|
| 1972 |
|
Dr. Alfred A. Rosenbloom, Jr. was named ICO's second president.
Back to top
|
| 1977 |
|
ICO's infant care clinic and exceptional persons clinic opened.
Back to top
|
| 1978 |
|
The Hydrogel lens, the first soft-contact lens, received FDA approval. It was developed by Drs. Newton Wesley and George Jessen (MCO '45).
Federal Health Services & Centers recognized optometrists as providers of primary care vision services.
Back to top
|
| 1982 |
|
Dr. Boyd B. Banwell (NICO '54) became ICO's third president.
President Gerald Ford presented the commencement address.
Back to top
|
| 1983 |
|
ICO's sports vision service was established.
Back to top
|
| 1984 |
|
 The ICO Eye Clinic was renamed Illinois Eye Institute (IEI).
Back to top
|
| 1985 |
|
The 50,000-square-foot building addition was completed.
Back to top
|
| 1988 |
|
The Strawn Wing and building additions were dedicated.
Governor Jim Thompson gave the commencement address.
Back to top
|
| 1994 |
|
ICO offered the nation’s first combined O.D./Ph.D. degree program.
Back to top
|
| 1996 |
|
 Dr. Charles F. Mullen became ICO's fourth president.
Back to top
|
| 1997 |
|
 Dr. Janice Scharre '76 was named dean of ICO, the first woman dean at a school or college of optometry.
Back to top
|
| 1999 |
|
ICO created a new “one card” system for students to use for purchases in the cafeteria, bookstore and vending machines.
Back to top
|
| 2000 |
|
For the first time in the school’s history, ICO’s National Board pass rate placed above the national pass rate.
Back to top
|
| 2001 |
|
Vision of Hope Health Alliance was established at the IEI to provide eye and vision care to thousands of adult patients without insurance coverage.
The Private Practice Clerkship was developed to teach private practice management to students between their first and second years of study.
Back to top
|
| 2002 |
|
 Dr. Arol Augsburger was named ICO's fifth president.
Back to top
|
| 2003 |
|
ICO launched VisionCite, the most comprehensive index of vision-related periodicals.
Back to top
|
| 2005 |
|
ICO celebrated its 50th anniversary under its present name.
The Fait Family Eyewear Center was dedicated in the IEI, the result of a generous donation from Dr. Robert Fait ’68.
ICO became the first optometric institution ever to receive a Robert Wood Johnson community partnership grant.
Back to top
|
| 2006 |
|
The IEI is the first optometric clinic to incorporate a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on site.
Back to top
|
| 2007 |
|
ICO's Clinical Research Suite opened.
Back to top
|
| 2008 |
|
 The College held its first “Focus on Your Future” week-long summer program to promote the optometric profession to underrepresented minority students interested in optometry.
ICO’s "Eyepod," the third floor pre-clinic, basic science, and research labs, was completely renovated.
Back to top
|
| 2009 |
|
The Illinois Eye Institute Foundation (IEIF) was developed to raise funds for the charitable services and programs delivered by the IEI.
A new state-of-the-art Visual Electrodiagnostic Center was dedicated and funded by a grant made possible by Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter.
Back to top
|
| 2010 |
|
ICO enrolled 20 minority students, the highest number in recent memory for any optometry school.
ICO's new Communications and Media Center (CMC) was re-engineered with a more centralized approach to improve the quality of how the institution communicates with its varied audiences.
Dr. Dominick Maino '78 was named national spokesperson for the impact of 3-D movies on vision.
Back to top
|
| 2011 |
|
The ICO Lecture Center (pictured left) was renovated to include state-of-the-art technology.
Dr. Richard S. Kattouf '72 established the Kattouf Program for the Advancement of Independent Optometry, providing practice management consultations for students and residents.
A new IEI community-based clinic opened at Princeton Elementary School, serving Chicago Public School children in need of eye and vision care.
Primary eye/vision care at community-based health centers (FQHC's) expanded to include Alivio, Erie and Access.
The Illinois Eye Institute invested in the NextGen electronic health record system to document the 98,000 annual patient visits to the clinic.
Back to top
|
| 2012 |
|
 The Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center for Vision and Aging was dedicated.
Back to top
|
increase font size
