Student finds RLC history at garage sale

MOUNT VERNON, IL (KFVS) - A Mount Vernon native and Rend Lake College student, Casey White recently found an important piece of his school's history.

It is a newspaper dating back 50 years that entails construction plans of the campus. The college plans to bury it in a time capsule in honor of their 50th anniversary later this year.

Upon finding the paper, White, along with his father Wesley and sister Savana, say that it was in a box stacked full of newspapers at a local garage sale. When they asked about buying just the one paper, they say the owner ended up giving it to them for free.

White and his family were excited to bring the newspaper back for the college to admire.

This particular issue of the Mt. Vernon Registered-Newspaper dates Wednesday, June 5, 1968. The headline reads "State Board OKs $2,230,000 Rend College Project."

Other headlines include Senator Robert Kennedy's assassination and the Vietnam War.

The RLC article notes that the State Board Education approved Phase 1 of construction on the Ina campus that had been recently purchased. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the phase were held March 27, 1969. Ultimately, Phase I construction consisted of five buildings - Academic, Science, Gymnasium, South Oasis, and Maintenance. The buildings were opened in August of 1970 in preparation for fall classes.

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