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In 1899 the General Assembly instructed the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities to prepare plans for the establishment of the Illinois State Colony for Epileptics and to report to the Governor on their activities (L. 1899, p. 8). However no funds for construction and operation were appropriated until 1913 (L. 1913, pp. 17, 131).
A site in Dixon was chosen and construction began under the supervision of the Board of Administration which had succeeded in 1909 to the responsibilities of the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities (L. 1909, p. 102). The colony opened on May 1, 1918. Since the Board of Administration had been abolished by the Civil Administrative Code of 1917, the new institution came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Welfare.
Although the institution originally was designed for the care of epileptics only its duties soon expanded to include care for the feeble-minded. To reflect this change, the colony was renamed Dixon State Hospital and later Dixon State School. A school for practical nursing also was opened in 1927. The Department of Mental Health assumed control of Dixon State School in 1961 and changed its name to Dixon Developmental Center in 1975 (L. 1961, p. 2666; P.A. 79-581, p. 1895).
Access to some of these records is restricted according to the provisions of the Mental Health Code and the State Records Act of 1957 as amended.
265.001
ADMISSION RECORD. January 2, 1921-November 29, 1936. 1 vol. Index.
For each patient admitted to Dixon State Hospital entries include patient's name and county of residence; date and time of admission; names of individuals accompanying patient to hospital; name and address of correspondent; name of staff member receiving patient and ward assigned to; and notations of type of commitment, whether new or readmission, and characterization of patient as feeble-minded or epileptic. Beginning February 1924 entries also include patient's age, birth date, sex, nationality or race, birthplace, marital status, religion, occupation, and education; father's name and birthplace; mother's maiden name and birthplace; duration of illness; and means of support (i.e., home, county, state). Between 1921 and 1924 record contains frequent listings of groups of patients transferred to Dixon from Lincoln State School, Chicago State Hospital, Watertown State Hospital, Peoria State Hospital, and Elgin State Hospital.
265.002
CASE FILES. 1918-1950. 448 microfilm rolls. Index, 2 vols.
Case file for each patient includes material such as statistical data sheets, results of physical and psychiatric examinations, anamnesis, laboratory results, commitment papers, nursing records, staff meeting summaries, progress notes, death certificate or discharge record, and correspondence with family and friends. Statistical data sheet usually includes patient's picture; entries for patient's name, age, sex, marital status, occupation, race, religion, birthplace, education, and residence; results of mental and intelligence quotient tests; parents' birthplaces; numbers of brothers and sisters; and other family history.
265.003
SCHOOL OF PRACTICAL NURSING STUDENT FILES. 1928-1967. 3 cu. ft. Index.
File for each nursing student variously includes application for admission, transcript of high school record, letters of recommendation, summary of classroom and clinical experience, results of physical examinations, attendance record, and qualifying certificate issued by the Department of Registration and Education. Files for students who did not complete program usually contain correspondence concerning withdrawal from the program. Admission application and other forms provide such information as student's name, address, age, birth date, race, nationality, marital status, number of children, religion, and physical condition; name and address of individual to notify in emergency; names of schools attended and degrees earned; and names of courses taken, hours spent, and grades received in classwork and practical training.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
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