News • January 20, 2021
The Milhouse Family Classroom Established at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumnus Wilbur C. Milhouse III (BS 94, MS 95) and his wife, Dawn, have made a gift to establish the Milhouse Family Classroom at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Milhouse is a longtime supporter of the University of Illinois, having served on several university boards, including the College of Engineering Board of Visitors and the CEE Alumni Association Board of Directors.
His many awards have included the CEEAA Distinguished Alumnus Award (2018); the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Citizen Engineer of the Year (2016); the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame (2015); and a University of Illinois Black Alumni Network Power Mover (2015). Milhouse’s extensive involvement in civic and charitable groups has included his founding of Milhouse Charities in 2012. The Chicago Tribune ran a feature story highlighting his efforts to bring power to Nigeria.
“My journey from Avalon Park to the University of Illinois wasn’t easy but with the support of my family and the peers and teachers that became family, my experience was greater than I could have ever imagined. It was then I made a commitment to return and “reinvest by giving” to ensure that each future problem solver had a solid foundation to build on.”
“After embarking on an entrepreneurial journey and establishing Milhouse Engineering and Construction Inc. and the Milhouse Family of Companies, it was important for me to keep my commitment to be a positive impact in the families and communities in which we work. The Milhouse Family Classroom in the modernization program is the manifestation of my obligation and legacy to the extended family and students, and is one of my proudest achievements.”
