Former U of I Urbana Chancellor John Cribbet Dies at Age 91

A memorial service is scheduled for this Saturday at the University of Illinois College of Law for John Cribbet. The former Urbana Campus Chancellor died Saturday in Urbana after a long illness.

Cribbet was chancellor from 1979 to 1984, and dean of the College of Law before that. He was on the law school faculty for more than 60 years, both before and after his chancellorship. Current U of I Urbana Chancellor Richard Herman said through a news release that he remembers Cribbet as a "larger than life figure", who brought a sense of wisdom and purpose with him, "even in the simplest encounters".

As Chancellor, Cribbet is credited with hiring football coach Mike White, and planting the seeds for the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. As a law professor, he was considered a pioneer in the field of property law. His textbook, "Cases and Materials on Property" is now in its 8th edition.

Cribbet, a native of Findlay, is survived by his wife, two daughters and their families. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, May 30th, at 2 PM, in the Max L. Rowe Auditorium, at the U of I College of Law Building in Champaign.