The first graduate of Eastern’s school of business has been awarded a plaque.

Grace Bair, a 1936 graduate of Eastern, was given a plaque in her honor inside Lumpkin Hall.

Bair’s career choices varied over the years since graduating.

According to a press release, Bair first taught business education classes in Ashmore, Ill., but went on to pursue a graduate degree from the University of Illinois.

Bair served in the Women’s Marine Corps during World War II.

She was a business education teacher in Rantoul following the war until her retirement.

After retirement, Bair became an antique dealer owning and running a shop in Leroy, Ill.

She remained active in community organizations throughout the Rantoul area. She also received an award from the International Poetry Society for a poem written about the vanishing of Native American life in the West. The poem, “The Ballad of the Hoofbeats” won the National Medallion of Merit.

Bair and her husband of 42 years, Ernie, were the parents of two adopted children. Their son Jim resides in Houston, Texas and daughter Judy Reagan lives in Hannibal, Mo.

Bair currently resides in the Knight’s Templar Home in Paxton.

She was a supporter of women attending college. She is also a member of the Eastern Foundation, giving back to the community and her alma mater.