
It was a love of reading that led Jean Sklansky (BA, ’72, teaching of English) to English. For Steve Kaplan (BS, ’72, business), it was his interest in Jean.
The two students from Chicago, who met at a mixer between the men’s and women’s residence halls the first Sunday of new student orientation, would go on to date for all four years at Illinois. Despite being in a different college, Steve claims to have taken nearly as many English electives as commerce classes, in part because they were interesting but also because they offered a chance for the two to spend time together.
As their relationship blossomed, a love of literature had already taken root.
“I’ve always felt that reading and the love of reading opens the entire world to learn things. Everything that you read transports you to another place,” Jean said.
That love of reading is why Jean and Steve, who got married after their senior year, decided to give back to the Department of English at Illinois. Jean so enjoyed professor Emily Watts’ freshman year writing course that she took every class she offered and even kept in touch after graduation.
When the Kaplans first decided to donate to the English department, they reached out to professor Watts, who arranged for them to sponsor a poetry reading series for several years.
As their family grew, their lives changed. The Kaplans would go on to have three children and move to Dallas, Texas, but their love of reading remained as strong as ever.
Naturally, upon arriving in the new city, Jean started a book club.
“I didn't know anyone, so I thought would be a great way to meet people – people that love to read,” Jean said. “I asked everybody I encountered who seemed nice, ‘Do you like to read? Do you want to be in a book club?’”
That book club would meet monthly, have an average of 20 members, and last for 43 years — and counting.
Even as their lives continued to change, the Kaplans still held onto their fondness for their time at Illinois and for the English department.
“I didn’t get a degree in English,” said Steve, “but it was an essential piece of my experience here in the university.”
Their three children had grown up and gone on to become a doctor, a lawyer, and professor, and the Kaplans had heard that Emily Watts had passed away, so they decided to rekindle what they had started with their poetry series in the 80s by sponsoring the Creative Writing Program’s Kaplan Family Writer-in-Residence Series.
The value of programs like this, in their eyes, is that they bring accomplished authors to campus to interact with students and share their experiences firsthand.
“To allow that person to express those experiences to kids that are just at the starting gate and to maybe even have a chance to talk about the business issues of being an author,” said Steve, “is a wonderful opportunity for folks that are in creative writing to ask questions and get some real-world answers.”
In November of 2023, the program brought Moroccan-born author Laila Lalami, winner of the American Book Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for fiction, to campus with support from the Robert J. and Katherin Carr Visiting Author Series, the Humanities Research Institute, and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
The Kaplans’ college years came during a turbulent time. The Civil Rights Movement, the ongoing war in Vietnam, and the protests that came with them were felt in cities and college campuses across the country — and Illinois was no exception. The cancelled classes, the possibility of getting drafted, the strikes and demonstrations, and the social and political implications that followed remain poignant memories for Jean and Steve.

Despite that, they remember their time here fondly. When they returned to campus for the first time in decades for Lalami’s talk in the Illini Union Bookstore, revisiting many campus landmarks evoked nostalgia, even if the new-look Campus Town seemed unrecognizable.
“Just stepping on the Quad brought us joy,” Jean said. “You spent a lot of time on the Quad and all my classes were in the English Building or Lincoln Hall.”
After graduating, Jean went on to teach high school English, work in the career center for two liberal arts colleges, and become a mother and active volunteer. Steve, who was also an active member of the community, went to law school, had a successful career in the insurance and real estate sectors, and eventually started his own business. Their desire to make a difference would not end with retirement.
They attribute that dedication to giving back to the community and being the change they wished to see to the many lessons they learned during their time at Illinois.
“I remember when my folks dropped me off freshman year, my dad said to me, ‘Enjoy the next four years, they’ll be the best four years of your life’,” said Steve.
“And in some ways, it was true because we weren't worried about work, we didn't have everyday problems to deal with. We met each other and it was a wonderful four-year — crazy, chaotic — but wonderful experience.”
Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Department of English newsletter. The Kaplan Family Writer-in-Residence Series is bringing author Jonas Hassen Khemiri to campus for a reading at the Illini Union Bookstore on March 6, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. See the English department calendar for details.