The development of control over and coordination of higher education at the state level in Illinois during the first half of the twentieth century is discussed, and events leading up to the creation of the Illinois State Board of Higher Education in 1961 are outlined. The development of the board's authority and power in the areas of new program approval, existing program review, budgetary control and review, master planning (including creation of systems of governance), and administration of state and federal aid programs are analyzed. The board is described as successful, and this success is attributed to highly dedicated and talented board members, chairmen, directors, and staff; good coordination and communication within the board's organization and between the board, the state governor's office, the legislature, and the institutions of higher education; and a creative and forceful interpretation of the statutes creating the board and defining its role and authority. (PGD)