Complex sentence: William Rainey Harper, then president of the U. of C., was the first to champion the idea of the Junior College in the United States, and in 1907, Shimer became one of the first schools to offer a junior college program.
Split into simpler sentences: William Rainey Harper, then president of the U. of C., was the first to champion the idea of the Junior College in the United States. In 1907, Shimer became one of the first schools to offer a junior college program.