North Central College
 |
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| Motto | Be Central |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1861 |
| Affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Endowment | $96.4 million |
| President | Troy D. Hammond, Ph.D. |
|
Academic staff
|
139 |
| Students | 3,000 |
| Undergraduates | 2,700 |
| Postgraduates | 300 |
| Location | Naperville, Illinois, United States |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Cardinal red and white |
| Mascot | Cardinals |
| Affiliations | College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin |
| Website | northcentralcollege.edu |
North Central College is a coeducational, liberal arts college located in downtown Naperville, Illinois, US. It is part of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It has nearly 70 areas of study, including majors, minors, pre-professional and graduate programs, weaving together the arts and sciences. Currently it has 2,800 undergraduates and 260 graduate students. Unlike most colleges, it utilizes a trimester-based academic calendar.
North Central College was founded in 1861 as Plainfield College in Plainfield, Illinois. Classes were first held on November 11 of that year. On February 15, 1864, the Board of Trustees changed the name of the school to North-Western College. The college moved to Naperville in 1870. The name was again changed in 1926 to North Central College.
The school is just 28 miles from the Chicago Loop, which allows students to have internships, jobs and other opportunities in Chicago.
The college is located on a 65-acre (24 ha) campus in downtown Naperville on Chicago Avenue.
In the early 1900s College President Herman J. Kiekhoefer and Judge John S. Goodwin initiated contact with philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to seek out funds for new facilities on campus. Carnegie agreed to donate $25,000 (approximately $679,059 in the current consumer price index) to then North-Western College for a new library building. Carnegie Library, as it was formerly called, was one of only a few academic libraries in Illinois that received funding from Carnegie. The building still exists on campus today and is now known as Carnegie Hall.
Pfeiffer Hall is North Central College's oldest fine arts building. The 4,500-square-foot building was built in 1926 and seats 1,057. This structure has been historically used by the college to screen films and host lectures, debates, and theatrical productions. Today Pfeiffer Hall continues to host events such as these along with live performances by popular music artists and comedians.
In 2008, North Central College dedicated the $30 million Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center. Designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Loebl, Schlossman and Hackl, Inc., the 57,000-square-foot (5,300 m2) facility was planned and sited with the needs of both the College and the Naperville community in mind. Plans evolved over a 15-year period, driven by explosive growth in the college’s music, theatre and art programs, as well as the parallel transformation of the city’s downtown, which has brought more than 50 restaurants, numerous national stores and the first four- and five-story buildings within a few blocks of the North Central campus.
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