North Central College Archives

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The North Central College Archives preserves materials on the history of the College and the western Chicago suburbs. *Open on weekdays by appointment*

The North Central College Archives preserves and makes available for research materials on the history of the College and the western Chicago suburbs. For more information on the Archives’ holdings, and access to digitized and indexed College publications, visit the Archives website at http://library.noctrl.edu/archives. To visit the Archives, donate materials, or to request research assistance, contact the Archivist by calling 637-5714 or emailing [email protected].

10/07/2026

“Have you forgotten your college days? Of course you haven’t.” This 1924 North Central (known then as North-Western) College homecoming program shared a schedule of events and encouraged alumni to come back to their college home. First organized in 1920 at our College, homecoming continues today as an annual campus event in the fall. Cardinals, will you be returning to the Nest this weekend? We hope so! , ,

📸: 1924 College Homecoming Program, NCC: Homecoming records, NCC Archives

09/25/2026

Such a great time! Yesterday students in Dr. Ilahi’s HIST 200: Historical Methods class were in Oesterle . They engaged in primary source analysis, assessed the appropriateness of these sources for sample research projects, and learned about the North Central Archives. Looking forward to hearing about their research and insights.

📸: HIST 200 students examine duplicates or replicas of original items in the NCC Archives.

09/10/2026

Do you remember testing gym shoes at North Central?

From 1984 until approximately 2001, the Athlete’s Foot WearTest Center was located here at North Central in Merner Fieldhouse. Tom Brunick, who directed the Center, gave North Central students, faculty, and staff athletic shoes to test out. Shoe recipients agreed to keep a daily log on their shoes for six weeks. After Brunick received these completed logs, he created evaluations on the different shoes and shared reports with Athlete’s Foot stores across the country. As a Center brochure noted it “function[ed] as an independent research center to uniformly, accurately and objectively weartest shoes from reputable manufacturers.” Sometimes shoe designs were improved based on WearTest Center feedback.

📸: The Athlete’s Foot WearTest Center brochure, ca.1990, Topical Files, NCC: Office of Public Information-Marketing and Communication files, NCC Archives

📸: This Week – Faculty/Staff Newsletter for North Central College, October 7-13, 1990, 1, NCC Archives

📸: The Athlete’s Foot WearTest Center announcement, The Chronicle, November 1, 1991, 7, NCC Archives

08/24/2026

Welcome Back Cardinals! We look forward to seeing you in the Library & Learning Commons!

📸: Students in front of library, ca. 1960s, Oesterle Library, Office of Public Information topical photographs, NCC Archives

📸: Student studying, ca. 1960s, Oesterle Library, Office of Public Information topical photographs, NCC Archives

08/19/2026

Curious about the origins of the Alma Mater school song sung at the New Cardinal Convocation?

Our very own Albert Krug and Jessie Cowles (both class of 1908) created the song together as students in response to a College contest in 1907. Albert wrote the lyrics and Jessie composed the music. They married a few years later in 1911. As seen on the song sheet, the original lyrics featured our previous name – North-Western College. North Central College was known as North-Western College from 1864-1926. ,

📸: C136 NCC Sheet Music, NCC Archives

08/17/2026

In September 1908, North-Western (North Central’s former name) College President Herman J. Kiekhoefer wrote an article for the Chronicle exploring the meaning of education. As we start another academic year, let’s reflect and consider his thoughts. In the closing paragraph, he shared “How to form and transform human powers and capacities, and to adapt them to the highest and best of which man is capable is the astounding problem of education. The powers of thought, feeling and purpose must be cultivated and developed into harmonious activity. Education must be broad and liberal; it must be profound and thorough.” Featured is the first page of President Keikhoefer’s 6-page handwritten draft. It varies slightly from the published account. The published article follows.

📸: Sermons and Speeches, NCC: H.J. Kiekhoefer papers, NCC Archives
📸: The College Chronicle, September 1908, NCC Archives

07/15/2026

The North Central College Archives invites you to view our exhibition “Robert Shoemaker’s Images of the Naperville Community, 1975-1985” in the Oesterle Library Gallery at 320 E. School Street in Naperville during Library hours between July 13 – September 25, 2026.

If you are unable to view this exhibition in-person, go online. The images on display are a small selection from over 3000, 35mm slides, which are part of the “Caroline Shoemaker Memorial Collection of Naperville pictures.” In 2025, these slides were digitized in part by an award from the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board , through funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Archives Records Administration. Link to the entire digital collection is in our bio.

Photo featured: Robert Shoemaker, photographer, Elmer Koerner Bandshell and audience, July 1977, 084-074, Caroline Shoemaker Memorial Collection, North Central College Archives.

07/10/2026

This summer North Central’s campus has been a whirl of activities from summer camps to building maintenance projects to various departments and offices prepping for the return of all our Cardinal students. We found some fabulous examples from past summers in our stacks. This includes a scuba diving workshop in 1986, a high school radio workshop in 1997, and work on Old Main in 1998.

📸: 1986 Summer Workshops catalog, C106: Office of Community Education Catalogs, NCC Archives.
📸: 1997 Summer Youth Programs poster, C106: Office of Community Education Catalogs, NCC Archives.
📸: 1998 North Central Chronicle, September 25, 1998, NCC Archives.

06/30/2026

What did Naperville look like in the 1970s and ‘80s?
Check out the recently digitized “Caroline Shoemaker Memorial Collection of Naperville pictures.” With over 3000, 35mm slides from 1970-1989, which capture buildings, parks, seasons, street scenes, and community events, there’s much to discover. Link in bio, as well.

Supported in part from an award from the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board, through funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Archives Records Administration.

📸: Robert Shoemaker, photographer, View of Jefferson Street looking east from Main Street with street signs, July 1976, 061-062, Caroline Shoemaker Memorial Collection, North Central College Archives & Special Collections.

06/17/2026

Soccer! Naperville native and Chicago Fire FC goalkeeper, Chris Brady is on the 2026 US Men’s World Cup roster. This has us nostalgic for the two seasons the Chicago Fire played at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Known as Cardinal Stadium in 2002, it was featured in this illustration on the cover of the Chicago Fire Media Guide.

📸: 2002 Chicago Fire Media Guide, Chicago Fire 2002-2003, C036: Athletics Subject Files, NCC Archives
📸: The NCC Chronicle, February 8, 2002, NCC Archives

Address

320 School Street
Naperville, IL
60540

Telephone

+16306375714

Website

http://linktr.ee/nccarchives

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