North Central College Archives

Definitely late to the party, but can’t resist joining the (started by the National Archives) with and the board game – “Where’s the Dough?” in our collections. North Central College students in a chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) a precursor of Enactus, created “Where’s the Dough?,” to teach high school students about starting a new business. Guided by faculty members, Gary Ernst and Barbara Illg, the NCC SIFE students spent three years designing and testing the game in classrooms, ultimately offering the board game for sale in May 1994. The price was $30. “Where’s the Dough?” was sold in 22 states, including a large purchase by textbook publisher Glencoe-McGraw Hill and featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune. It also won a business education award.
You can play it too! An extra copy of “Where’s the Dough?” is available to check out as part of the Oesterle Library () board game collection.

Images of the board game and concept art: SIFE Records, Artifacts, NCC Archives.
Sources Consulted: NCC Chronicle, NCC Alumni News

Congratulations, North Central College Class of 2024!

This Friday Find features a photograph of Albert George Butzer giving the Ivy Oration on June 16, 1915. The Ivy Oration was a part of commencement ceremonies at NCC in the early-part of the twentieth century. A graduating student gave a speech, and then the graduating class planted ivy by various campus buildings.

Image: C92-Photographs, North Central College Archives.

From creating those snazzy reels with 1990s photographs to assisting with the processing of historic documents, the Archives Student Assistants, Libby and Nate, are amazing. I am so appreciative of their hard work, dedication, and creativity in helping preserve and share materials in the NCC Archives!

Both are seniors. These photos capture them with the book dedicated to the library in their name. This was part of the library’s annual luncheon honoring and celebrating library student workers, who are graduating earlier this week.

Congratulations Nate and Libby, and thank you!

Belinda, one of Oesterle’s librarians, is retiring after 38 years of hard-work and service. While cleaning out her office, she shared the following object with the Archives. It harkens back to the days when libraries charged fines for late books. This fine calculator allowed you to figure out the amount owed based on the number of days late. Thanks Belinda! We love to be reminded of how libraries worked in the past.

A Friday Find Twofer! When looking look through the book “North Central College 150 Years. A Promising Start,” the photograph and caption posted caught our attention. For those who haven’t perused this beautiful and well-researched book, you can find and check it out in Oesterle Library at Q.378.77324 B97n.

In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s to the Schneller sisters and all our faithful female alums! "The combined contributions of three sisters – Cecelia Schneller Mueller, class of 1927; Adlynn Schneller Balfanz; and Mary Schneller Rosar, class of 1933 – all from Sauk City, Wisconsin increased the College’s total endowment by nearly $10 million.”

Image and Quote: page 118, “North Central College 150 Years. A Promising Start.”

On this day (3/14) in 2009, the first goal in the North Central Women’s Lacrosse program history was scored by #10 Amy Frazzini. The ball used for this first goal is autographed and displayed proudly in the office of Coach Vasiliki Berkman.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we are honoring former North Central instructor and alum Corina Rodríguez López (Class of 1921). Rodríguez López became our College’s first Spanish instructor during the fall of 1919 and continued to teach here until her eventual return to Costa Rica in 1922. During this period, she started the College’s Spanish Club and gave numerous lectures on South America and the importance of education. She isn’t only remembered for her time here, though. Rodríguez López was included in Stanford University Press’ book “Who’s Who in Central America” due to her activism and time spent teaching at the Colegio Superior de Senoritas at San Jose.

Image: Corina Rodríguez López (second from left of the top row) with the Spanish Club, The Spectrum, 1920, NCC Archives

This month's featured major is Sociology! Sociology began at NCC during the 1894-1895 school year with a course in the subject first being offered for seniors. The college would hire its first sociology professor, G. P. Nauman, in 1905. Throughout the beginning of the 20th century NCC students would take courses in both urban and rural sociology. Field trips to areas of the city of Chicago included Hull House or the Motion Picture Censorship Board. In 1939 the college would organize sociology into its own department and expand the courses offered. 1971 saw the invention of the interdisciplinary "Urban Semester," described by Dr. Jacob Sackmann as "a chance for students to deal with the pressing issues of life in the city and the value conflicts that exist there." Students could take sociology courses in an urban environment. Using the city as a site for interdisciplinary learning and growth continued. In 2004, Dr. Lou Corsino (sociology), Dr. Ann Durkin Keating (history), and Carolyn Sheehy (director of the library ) were instrumental in establishing and launching Chicago Term at North Central. We see traces of this past when we look at NCC Sociology today. Field trips and field work in our larger community, along with course work, encourages students to understand social relations and structures and seeks “to prepare students to become public intellectuals committed to a just social world.”

Image 1: [Dr. Jay Sackmann with Students during Urban Term] C92-3-14, General Photographs, NCC Archives.

Image 2: C162-1-7, Helen Gamertsfelder-Naumann papers, NCC Archives.

Image 3: [Sociology Professor Don McVicker] C92-21-8, General Photographs, NCC Archives.

Quotations: "Urban Semester Going in Chicago," NCC Chronicle 2/12/71, p. 1;
Sociology, Criminology, & Anthropology Overview, NCC Website.

International Women’s Day is next week, and what better way to celebrate than with the Dames Club? Established in 1916, the Dames Club consisted of female professors and wives of faculty members seeking intellectual and cultural enrichment. Members gave lectures, discussed literature, and even performed in plays. Featured here are a couple program covers from this club.

Documents: C018: Dames Club Files, NCC Archives

Visual fun for your eyes. "Rivulets," an annual literary magazine contains the poetry and prose from the Naperville Writer’s Group. This 1993 edition features a unique cover, created by Jack Mackay, which transforms when the book is turned over. The NCC Archives has "Rivulets" issues from 1989-2019 as part of our suburban studies collections.

Images: Naperville Writers' Group "Rivulets" Magazine 1993, Suburban Studies, NCC Archives

Support the this ! Your donations will place current, high-quality children’s literature in the hands of future teachers, building their capacity to support the social emotional learning of the next generation of students. Find more information at bit.ly/ImpactOesterle

Love songs in the afternoon on WONC in 1977. Hope you hear some lovely tunes today. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Images: The Chronicle, February 14, 1977, NCC Archives

Nearly twenty years ago, the North Central Voices of Praise Gospel Choir released their CD “On One Accord” as seen in this CD enclosure. Tomorrow (2/10) afternoon the current Voices of Praise Gospel Choir will perform during the Gospel Extravaganza -

Item: CD – Media, NCC Archives

We recently came across this gem. The 1984 cover caught our attention, but the contents inside were equally fascinating, capturing a slice of NCC history.

In 1984: Civil Rights leader James Meredith spoke on campus. Historian, David W. Blight, current director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University taught history and served as Faculty Advisor for the Black Student Association here. Sylvia Pleas ‘78 was recognized as a community leader by the NCC Black Student Association. ,

Document: C138: Campus Organizations, 1879-2011, NCC Archives

Bienvenue à février!

We're starting February diving deep into the history of NCC's French major. Planned to have been offered during the college's inaugural 1861 school year, French classes began to be taught in 1874. With knowledge of French and German considered integral to a liberal arts education, North Central's Modern Languages department began to flourish around the turn of the century. A "Modern Languages" major is implemented in 1900, and French would officially be offered as its own major course of study in 1908.

Students would start a French Club in 1944, overseen by Professor Annette Sicre. Courses included in the French major developed over time, starting as language classes before more advanced seminars on French poetry and drama. French continues as a course of study in the modern day, with courses offered in French language and culture.

Image 1: [Pierre Lebeau], C092-1-10, General Photographs, NCC Archives
Image 2: [Annette Sicre], C092-1-10, General Photographs, NCC Archives

Looking forward to sitting outside again! Just like these students did in 1967. ,

Image: C077: Office of Public Information Topical Files, North Central College Archives

Don’t you love the art exhibitions in the Oesterle Library and Learning Commons? We do and look forward to the student shows this semester (See https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/galleries for the complete line-up). We are also proud to have been the spot to view student art in the past. Today’s Friday Find brings us back to October 1976 when three students were preparing for a Senior Women’s Art Show in the Library. , ,

Image: C092: General Photographs, 1866-2022, North Central College Archives

The Archives-Library Chippy has emerged! Our book-loving Cardinal was found in the 1943 Spectrum. Other linocuts in this edition of the North Central yearbook are attributed to Ben Hintze, a student who worked on the yearbook staff that year. We believe Hintze created our bird, as well.

Image: The Spectrum, 1943, NCC Archives

Welcome back, Cardinals! In 1997, NCC students wanting to showcase their school spirit may have purchased one of these items at the campus bookstore.

Image: C077: Office of Public Information Topical Files, NCC Archives

A selection of holiday cards sent by North Central College throughout the years.

Items: C031: Administration Subject Files, NCC Archives.

Prepping for finals? You’re not alone! In 1974, North Central College students used Oesterle Library to study. It appears The Chronicle staff even superimposed the library’s hours on this image of students hard at work in the library to encourage others to do the same.

Image: The Chronicle, September 27, 1974, NCC Archives

On this day (12/3) in 1971, Professor Terry Marsh led this group of students on a study trip to the Grand Canyon.

Image: C085:Terrence Marsh Biology Research Trips Slide Collection, NCC Archives

On this day in 1917(11/24), North-Western (now North Central) defeated Lake Forest College to become Illinois college champions based on their winning season.

Image: C92: Photographs, NCC Archives

Who else is thankful for books? On November 07, 2013, members of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society expressed thanks for their favorite literary characters during a Victorian-themed feast. Attendees dressed up in costume and dined on traditional Thanksgiving fare.

Image: The Chronicle, November 20, 2013.

On this day in 1976 (11/14), the men’s cross-country team won their second consecutive NCAA Division III Championship. Days later in this press release, Coach Al Carius summed up the season - “We didn’t have any individuals up front, but all season long we’ve stressed the team concept. Individual success comes with team success.”

Document: C33: Athletic Director Files, NCC Archives.

On this day in 1861, the College opened in Plainfield, Illinois. Featured is an early building used in Plainfield.

Image: C92: Photographs, NCC Archives.