Nov. 11 is North Central College Day in Naperville

Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel has declared Friday, Nov. 11 "North Central College Day" in the .

A resolution commemorating the College’s Sesquicentennial was read at the Nov. 1 meeting of the Naperville City Council and presented to College President Harold R. Wilde by council member Robert Fieseler.

“Five years ago Hal mentioned to me he thought it took three things to make a community great,” Fieseler said. “A great college, a great hospital and great access to a major city. is definitely one of the triumvirate.”

The school was founded as Plainfield College and was known as North-Western College from 1864 to 1926. The resolution notes that in 1870, the people of Naperville, in a far-sighted move, donated eight acres of land and funds to build the first campus building, Old Main, to convince the College to move to Naperville. Trustees of the College, which was founded in 1861 in Plainfield, Ill., entertained offers from South Bend, Ind., and Hinsdale before choosing Naperville. 

“The institution that became Naperville’s college—North Central College—has over a century and a half had three names but just one mission, to be a community of learners dedicated to preparing informed, involved, principled and productive citizens and leaders over a lifetime,” the resolution states.

The resolution notes that thousands of North Central College alumni, faculty, staff and students live and work in Naperville and benefit from the city’s thriving downtown and excellent parks, libraries and schools.

“The citizens and businesses of Naperville in turn benefit greatly from—and take great pride in—North Central College as a major employer and engine of economic development, and provider of educational leadership, civic engagement and cultural amenities essential to the community’s quality of life,” the resolution states.

North Central College’s yearlong Sesquicentennial Celebration commemorates the 150th anniversary of the first day of classes on Nov. 11, 1861, and the College’s role in helping to shape the fabric of the Naperville community. North Central College is planning numerous Sesquicentennial events and projects throughout 2011 and into 2012. Visit northcentralcollege.edu/150 to learn more.