Northwestern University: A Comprehensive Guide to its Campuses, History, and Academic Landscape

Northwestern University (NU), a prestigious private research university located in Evanston, Illinois, stands as a beacon of academic excellence and innovation. Chartered in 1851 by the Illinois General Assembly, Northwestern has evolved from its initial affiliation with the Methodist Episcopal Church into a non-sectarian institution, becoming the third-largest university in the United States by 1900. This article delves into the rich history, diverse academic offerings, and distinctive features of Northwestern University, providing a comprehensive overview for prospective students, alumni, and anyone interested in this renowned institution.

A Storied Past: From Vision to Prominence

The genesis of Northwestern University can be traced back to May 31, 1850, when nine prominent Chicago businessmen, Methodist leaders, and attorneys convened to discuss the establishment of a university in the Northwest Territory (1787-1803). John Evans, the namesake of Evanston, played a pivotal role by acquiring 379 acres (153 ha) of land along Lake Michigan in 1853. Philo Judson further contributed by developing plans for the city of Evanston.

Northwestern's commitment to inclusivity is evident in its early history. In 1873, Evanston College for Ladies merged with Northwestern, marking a significant step towards co-education. Frances Willard, a prominent suffragette and founder of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, became the school's first dean of women, a position commemorated by the Willard Residential College built in 1938. The university admitted its first female students in 1869, with the first woman graduating in 1874.

The university's athletic prowess also has deep roots. In 1882, Northwestern established its first intercollegiate football team, later becoming a founding member of the Big Ten Conference. By the turn of the century, Northwestern's stature had grown, positioning it as the third-largest university in the United States, trailing only Harvard University and the University of Michigan.

Navigating Financial Challenges and Growth

The presidency of Walter Dill Scott (1920-1939) marked a period of significant development for Northwestern. An integrated campus in Chicago, designed by James Gamble Rogers in the Collegiate Gothic style, was constructed to house the professional schools. Rogers also designed a library on the Evanston campus, inspired by Cambridge University's King's College Chapel, funded by a $1 million donation after Charles Deering's death. The university also established the Kellogg School of Management and constructed several prominent buildings on the Evanston campus, including Dyche Stadium, now named Ryan Field. In the 1920s, Northwestern was among the first six universities in the United States to establish a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC).

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The Great Depression (1929-1941) posed significant financial challenges for Northwestern. The university's annual income plummeted, leading to salary cuts, hiring and building freezes, and reduced appropriations for maintenance, books, and research. Despite these hardships, Northwestern adapted by introducing a new graduate program in education, capitalizing on the movement towards state certification of school teachers. A proposed merger with the University of Chicago in 1933 was ultimately rejected due to opposition from Northwestern alumni. In 1935, a substantial gift from the Deering family helped stabilize the university's budget.

World War II (1939-1945) transformed Northwestern. While regular enrollment declined, the university offered high-intensity, short-term programs that trained over 50,000 military personnel, including future president John F. Kennedy. Northwestern's NROTC program played a crucial role, training over 36,000 sailors, earning the university the moniker "Annapolis of the Midwest."

Post-War Expansion and Modernization

Following the war, under the leadership of Franklyn B. Snyder (1939-1949), Northwestern experienced a surge in enrollment fueled by the G.I. Bill. Roscoe Miller's tenure as president (1949-1970) saw an expansion of the Evanston campus, including the creation of the Lakefill on Lake Michigan, growth of the faculty and new academic programs, and student protests during the Vietnam War era. Despite declining government support for universities in the 1970s and 1980s, President Arnold R. Weber stabilized university finances, leading to a revitalization of its campuses. In 1996, Princess Diana visited Northwestern's Evanston and Chicago campuses to raise money for the university hospital's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Navigating the Campuses: Evanston and Chicago

Northwestern University operates on two main campuses: the Evanston campus and the Chicago campus. Each campus offers a unique environment and caters to different academic disciplines.

The Evanston Campus: A Picturesque Lakeside Setting

The Evanston campus, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, houses the undergraduate schools, the Graduate School, and the Kellogg School of Management. The campus stretches north-south from Lincoln Avenue to Clark Street, bordered by Sheridan Road to the west and Lake Michigan to the east.

North Campus: This area is home to the fraternity quads, athletic facilities such as the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and Norris Aquatics Center, the Technological Institute, Dearborn Observatory, the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Hall for Nanofabrication and Molecular Self-Assembly, and the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.

South Campus: Here, you'll find the university's humanities buildings, music buildings like the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, and the sorority quads.

The Lakefill, created in the 1960s by filling in a portion of Lake Michigan, added 84 acres (34 ha) to the campus. The University Library and the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts are located on the Lakefill.

Transportation: The Chicago Transit Authority's Purple Line provides convenient access to the Evanston campus. The Foster and Davis stations are within walking distance of the southern end of the campus, while the Noyes station is close to the northern end. The Central station is near Ryan Field, Northwestern's football stadium. The Evanston Davis Street station serves the Northwestern campus in downtown Evanston, and the Evanston Central Street station is near Ryan Field.

The Chicago Campus: A Hub for Professional Studies

Northwestern's Chicago campus is located in the Streeterville neighborhood, near Lake Michigan. It is home to the nationally ranked Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the medical school, the law school, the part-time MBA program, and the School of Professional Studies. Medill's one-year graduate program is located on Wacker Drive, separate from the rest of the campus.

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The professional schools were originally scattered throughout Chicago. In 1920, 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) of land were purchased at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Lake Shore Drive for $1.5 million to create a central Chicago campus. James Gamble Rogers was commissioned to design the principal buildings on the new campus in collegiate gothic style. The Montgomery Ward Memorial Building, financed by a donation from Mrs. Montgomery Ward, was completed in 1927 and housed the medical and dental schools. Other buildings designed by Rogers include Wieboldt Hall and Levy Mayer Hall. The Chicago campus continued to expand with the addition of Thorne Hall in 1931 and Abbott Hall in 1939.

Historical Note: In October 2013, Northwestern demolished the architecturally significant Prentice Women's Hospital.

Governance and Administration

Northwestern is governed by an appointed Board of Trustees, composed of 70 members. The board delegates its power to an elected president, who serves as the chief executive officer of the university. Northwestern has had seventeen presidents in its history (excluding interim presidents).

Academics: A Tradition of Excellence and Innovation

Northwestern University is renowned for its academic rigor, interdisciplinary approach, and commitment to research. The university offers a wide range of programs across its eleven schools.

Admissions and Academic Programs

Northwestern received a record 52,225 applications for its class size of approximately 2,100 students in the 2022â2023 academic year. Approximately 35â40% percent of the incoming students of the Class of 2027 have been admitted through the Early Decision application round. In April 2016, Northwestern joined the Chicago Star Partnership, a City Colleges initiative aimed at increasing opportunities for students in the city's public school district.

The university provides instruction in over 200 formal academic concentrations, 124 undergraduate programs, and 145 graduate and professional programs, including various dual degree programs. While there is no university-wide core curriculum, a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is required for all majors. Individual degree requirements are set by the faculty of each school. The university emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, with a significant percentage of undergraduates combining two or more areas of study.

Academic Calendar and Popular Majors

Northwestern's full-time undergraduate and graduate programs operate on a 10-week academic quarter system, with the academic year beginning in late September and ending in early June. Undergraduates typically take four courses each quarter and twelve courses in an academic year and are required to complete at least twelve quarters on campus to graduate.

The most popular and prominent majors at Northwestern in 2021 include communication, journalism, engineering, computer science, mathematics, statistics, biological sciences, physics, and chemistry. The university is also prominent in law and medicine. Northwestern maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1.

Libraries and Collections

Northwestern University boasts an extensive library system, including:

Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies: Established in 1954 and named after Melville J. Herskovits, this library houses the largest separate Africana collection in existence.
The Music Library: This library contains extensive holdings of printed music and archival materials documenting music composed since 1945.
Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections: This collection includes an extensive collection on The Long 60s, Social History, Political History, Literature, Arts, Journalism, Twentieth Century Music, Theatre, Performance, and Women's History.

The Special Collections department at Charles Deering McCormick Library holds approximately 8,000 items related to the Siege and Commune of Paris during 1870â1871. This collection is one of the largest and most diverse of its kind in the world and contains a captivating range of original photographs, posters, caricatures, lithographs, manuscripts, books, newspapers, and other artifacts that were created in response to the significant events that occurred during that year. These events included France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the downfall of the Second Empire, the four-month siege of Paris, and the violent civil war that ended the Commune uprising. The core of the collection was acquired in 1971, the centenary year of the Commune's end, when the library's astute staff purchased most of the offerings of a well-known French book dealer. Since then, many other acquisitions have been added to the collection. The Franco-Prussian War was among the earliest conflicts to be photographed, and the collection includes many such images, along with depictions of the devastated Parisian landscape and some of the earliest examples of manipulated photographs created for propaganda purposes. The collection also encompasses a significant amount of material that covers military activities during the Spanish Civil War and the early stages of World War II from both sides of the conflict. In addition, the collection showcases the impact of warfare on civilians who were displaced or killed in various parts of Spain, including any interactions with France and Germany during that period. The collection also features various other topics that offer insight into Spain's cultural and social dynamics throughout history.

Museums and Research Centers

Northwestern is home to several museums and research centers, including:

The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art: This museum contains more than 4,000 works in its permanent collection.
Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics
Northwestern Institute for Policy Research

Campus Life and Traditions

Beyond academics, Northwestern offers a vibrant campus life with numerous traditions and activities.

"The Rock"

"The Rock" is a significant landmark and tradition at Northwestern. This magnificent boulder of Baraboo quartzite, originally containing a water fountain, was given to the university by the Class of 1902. In the 1940s, students began painting the Rock, initially as a prank, which evolved into an accepted avenue of free expression. To claim painting rights, students must camp out for 24 hours to "guard" The Rock.

Shakespeare Garden

The Shakespeare Garden provides a serene escape on campus. Created in 1915 by the Drama League of America to celebrate the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, the garden features plants mentioned in Shakespeare's plays or commonly grown in Tudor England.

Deering Library

Modeled after King's College in Cambridge, Deering Library is a beautiful architectural landmark. It houses Northwestern's Art, Music, and Special Collections, as well as the University Archives, and remains a popular study space for students.

Sports and Recreation

Northwestern offers state-of-the-art sports and recreation facilities, including the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, Norris Aquatics Center, Combe Tennis Center, and Ryan Fieldhouse. Northwestern is a charter member of the Big Ten Conference and boasts 8 men's and 11 women's varsity sports programs.

Visiting Northwestern University

Visits to Northwestern's campus are encouraged. Guided in-person tours are available, and a self-guided tour is also available. Evanston offers a variety of hotels for visitors.

Transportation: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line and Purple Line provide convenient access to the Evanston campus. Metra Commuter Rail also serves Evanston from downtown Chicago.

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