Chapter 3: Elbow Learning in the Heartland

In 1899, the Northern Illinois Normal School opened its doors to 173 aspiring classroom teachers (Hayter, 1974). Over the next 112 years Northern Illinois University (NIU) evolved into a nationally recognized research university with a total enrollment of 24,000 students. This enrollment includes approximately 5,500 students enrolled in 78 graduate programs.

The College of Education was established in 1959. The Master of Science in Education was first approved in 1951, followed by the certificate of advanced study in 1958 and the doctorate in education in 1961. In 1965, the first doctorate in education was conferred to Keith R. Getchman. That same year, Judy A. Fox became the first woman to receive a doctorate in education. Today, there are 126 tenured and tenure-track faculty in the college. Over 60% of the 50,000 College of Education alumni live in Illinois with one in four of Illinois superintendents being NIU graduates.