A Brief History
For more than a century, National Louis University has served those who serve others. Elizabeth Harrison, a pioneer in elementary and early childhood education, founded the institution as Miss Harrison’s Training School in 1886. The school’s name was changed to the Chicago Kindergarten College (1893), the National Kindergarten College (1912) and then the National College of Education (1930). Under Harrison’s leadership, National College of Education championed the concept of kindergarten teaching in America and was one of the first teacher’s colleges in the country to offer a four-year program culminating in the bachelor of education degree. It was the first Illinois institution to offer the bachelor’s degree for elementary teachers. The college was instrumental in the founding of the PTA and played a major role in launching the national Head Start program.
The institutional name, National Louis University, unites the name of National College of Education with that of trustee and benefactor Michael W. Louis. The Louis gift, a major financial gift that spearheaded the transition in 1990 from college to university, is among the largest to private education in Illinois. Today, National Louis University comprises three colleges—National College of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Management and Business.
National Louis University continues to serve a diverse population of students who are both new and returning to higher education. The student body includes adults who are working full time or contemplating career changes, teachers and administrators who want to further their education while continuing to work in their fields and immigrants and other language minorities with limited English skills.