About Purdue North Central

Purdue University North Central is campus of more than 3,500 students and is a part of the Purdue University system. Students may choose from a variety of bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as courses that prepare them for transfer to West Lafayette or other campuses. It is located just south of the intersection of I-80 and US 421.

A Brief History

The Purdue University North Central campus recently celebrated its 40th birthday, but Purdue University became a presence in the area shortly after World War II when the University began offering technical courses at "extension centers" in more than 40 sites around Indiana, including LaPorte and Michigan City. The centers offered Purdue's complete freshman engineering program, as well as a two-year technical institute.

Purdue Barker Center

In 1948, Catherine Barker Hickox, daughter of a turn-of-the-century Michigan City industrialist, offered the family mansion as a permanent home for the LaPorte County extension center and the course offerings were expanded. For the next 18 years, students attended classes in the historic Barker Mansion on Washington Street, in a setting of Edwardian opulence.

Permanent Campus Opens

Enrollment grew steadily, and in 1962 Purdue purchased 155 acres of farmland on Highway 421 a few miles north of Westville as the site of a new, permanent campus to be named Purdue University North Central. The Education Building opened its doors for the Fall 1967 semester, with an enrollment of 1,200 students. In 1984, this building was renamed Schwarz Hall in honor of Robert F. Schwarz, the first dean and director.

Schwarz returned to teaching in 1972 and John W. Tucker served as Chancellor from 1972 to 1979, when he returned to full-time teaching. William R. Fuller was Interim Chancellor until June 1982, when Dale W. Alspaugh was named Acting Chancellor. Alspaugh became Chancellor in 1984, retiring from that position in December 1999. James B. Dworkin became Chancellor in January 2000.

More Buildings Added

A second major structure, the Library-Student-Faculty Building, was completed in 1975. In the spring of 1985, a 2,600 square-foot Robotics and Flexible Manufacturing Technology Laboratory was built. Equipment from this lab was moved into the Technology Building upon its completion in the spring of 1995. Since then, the campus has expanded to 268 acres and the student body has expanded to over 3,500 --nearly three times its original size.

In December of 2000, PNC announced the opening of the Valparaiso Academic Center, a 10,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art education and training facility designed to serve the professional development needs of management and technical professional as well as degree-seeking adults. With a deluxe conference room, a specially designed executive training center, and on-going exhibits of art, the VAC serves hundreds of Northwest Indiana residents each year.

Most recently, in May of 2002, Purdue North Central announced the opening of the North Central Veterinary Emergency Center. The $1.4 million facility is located adjacent to the main campus and was made possible through a unique, public-private partnership that brings together Purdue and an investor group of 36 area veterinarians. The center provides 24-hour emergency and specialty veterinary care to the owners of dogs, cats, and other small animals within 50 miles of PNC.