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.
The Purdue University North Central campus recently
celebrated its 35th 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.
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.
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.
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.
For a copy of the Silver Anniversary campus
history, contact the Campus Relations Office, 140 Schwarz
Hall. Click Here
