NIU in World War II-- Part 1: Huge Impact

I have been writing about Northern Illinois University's (NIU) 125th anniversary this year in my Cooter's History Thing blog (click on that blog in the My Blogs section to the right of this).

There was a large display of photographs of service men and women from the school in the Altgeld Hall foyer during the duration of the war.

After the war, the number of male students exploded thanks to the GI Loan and required creative housing  solutions such as rows of bunks and cots in the school's Still Gym.

At the beginning of the war, NIU was the Northern Illinois State Teachers College (NISTC) and had  just over 1,000 students (370 men and 638 women).  Over the duration there was a constant exodus of students, both men and women,  going into service, leaving a wartime student population of just 500.

For those who stayed in DeKalb, the war loomed large.  Students and faculty sold war bonds, went without food and materials needed for the war effort.  Packages were sent to friends overseas.  A Faculty Defense Council was established, along with a Civilian Morale Committee, to coordinate volunteer efforts.

NISTC/NIU Was All In.  --GreGen