National Louis University began as a Training Class for kindergarten teachers established by Elizabeth Harrison in the 1880s. It evolved into an educational institution that initially awarded undergraduate degrees in kindergarten and elementary education (and after 1952 graduate degrees) under a variety of names: Chicago Kindergarten College (1891-1912) National Kindergarten College (1912-1918), National Kindergarten and Elementary College (1918-1930), National College of Education (1930-1990), and National-Louis University (1990-present).
The Archives and Special Collections preserves documentary and artifactual materials pertaining to the history of the University and, in particular, the Kindergarten Movement in Chicago and educational reform in the United States in the later 19th and 20th centuries. This collection of yearbooks captures over 75 years of the student experience.
