CELEBRATING 140 YEARS OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AT NLU
As National Louis University celebrates its 140th anniversary, this report highlights the enduring role of thought leadership in advancing the university’s mission. The sections that follow tell this story through three complementary lenses. • Building the Foundation: We begin by looking back, tracing 140 years of NLU’s growth and contributions. • Leading Today: We then turn to the present, highlighting the breadth and impact of this year’s thought leadership. • Shaping Tomorrow: Finally, we look ahead to the future through the work of some of our newest faculty, whose research agendas and emerging areas of expertise will help define the next generation of thought leadership at National Louis University.
Building the Foundation: 140 Years 140 Years of Fun Facts: Innovation, Education and NLU Thought Leadership**
Decade
Inventions and Social Change Higher Education Growth and Change NLU Thought Leadership Highlights
Building Research Capacity • Elizabeth Harrison lays the foundation for innovative teacher education and what would become NLU. • Harrison brings evening training to teachers and morning learning to mothers—redefining access for Women. • The college’s groundbreaking work in early childhood reaches a global audience at the 1893 World’s Fair. Influential practices and works • A Study of Child Nature by Harrison focuses on observation of children’s needs for educational practice. Influential practices and works • Elizabeth Harrison’s pamphlet on the Montessori Method is published by the U.S. Bureau of Education, pioneering modern early childhood education.
1880s - 1890s
• First College Board exams standardize admissions.
• First automobile: Karl Benz invents the ‘horseless carriage.’ • Motion pictures invented. • Progressive Era in government emphasizes education and public health.
• Land-grant universities expand. • Blackboard & chalk revolutionize classrooms.
1900s-1910s
• Research universities form and set academic standards. • Teacher education becomes increasingly professionalized. • Educational psychology emerges as a scientific discipline. • College enrollment doubles. • Women enroll in larger numbers. • Teacher training grows despite the Depression. • Expansion of opportunities in Black colleges and women’s colleges.
• Wright brothers’ first flight launches age of aviation. • Automobiles begin to reshape transportation. • Assembly-line manufacturing transforms industry and the workforce. • Women’s Suffrage through the 19th Amendment. • Radios become common in homes. • Telephone service spreads nationwide.
Influential practices and works • Edna Dean Baker works with White House on educational conferences.
1920s- 1930s
• First four-year teacher training cohort graduates with Bachelor of Education degrees, setting a new standard in professional preparation. • First European trip for students, alumni, and faculty, pioneering global experiential learning.
** This figure is based on a retrospective look at NLU innovation done by Susanna Chan of LITS.
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