Kendall College Administrative and Academic Planning Documents

Series

Identifier: 08-001-1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Includes records relating to departments and functions of Kendall College, formerly the Evanston Collegiate Institute. Contains Kendall College history, student handbooks and commencement information, bulletins, newsletters including the Lamplighter, the Kendall College Bulletin, Inside Kendall, Viking, Kendall Key, and Kendall Today. Also includes strategic and academic planning documents, and Board of Trustee reports and meeting minutes, BOT reports and meeting minutes, faculty meeting minutes and development information.

Dates

Majority of material found in 1930s-2015

Biographical / Historical

Kendall College was founded in 1934 as the Evanston Collegiate Institute, following the merger of two seminaries in Evanston, Illinois. In its early years, the school emphasized work-study programs that enabled students to pursue their education while gaining employment experience. Many students worked at the Washington National Insurance Company, established by brothers George and Harry Kendall. The Kendall family provided significant financial support to the institution, and in recognition of their contributions, the school was renamed Kendall College in 1950. In 1985, Kendall established the School of Culinary Arts, which quickly gained a national reputation for excellence in culinary and hospitality education. The program attracted students from across the country and contributed to the college’s growth and visibility in the professional culinary world. In 2005, Kendall College relocated from Evanston to a new, Chicago's Goose Island neighborhood, allowing for expanded programming and closer ties to the city’s vibrant hospitality industry.

In 2018, Kendall College became part of National Louis University, joining its mission to provide career-focused education with a strong foundation in the liberal arts.