An early rendering of the Ward Building, by architect James Gamble Rogers, ca. 1924. Via Hathi Trust

One hundred years ago, on May 8, 1925, Northwestern administrators, students, and major donors gathered to break ground on a new campus in the up-and-coming Streeterville neighborhood. This campus would bring together Northwestern’s medical, dental, law, and business schools for the first time, fulfilling a vision nearly 20 years in the making. Those 20 years had seen many changes in medicine and medical education, and the planned Ward Memorial Building, home of Northwestern University Medical School (the future Feinberg School of Medicine), would allow Northwestern to remain at the forefront of medical education, research, and care.

Now on display in the Eckenhoff Reading Room, From the South Side to Streeterville: The Creation of the Chicago Campus uses items from Galter’s archival, artifact, and book collections to explore the story of the medical school’s move to Streeterville, including its former locations, the decision to move, the changing landscape of science and medical education, and the financial campaigns that raised millions to create the Chicago Campus. The exhibit can be viewed online here.

Curated and designed by Emma Florio, Archives & Research Specialist, with support from Katie Lattal, Special Collections Librarian, and Emma Wilson, Research Impact & Communications Librarian. For questions and additional information, please contact Galter’s Special Collections Department: ghsl-specialcollections@northwestern.edu