North Central College North Central College is a private liberal arts college located in historic downtown Naperville , Illinois , United States . History . North Central College was founded in 1861 as Plainfield College in Plainfield , Illinois . Classes were first held on Nov . 11 of that year . On Feb . 15 , 1864 , the Board of Trustees changed the name of the school to North - Western College . The college moved to Naperville in 1870 . The name was again changed in 1926 to North Central College . Campus . The college is located on a 59 - acre ( 24 ha ) campus in Downtown Naperville on Chicago Avenue . In the Early 1900 ' s College President Herman J . Kiekhoefer and Judge John S . Goodwin initiated contact with philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to seek out funds for new facilities on campus . Carnegie agreed to donate $ 25 , 000 ( approximately $ 679 , 059 in the current consumer price index ) to then North - Western College for a new library building . Carnegie Library , as it was formerly called , was one of only a few academic libraries in Illinois that received funding from Carnegie . The building still exists on campus today and is now known as , " Carnegie Hall . " Pfeiffer Hall is North Central College ' s oldest fine arts building . The 4 , 500 square foot building was built in 1926 and seats 1 , 057 . This structure has been historically used by the college to screen films and host lectures , debates , and theatrical productions . Today Pfeiffer Hall continues to host events such as these along with other types of live performances by popular music artists and comedians . The building has a longstanding reputation as being haunted . North Central College in 2008 dedicated the $ 30 million Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center . Designed by the internationally acclaimed Chicago architectural firm of Loebl , Schlossman and Hackl , Inc . , the facility was planned and sited with the needs of both the College and the Naperville community in mind . Plans evolved over a 15 - year period , driven by explosive growth in the College ’ s music , theatre and art programs , but also a parallel transformation of the city ’ s downtown , which has brought more than 50 restaurants , numerous national stores and the first four - and five - story buildings within a few blocks of the North Central campus . The Concert Hall is named in honor of Dr . Myron Wentz , Class of 1963 . Nearly $ 10 million in gifts from Wentz — a scientist , and entrepreneur and music lover — over the past two years have brought the facility to center stage . ( Plans for a new Fine Arts Center were put on hold a decade ago when a devastating flood in Naperville forced the College to turn its attention to its damaged athletic complex instead . ) In addition to Wentz Concert Hall , the Fine Arts Center also features the Madden Theatre , which is a 150 - seat “ black box ” experimental theatre ( that can double as a dance studio ) as well as a facility to provide much needed music rehearsal space , practice rooms and offices . The center also houses a spacious lobby , a kitchen facility and the Schoenherr Art Gallery ( all supportive of major civic gatherings ) . Re - dedication of Meiley - Swallow Hall , the old Grace Evangelical Church at Ellsworth Street and Van Buren Avenue , was a highlight during the 2007 Homecoming weekend . In 2005 , the College embraced the opportunity to preserve a part of Naperville and North Central history by acquiring the former Grace Evangelical Church . The 95 - year - old structure was erected by the same denomination that founded North Central College and an addition to the College ' s art and theatre programs . Special features of this building include : nearly of space , much - needed art display area , a 225 - seat thrust stage theatre , and additional office space . Organization and administration . The endowment of the college was $ 79 million as of June 30 , 2010 . Academic profile . Admission . During the 2012 - 13 academic year , North Central had an overall acceptance rate of 64 . 6 % . During the same year , the average high school GPA of admitted students was 3 . 6 . As of 2013 , U . S . News & World Report lists North Central College as one of only two regionally ranked colleges in Illinois with the distinction of being " more selective , " the other being Bradley University in Peoria , Illinois . Ranking . In the 2007 through 2013 editions of the U . S . News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings , North Central College is ranked in the top 20 " Regional Universities ( Midwest ) , " as well as among " America ' s Best Colleges . " North Central College was named one of the Colleges of Distinction , a list of schools emphasizing student engagement , strong teaching , a vibrant community , and successful outcomes . North Central also is one of Kaplan ' s " 320 Most Interesting Colleges . " Student life . Arts and media . North Central College has a very strong theatre program . The 2000 production of " The Pirates of Penzance " was selected to perform at Kennedy Center American College Theatre ' s Region III Festival . Productions of Ken Ludwig ' s " Moon Over Buffalo " and Schmidt and Jones ' musical " Philemon " were both selected to perform at the festival ' s " Evening of Scenes " in 2004 and 2005 . The 2007 production of " Thoroughly Modern Millie " was selected as a Regional Finalist from more than 1 , 300 productions . The 2009 season featured a stunning production of " Cats , " and in 2010 North Central became one of the first college theaters in the nation to stage a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber ' s " The Phantom of the Opera " . North Central College is home to WONC - FM 89 . 1 , one of the nation ' s premier college radio stations . At a count of 20 , no other college radio station has garnered more Marconi College Radio Awards than WONC . " The Chronicle " is the student newspaper of North Central College . Sports . North Central College ' s mascot is the Cardinal , in tradition of the bird ' s habitance in Illinois . The school competes in NCAA Division III and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin ( CCIW ) . It sponsors 22 sports and has won 30 team national championships - 26 NCAA and 4 NAIA - and North Central athletes have won 115 individual national championships . The total of number national championships puts the college eighth on the all time list for most national championships . North Central is the only school in the CCIW to win a national championship in four ( 4 ) different sports . And since joining the CCIW , North Central has won 164 conference titles along with 14 CCIW postseason tournament titles . North Central College was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1927 - 1937 . The college is best known for its Men ' s Track and Field and Cross Country teams , which have won 25 national championships . For the 2009 - 2010 school year , the men ' s cross country and indoor / outdoor track teams swept the NCAA Division III Championships . North Central is only the second school in Division III history to accomplish this feat . During the 2011 - 2012 school year , the men ' s indoor track team three - peated as national champions , and the cross country team repeated as national champions . The campus has also hosted past NCAA Division III national events . Men ' s Varsity Sports Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Soccer Swimming Tennis Track and Field ( Indoor / Outdoor ) Wrestling Women ' s Varsity Sports Basketball Cross Country Golf Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Track and Field ( Indoor / Outdoor ) Volleyball Athletic Facilities " Benedetti - Wehrli Stadium " , which seats 5 , 500 , was completed in 1999 , while the Jay and Dot Buikema track was resurfaced in 1997 and a Safeplay Plus artificial playing surface was installed in 2011 . The Stadium has hosted numerous high - profile events , including the Illinois high school boys and girls soccer state finals and the Wes Spencer Crosstown Classic , the annual showdown between Naperville North and Naperville Central high schools . It also served as the temporary home of the Chicago Fire for two seasons while Chicago ' s Soldier Field was reconstructed . In summer 2009 , the stadium hosted an outdoor concert by the band Lifehouse . North Central College ’ s baseball facility , " Zimmerman Stadium " , which includes Alumni Field , was dedicated in 1999 . The home of Cardinal baseball resembles a professional minor league facility , with permanent seating for 750 fans and a fully enclosed and wireless pressbox . The facility has hosted the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tournament and Major League Baseball ’ s RBI World Series and Area Code tryouts . Cardinal softball plays at Shanower Family Field . In April 2002 , the field was dedicated to honor the family of Don Shanower , beloved professor emeritus of speech communication and theatre and enthusiastic softball fan . The dedication took on added meaning after the Shanower ’ s son Dan , a commander in the U . S . Navy , was among the victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon . The field has been host to an NCAA III regional tournament and was part of Major League Baseball ’ s RBI World Series . Merner Field House is home to Cardinal indoor sports except track and field , with 2 , 000 seats in Gregory Arena for the basketball and volleyball teams . On the second floor of Merner Field House is Nichols Gymnasium , home to the North Central College wrestling team . The College ’ s swimming pool is also located in the Field House . The Residence Hall / Recreation Center opened in fall 2009 . This combination residential hall and recreational center also contains a regulation NCAA 200 - meter running track and is home to the Cardinal indoor track team . The Res / Rec Center has won national acclaim due to its environmentally conscious design . The facility , with its innovative geothermal heating and cooling system and other sustainability features , has been awarded LEED Silver Certification . Other . Haunted History . Pfeiffer Hall has developed a reputation for playing host to as many as a half dozen ghosts , and is a popular attraction amongst super natural enthusiasts in the Chicago metropolitan area . Several books and articles written on the subject have listed the theater as being one of the most haunted buildings in Illinois . The most well - known account is that of an elderly lady dressed in a white dress who is said to have died in seat G - 42 inside the theater . Other supposed ghosts include a drama teacher who is believed to have committed suicide in the theater and a former janitor named “ Charlie Yellow Boots ” that is said to haunt the west stairwell and balcony . The legend of the " Pfeiffer Hall Ghosts " is popular amongst students and faculty as well residents of the city of Naperville .