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Northwestern University is a private university, located mostly in Evanston, Illinois, on a 240-acre campus along the shores of Lake Michigan. The university's professional schools are located in Chicago, on a 25-acre campus near the Magnificent Mile.

The university was founded in 1851 and opened in 1855. The name Northwestern University came from the founders' desire to serve the citizens of the United States' newly acquired Northwest Territory.

Northwestern University enrolls approximately 17,000 students and employs nearly 6,800 faculty and staff members.

Northwestern's athletic teams are nicknamed the Wildcats. Before 1924, they were known as "The Purple" and unofficially as "The Fighting Methodists". Northwestern University is a member of the Big Ten Conference for athletics.

Northwestern University's official color is purple. (For this reason, the Chicago Transit Authority's elevated train that runs through Evanston has been designated the Purple Line. (The stations that serve Northwestern University are Davis, Foster, and Noyes.) The phrase on Northwestern University's seal is "Quaecumque sunt vera" -- "Whatsoever things are true" in Latin.

Northwestern University's newspaper is The Daily Northwestern; its radio station is WNUR (89.3 FM).

1 Schools and colleges

• Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (founded 1851)
• School of Communication (1878)
• School of Continuing Studies (1933)
• School of Education and Social Policy (1926)
• Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science (1909)
• Graduate School (1910)
• Medill School of Journalism (1921)
• School of Law (1859)
• J. L. Kellogg School of Management (1908)
• Feinberg School of Medicine (1859)
• School of Music (1859)
• Dental School (1891-2001)

2 Notable alumni

• Saul Bellow, author and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• William Jennings Bryan, politician
• Salem ChalabiChalabi was the first General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal set up in 2003 to try Saddam Hussein and other members of his regime for crimes against humanity. Born in Baghdad in 1963, Salem grew up in the United States after his family fled Iraq i, General Director of the Iraqi Special TribunalThe Iraqi Special Tribunal is a body established to try Iraqi nationals or residents accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or other serious crimes committed between 1968 and 2003. It is organising the trial of Saddam Hussein. The tribun
• Rahm EmanuelChicago Tribune about the 9/11 Commission. Rahm Emanuel (born November 29 1959), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 5th District of Illinois. He was born in Chica, U.S. representativeThe House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the United States Congress, the other being the United States Senate. Members Members of the House are elected for a term of two years. Elections alternately coincide with the president
• Dick GephardtRichard Andrew Gephardt (born January 31, 1941) is a U. Representative from Missouri. Gephardt was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from South West High School in 1958. He earned his B. at Northwestern University in 1962 and earned his J. at the, U.S. representativeThe House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the United States Congress, the other being the United States Senate. Members Members of the House are elected for a term of two years. Elections alternately coincide with the president
• Otto GrahamOtto Everett Graham Jr. December 6, 1921- December 17, 2003) was an American professional football player. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Graham graduated from Northwestern University. He played tailback in his college years. Graham also played basketball at, athlete
• Howard HansonHoward Harold Hanson ( October 28, 1896 February 26, 1981) was a composer, conductor and educator from the United States of America. Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska to Swedish parents. In his infancy he studied music with his mother. Later, he studied, composer
• Sheldon Harnick, lyricist ( Fiddler on the Roof)
• Charles H. Mayo , doctor ( Mayo Clinic)
• George McGovern, South Dakota Senator and 1972 Democratic candidate for president.
• John Paul Stevens, U.S. Supreme Court justice
• Adlai Stevenson, politician
• Harold Washington, first black Chicago mayor