Changing exhibitions telling stories of the history of Notre Dame University are featured in the Ernestine M. Raclin Gallery of Notre Dame History, located at the Northern Indiana Center for History, 808 W. Washington. The gallery, a partnership of the Center for History and the University of Notre Dame, is named in honor of Ernestine M. Raclin, a local business and civic leader. Research and design for the exhibitions are a collaborative effort between the Notre Dame Archives and the Center for History.
Mrs. Raclin and the Carmichael Foundation, of which she is president, have provided numerous contributions and support to the Center for History over several years. Mrs. Raclin was a long-time trustee for the University of Notre Dame and currently serves as Trustee-Emeritus of the University. The gallery features changing exhibitions which are intended to relate significant historical aspects of the University. An endowment for the gallery has been generously provided by the Carmichael Foundation.
Current Exhibition in the Raclin Gallery of Notre Dame History
Notre Dame: A Place in History
Opening August 20, 2003 -permanent
Ernestine M. Raclin Gallery of Notre Dame History
“On a cold November evening in the year of grace, 1842, a young priest stood near the old log house on the banks of the little lake called St. Mary’s, and viewed for the first time the principal field of his future labors...The young priest was Father Sorin; the place, Notre Dame du Lac; two names that will always be associated, ever linked together in the memory of old students and old friends, and will go down together in the religious and educational annals of our country,” (from the Silver Jubilee of the University of Notre Dame).
This and other stories of those whose lives have been intertwined with the University of Notre Dame are featured in Notre Dame: A Place in History, a new permanent exhibition at the Northern Indiana Center for History.
From founder Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., to Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., to football great Knute Rockne, the stories are told through artifacts and photographs from the University of Notre Dame Archives. A life-size mural of Father Sorin stands tall over a crucifix he brought from France and a Bible he used. Completed in 1882 by J. Francis Smith, the work of art was discovered during the 1997-99 restoration of the Main Building. The wall on which it was painted was removed from the third floor and brought to the Center for History, where it was restored.
Photographs of Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., provide a visual testimony to this Notre Dame president. Many are images of Father Hesburgh with Notre Dame students. He is also pictured with three American presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy and Carter. Visitors can learn about the diverse components of the 35 years he served as president of the University, from the 110 honorary degrees bestowed upon him to the admission of undergraduate women in 1972.
A portion of the story of football legend Knute Rockne is shown in advertisements he made with the Studebaker Corporation during his coaching years. A program from the dedication of the new stadium in 1930 also can be seen.
The perimeter of the exhibition is a timeline of photographs that provides a comparison of the number of faculty members and buildings, as well as the costs of tuition and room and board through the decades.
Notre Dame: A Place in History was researched and designed by staff from the Archives of the University of Notre Dame and the Center for History, with funding provided by Mrs. Ernestine M. Raclin and the University of Notre Dame. The Raclin Gallery, which houses Notre Dame: A Place in History, is a partnership of the Center for History and the University of Notre Dame and is named in honor of Ernestine M. Raclin, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 1976. The Northern Indiana Center for History is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission ranges from $3 to $8.
For information, call (574) 235-9664.
