The Professional Schools Medical School The Chicago Medical College, founded in 1859, affiliated with Northwestern in 1870 and became a part of the University 12 years later. In 1915 the school was one of the first in the country to require students to complete an internship program in their fifth year. Elizabeth Ward, the wife of Montgomery Ward, offered to fund the construction of a medical center in the early 1920s but hesitated when she discovered that the school did not admit women. The policy was subsequently changed. In the mid-1930s students began treating charity and low-income patients in an out-patient department. In the 1946-47 academic year the Medical School affiliated with Children's Memorial Hospital, and three new departments were established: one in experimental medicine, an institute of rheumatic fever and a department of nutrition and metabolism. The new Searle Building increased space in 1965 for medical research, allowing the school to become a comprehensive medical center affiliated with a number of hospitals. In 1972 Wesley Memorial and Passavant Hospitals merged to form Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one of the finest hospitals in the country. Today the Medical School offers a number of graduate programs, including one in genetic counseling and another in the life sciences, as well as medical degrees in combination with master's degrees in management and in public health. School of Law Northwestern's School of Law began as the Union College of Law. It was a joint venture between Northwestern and the old University of Chicago that opened in 1873 with 54 students and soon boasted a curriculum comparable to those of Harvard and Yale. About 25 courses were offered in 1900, but by the 1920s that figure had risen to more than 60, and a four-year course of study had been established. In 1935 the school introduced a bachelor's degree in law for candidates who completed a six-year program. During the New Deal era the curriculum shifted from its traditional focus on the judicial process of the courts to the study and analysis of the relationship between the law and governmental and business agencies. After World War II innovative corporate group seminars brought members of the bar into the classroom to expose students to real-world legal issues. The mid-1960s saw significant changes at the school that gave students more choices. After a well-defined course of study in their first year, students could choose a set number of electives during their second and third years. A Senior Research Program was available for third-year students. Another unique program allowed students to learn about the legal problems of the poor and then get firsthand experience with clients of the Chicago Legal Aid Society. This program became the Legal Clinic, and since 1919 it has been a requirement of all students to work there. The School of Law currently offers four concentrations: business associations, civil litigations and dispute resolution, international law and health law.   Dental School When Northwestern established the College of Dental and Oral Surgery in 1887, the entrance requirements were higher than any other dental school in the United States. After acceptance, students had to complete three seven-month courses that included both lectures and clinical instruction. A fourth year of study led to a medical degree. The high standards were intimidating, and the college nearly closed when only 30 students enrolled in 1890. But a group of dentists stepped in and reorganized the dental college so that students could take classes in the Medical School as well. The school reopened and expanded in 1895 when it acquired the American College of Dental Surgeons. In the early 1900s newly established clinics allowed students to provide dental care to the public for a small fee. The school also developed its own medical courses even though similar classes were offered in the Medical School curriculum; eventually duplicate courses were merged. A clinic was established in 1973 that enabled students to learn about all aspects of dentistry in addition to pursuing a specialty. In 1998 Northwestern decided to close the school because of the difficulty in competing with leading public dental schools receiving large amounts of state support. The last class will graduate this spring. Kellogg Graduate School of Management The idea of establishing Northwestern's School of Commerce came from a group of young Chicago businesspeople who brought the suggestion in 1908 to two faculty members. The school was launched with six professors and 255 students, who enrolled in classes in elementary commerce and accounting. It was an immediate success, reaching its high point after World War II when thousands of former veterans enrolled. Over time, however, the numbers of undergraduates majoring in commerce dwindled, and the last undergraduate class was admitted in 1966. Following a $10 million contribution from the John L. and Helen Kellogg Foundation, the school's name was changed in 1979 to the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Today Kellogg students can major in technology and e-commerce, biotechnology, nonprofit management, marketing, management organization and entrepreneurship. Noted for developing the team approach in business education, Kellogg offers students a blend of theory and practice, classes coupled with internships so students can apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world business problems. In addition, in 1990 Kellogg combined forces with the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science to offer a master's degree in management in manufacturing. Illinois College of Pharmacy and Northwestern School for Nurses In 1866 a group of Chicago druggists suggested that Northwestern establish a pharmacy college. The proposal led to the creation of the Illinois College of Pharmacy. Raising standards in the early 1900s led to a decline in enrollment. By the 1916-17 academic year, the school had only 59 students, so in 1917 it was sold to the University of Illinois. Schools for training the nurses of Chicago's Mercy and Wesley Hospitals affiliated with the University in 1905 and later branched out to include training in all hospitals affiliated with the Medical School. In the beginning it was decided that virtually all matters in running the school would be decided by a joint committee drawn from the Medical School and the affiliated hospitals. This was an innovation that met with some opposition at first. In 1990 the school closed partly because of declining enrollments and increased competition from two-year programs. -- N.M. 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