Harry S Truman College celebrates 70 years of serving the people of the City of Chicago, the college traces its origins back to 1956

For seventy years and counting, Harry S Truman College had served thousands of Chicagoans by offering academic excellence to its students in their chosen educational pathways.

"Harry S Truman College has spent 70 incredible years of opening doors of opportunity for our students through education. Opportunities they've earned and deserve, so as we celebrate our 70th anniversary of service to Chicagoans this year, we stand prouder than ever because of them," said President Shawn Jackson, Harry S Truman College. "With our students at the center of our mission, Truman College promises to remain a beacon of accessibility and academic excellence-for the decades to come."

For the last 70 years, Harry S Truman College has evolved from a small night-school initiative to serving thousands of students each year.

The college traces its origins back to 1956, when it was established as a two-year "evening college" operating out of Amundsen High School on Foster Avenue. The program was launched following community demand for more accessible higher education options on Chicago's North Side.

Its Mayfair Era began in 1961 when the program grew rapidly, soon outgrowing the high school space. At this time, community leaders secured a former elementary school on Wilson Avenue, transitioning the school into Mayfair College. Then in 1976, it moved to the location where it stands today, 1145 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago's Uptown Neighborhood.

The main building was designed by John Moutoussamy, a pioneering modernist architect and the first Black architect to design a high-rise building in Chicago. Upon opening, the school was officially renamed Harry S Truman College in honor of the 33rd U.S. President, who was an advocate for public and community colleges.

At that time, the construction of the campus required demolishing local apartment buildings, which initially displaced families, including members of the neighborhood's Native American community. Over the subsequent decades, administrators worked intensely to reconnect with the community, launching supportive initiatives like the Institute of Native American Development and the Red Path Theatre. (source: Indigenous Chicago)

Additionally, the campus birthed the renowned Pegasus Theatre Chicago which went on to win dozens of Chicago's prestigious Jeff Awards.

In 2010, the college footprint expanded with the completion of the Larry McKeon Student Services Building. This LEED Silver-certified facility consolidated student resources and added a 1,100-space parking structure.

In 2014, as part of the City Colleges of Chicago's "College to Careers" initiative, Truman College was designated as the district's hub for education, human, and natural sciences.

Always dynamic and inclusive, today, Harry S Truman Colleges' annual enrollment boasts students representing more than 100 different countries and speaking over 90 languages.

When Dr. Kana Nagai first arrived at Harry S Truman College, she knew learning English would be a big task. What she didn't know was that going to Truman would open the door to multiple academic degrees, advanced research, and work funded by NASA. "City Colleges always showed me the next opportunity," she said. "That pathway-from ESL, to Gateway, to transfer-was incredibly important." Today, Dr. Nagai holds a doctoral degree and works as a Senior Research Associate at Illinois Tech. While completing her postdoctoral fellowship at IIT, her research focused on GPS and navigation systems, creating safer navigation technologies for transportation systems. Her work has been supported by NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

City Colleges of Chicago is currently enrolling now for its Fall 8-week, Winter 4-Week, and Spring 16-Week sessions. Fall 8-week session begins October 19, 2026. Register today and click here to apply.

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About City Colleges of Chicago

As the city's most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity, City Colleges of Chicago catalyzes our students' capacity to prosper and take part in building a stronger and more just Chicago. For more information visit www.ccc.edu or click here; or call 773-COLLEGE (773-265-5343).

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