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Northeastern Illinois University’s Jacob H. Carruthers Center Celebrates 60th Anniversary

A photo of the exterior of Northeastern Illinois University's Jacob H. Carruthers Center.

Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

The Jacob H. Carruthers Center was established by Northeastern Illinois University on Aug. 1, 1966, to focus on urban education and African and African American-centered perspectives. Six decades later, the Carruthers Center continues to be a place where people of all ethnicities, nationalities and beliefs meet to share their knowledge and experiences.

A series of events will be held throughout September and October at the Carruthers Center, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd. in Chicago, to mark the anniversary. Events will be free and open to the public. As space is limited, RSVPs are strongly encouraged.

“The Carruthers Center is a truly special and sacred place,” said Akua Cason, Interim Director of the Carruthers Center. “There is so much history here that people don’t know about and they should. Many prominent speakers and civil rights leaders have walked through these hallways. The Carruthers Center has always been a space where people have gathered to learn and create meaningful change.”

The Carruthers Center is located within the historically prominent building formerly known as the Abraham Lincoln Center. The building’s design was originally conceived by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright at the behest of his uncle, Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, who wanted to create a building that could serve as a church for his growing congregation as well as a community space. As the project progressed, the two had differences and Frank resigned from the project. However, some of his design elements were used in the finished building. 

Over the years, as Bronzeville emerged as a cultural hub for African American culture on the South Side of Chicago, the building was repurposed and eventually sold to Northeastern to establish the Center for Inner City Studies with federal funding received from the Office of Education during its first two years of existence. 

Anderson Thompson, Ph.D., and Jacob H. Carruthers, Ph.D., designed the curriculum to be taught from an African-American perspective, focusing on social sciences and humanities courses, to fulfill its mission to meet the educational needs of inner-city residents in an interdisciplinary setting.

University President Emerita Salma H. Steinberg appointed Dr. Carruthers to serve as the Center’s second Director, succeeding Donn F. Bailey, Ph.D., who served the University for more than 20 years. Dr. Carruthers was the founding director of the Kemetic Institute, the Temple of the African Community of Chicago, and the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. He was an esteemed educator and one of three African American students to integrate the University of Texas Law School in 1950. He was also the first Black student to earn a doctorate from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After Dr. Carruthers’ passing in 2004, the building was renamed in his honor.

“The naming of the Center for Inner City Studies after Jacob H. Carruthers means the continuation of a legacy and the Kemetic concept of divine speech, or good speech,” said Conrad Worrill, Ph.D., who succeeded Dr. Carruthers and served 12 of his more than 40 years at Northeastern as Director of the Center. “If you do good speech or good deeds, your name should be placed in eternity.”

As the University marks 60 years of the Carruthers Center, Cason is mindful of the past, but is also looking forward to the future.

“The Carruthers Center is a community where everyone is welcomed,” Cason said. “Whether you come here for a class or a workshop, to use our library, study the building’s architecture or to participate in an event, our doors are open and we encourage everyone to visit us, learn here and become part of our legacy.”

Celebrating 60 Years of Culture, Community and Scholarship at the Carruthers Center

  • Tuesday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.: Great Black Music Kick-Off 
  • Saturday, Sept. 19,  11 a.m.: Carruthers Center Fun Fair
    • Celebrate NEIU Homecoming at the Carruthers Center. Mix and mingle with students, alumni, faculty and staff while enjoying music, food, activities, games and more. 
    • RSVP
  • Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m.: Carruthers Center Lecture
  • Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m.: Carruthers Center Alumni Mixer and Awards Ceremony
    • Calling all Carruthers Center alumni! Network with your fellow graduates and celebrate those who are making a difference in their communities.
    • RSVP
  • Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m.: Carruthers Center Alumni Brunch
    • Enjoy a meal with graduates of the Carruthers Center while mingling with University faculty and staff. 
    • RSVP

Top photo: An exterior image of the Jacob H. Carruthers Center.