History of Newman

A House Becomes a Home.
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St. Mary’s associate pastor, Fr. Charles McCarren, became the Newman Club’s chaplain in the late 1940’s. He believed that, for the Newman Club to flourish, it needed a gathering place on campus. When an old house at 618 College Avenue (the present site of NIU’s library) went up for sale, Fr. McCarren approached Fr. Quinn with the hope that St. Mary’s would buy the house for the student’s use. He was not deterred when his proposal was turned down. With Fr. Quinn’s skeptical approval, Fr. McCarren borrowed $2,200 from his mother and $3,500 from the DeKalb Trust and Savings Bank to buy the house. The house was in rough shape at the time of the purchase. With the help of a contractor, the Knights of Columbus, and some area residents and students, a basement was put under the house and heating and plumbing was installed. This house became the Newman Center in 1951 and remained so until 1960.