Celine Neptune Memorabilia, no date, 1974

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Celine Neptune was born in Thorntown, Indiana in 1886.  Her family included a sister, Katherine and two brothers, Maurice and W.M.  She received her A.B. degree in 1909 from Western College for Women at Oxford, Ohio, and did graduate work at Indiana University, University of Chicago, and University of Colorado.  She received her A.M. from Columbia University, and attended Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts.  Before coming to Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1918 as an assistant instructor in domestic science, she taught in both elementary and high schools.  Her sister Katherine was librarian here from 1926 to 1945, and during that time they lived together in an apartment on Augusta Avenue. In 1921 Northern Illinois State Normal School became Northern Illinois State Teachers College and a Home Economics Department was added.  Miss Neptune was named head of the two person department which offered a number of four-year programs in Home Economics.  She served as Head of the Department until 1947 when she on disability leave.  Under her guidance the Home Management House was established, as well as an industrial arts program for grade school children, and an off-campus program.  Miss Neptune was instrumental in changing the scope of the domestic science program so that it included teaching, dietetics and nutrition, and other relevant courses, developing programs which helped Northern’s Home Economics Department become one of the most progressive in the Midwest. Celine Neptune died January 7, 1949 while on vacation in Donna, Texas.  Her dedication to Northern was commemorated in September 1955 when Neptune North, the first building in the new Neptune Hall dormitory complex opened.  On October 25, 1974 a plaque honoring Celine Neptune was dedicated.