Paul Palian, director of media and public relations, said unlike other buildings on campus, McMurry Hall is named after two people: Charles McMurry and his sister-in-law, Lida Brown McMurry.

Palian said after being built in 1911, McMurry Hall used to be a practice school. Charles was the director, as well as a professor of pedagogy. He also wrote and co-wrote books, Palian said.

Milian Jackson, a volunteer at the McLean County Museum of History, 200 N. Main St. in Bloomington, said Lida’s brother, Isaac, was the YMCA leader.

“On Nov. 12, 1872, Lida had invited six women and decided to hold meetings every Sunday,” Jackson said. “Soon, every girl in the school was invited to the group.”

After gaining several members, too much for just small Sunday meetings, Jackson said Lida moved to create the first college YWCA chapter in what used to be called Illinois State Normal University, now known as Illinois State University.

In addition to creating the first college YWCA chapter, Lida also taught at public schools in Normal, said Jenna Self, archives assistant at the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives at Illinois State University. In 1942, Lida and Charles began teaching at NIU.

While McMurry Hall was used as a practice school, several children attended school at the building as well, like Elburn resident Eleanor Hegland.

“I was there from fourth to eighth grade,” Hegland said. “In seventh and eighth grade, we’d switch back and forth between rooms to get a feel of what it’d be like in high school.”

As a student, Hegland said she and other students received opportunities to go to college assemblies and musical programs in Altgeld Hall. She also said there had been a swimming pool inside McMurray as well as a women’s gym.

Senior psychology major Nicole Rausch said she was surprised to hear children used to attend school on a college campus.

“I couldn’t picture that,” she said. “McMurry seems so big and too spread out for little kids.”

Prior to its relocation to Barsema Hall, the College of Business was in McMurry, Palian said. Despite noticing several relocations and reconstructions on campus, Hegland said she enjoyed her five years at McMurry Hall.

“All in all, I’d have to say it was a positive experience,” Hegland said. “We had very good teachers and student teachers. It helped me a lot. I would have had a tougher time in high school, so McMurry did a lot for me.”