Between two winding staircases in the middle of Altgeld Hall’s main floor rests a blue and gray-tiled mosaic seal.

The seal reads “NISNS” across the top – NIU’s original name, Northern Illinois State Normal School. In blue, along the bottom, is the year 1899. Flecks of golden tile adorn bits of the seal’s design.

NIU President John Peters, along with 25 to 30 guests, rededicated the seal Tuesday afternoon.

The newly replicated seal was installed a couple months ago, said Jon Salvani, a gift and estate planning officer for the NIU Foundation.

Replicating the seal was made possible by a gift from NIU alumni Mike and Louise McSweeney. Mike was a 1961 graduate majoring in economics and Louise was a 1960 graduate majoring in elementary education. The couple was presented with a plaque and a bouquet of orange flowers.

The original mosaic appeared a few years after Altgeld first opened, and although it was not the official seal of NISNS, it became well-known on campus. However, the seal was removed in 1968 and installed in the lobby of Founders Memorial Library in 1976.

The McSweeneys toured the renovated Altgeld Hall before the NIU-Bowling Green football game Sept. 24, 2004.

“While touring, they noticed the old NISNS seal was no longer in place,” Peters said in his opening remarks.

When the McSweeneys saw Peters outside of the stadium before the football game, they discussed with him their wish to have the seal reinstalled. The seal was designed and created by Chicago artist Youlia Tkatchouk. Paul Crawford, coordinator for NIU Outreach, used to work with the NIU Foundation and primarily worked with the McSweeneys to get the seal replaced, Salvani said.

The seal had a special meaning to the McSweeneys. Just a few feet away, beneath Altgeld’s arches, Mike proposed to Louise.

“We met playing a game of bridge in what was the newspaper office,” Louise said. “I lived in Adams Hall, he was a Phi Kapp. One room had a fireplace and everyone spent hours there.”

The couple dated for almost a year and sometimes talked about getting married, Louise said. Mike proposed sometime around Valentine’s Day in 1960, she said.

Both reminisced about their days at NIU and recalled some of Altgeld’s older features.

“I remember the old rooms here. There was a smoker’s lounge,” Louise said. “In the main auditorium we performed several of [George Frideric] Handel’s Messiah pieces. We were both in the choir.”

The McSweeneys said they hope visitors think of tradition when admiring the seal.

“Tradition is so important,” Louise said.