M. Nadine Zimmerman, Ph.D, found her calling at NIU, teaching generations of educators as a member of the faculty for more than three decades.
 

Zimmerman began teaching at NIU in the fall of 1958 and has continued her service well after her retirement in 1992. By leveraging charitable gift annuities (CGAs), she consistently supports the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KNPE), as well as and other areas of the university.

Zimmerman touted the good work of Steven M. Howell, the KNPE department’s MN Zimmerman Endowed Chair, named for Zimmerman. She praised him for keeping the department modern and innovative. 

“He’s responsible for redesigning the building for the modern era,” she said. “It’s a different world nowadays. You can see the difference. Steve is being very innovative and changing the rooms to meet the times.”

Zimmerman was a standout athlete in her early years while growing up on a Pennsylvania farm, where she learned to milk cows and tended to the family garden. She graduated from Robert P. Smith High School in Bedford County, Penn., and earned a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Penn. 

She played basketball in both high school and college, and at one point she said she was being scouted by a professional women’s team. However, she turned down the lucrative offer of being paid to play the game.

“I said, 'No.' I didn’t want to go that route,” she said.

Instead, she pursued graduate school. Zimmerman received a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia before coming to NIU.

Zimmerman said one of her professors from Lock Haven University had visited NIU and had recommended her to someone on campus who told them they were hiring faculty.

“My professor said, 'Well, I have a suggestion for you,' and that’s how I got to Northern,” she said. 

Zimmerman said her parents were late getting her to the airport in Pittsburgh for her flight to Illinois, so she had to take a later flight and no time to change for her interview with the head of the College of Education, Wilbur Yauch. She recalled with good humor being interviewed by Yauch while wearing shorts.

“I had my interview in my shorts, and I got the job,” she said.

Zimmerman taught physical education, coached, and served as department chair and associate dean for one year each while at NIU. 

Zimmerman said she and her fellow faculty helped design Anderson Hall, which was built in 1964. The hall was dedicated to Miriam Mills Anderson, who organized, developed, and oversaw the proliferation of the graduate program of physical education for both men and women during her time at NIU. Along with helping participate in the design of the building, she helped shape the curriculum programming. 

“You could say I helped get Anderson Hall built,” Zimmerman said. “During the day and on weekends, we had a little room in Still Gym and we helped design Anderson Hall.”

She recalled the first day that the new building opened. It was a special moment for the faculty and the students.

“That was a pretty awesome day,” she said. “I still have the shovel from the groundbreaking.”

Prior to Anderson Hall, women’s physical education was taught at Still Gym, built in 1928. Zimmerman said the men’s physical education classes were across campus at the Chick Evans Field House, built in 1957.

“One day, I don’t know who said it, they said we were merging the men’s and women’s physical education programs,” she said. 

Zimmerman said she stayed at NIU for all those years because she loved her students. She related to many of them because they came from farming backgrounds just like her.

“There were lots of big farms around here, and these are the kind of people I was working with,” she said.

Zimmerman continued her learning journey while working full-time at NIU, earning a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She took classes on Saturdays during the school year and lived in Madison during the summer months as she attended classes full time.

Zimmerman encourages others to give to NIU. She has given generously through CGAs. A CGA provides the donor a fixed-income stream for life in exchange for a gift supporting NIU.

“I had some good advice on investing and was also thinking, how am I going to support myself when I’m no longer able to teach?” she said. “With the gift annuities, you give and then you get. I think enough people don’t know about gift annuities; they certainly give you support.”

Zimmerman said she gives so that KNPE and NIU have a bright future.

“You put your money where your mouth is, and I want the program and NIU to continue to grow,” she said. “I want them to thrive.”

For more information on being a philanthropic Huskie, click here!