It attracted a distinguished faculty with degrees from leading midwestern colleges; they taught courses that ranged from English composition, Latin and chemistry to dressmaking, nutrition, blacksmithing, photography and bookkeeping.
The NI also offered two-year commercial degrees, short courses in topics that ranged from music teaching to farm mechanics.
After 1965, the NI became a branch of the University of North Dakota; then in 1970 (55 years ago) (1970) a disastrous fire consumed two of the school’s main buildings.
The state decided not to rebuild the campus, and it was sold (for $1) to Trinity Bible College, which continues to operate there.
Elmer O. Thompson, class of 1912, was a photographer who created a visual record of the school and community, then became an inventor of consumer electronics.