Nebraska Center for Continuing Education

The Nebraska Center for Continuing Education (NCCE) was dedicated on September 29, 1961. It was the brainchild of Chancellor Clifford Hardin, who hoped to build a facility that could host conferences, institutes, workshops, and seminars for Nebraskans from all corners or the state and all walks of life.

Chancellor Hardin was able to secure a commitment from the Kellogg Foundation to provide the first $1.5 million dollars toward the construction of the Center. The remaining funds were raised through alumni and friends of the University, as well as revenue bonds. When the Center was completed it contained a nine story high rise building, and a youth wing. Included in its design were a large auditorium that seated 600 people, numerous classrooms, food services with various dining venues including a banquet hall that seated 800, as well as a large restaurant and a youth cafeteria, and a hotel with 98 rooms. The youth wing hosted, among many other meetings, the annual meeting of the Future Farmer's of America, which drew over 1800 people. It its first decade the Center was in constant use for educational meetings.

Architects of the NCCE utilized a modern high-rise design to house the hotel and meeting rooms, with a low rise wing to house the youth programs, including a dormitory. It is constructed of buff brick and situated at the busy corner of 33rd and Holdrege. It was one of several buildings constructed in the 1960s that were not specifically agriculturally focused. Eventually this led to the renaming of the campus-the East Campus.

Although the Center proved to be successful as an educational facility, the food service and hotel business was precarious. As the hotel facility aged, it was used less and less, and eventually the Center became a financial liability. In 2003 it was totally gutted and renovated to house the relatively new School of Natural Resources. It was rededicated in the fall of 2006 and brought together for the first time the separate departments comprising the School.

At the time the Center was constructed the Regents proposed naming the youth building in honor of Chancellor Hardin, since it was due to Hardin's tireless efforts that the facility was erected. Hardin asked the Regents to take no action and they reluctantly complied. Instead the Center was known by various names over the years, and was often referred to informally as the Kellogg Center. In 1994 the Center was renamed Hardin Hall in honor of former Chancellor Clifford Hardin.