It is with both pleasure and regret that we announce the retirement of our University Archivist, Catherine Bruck. She has been an outstanding addition to the IIT community for over 16 years.
Bruck is IIT’s first University Archivist. She gained a B.A. in American Studies from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in Museum Science from Texas Tech University where she studied archival administration. She worked with archival collections in historical repositories, the public sector, and small museums, including the Chicago History Museum and the DuPage County Historical Museum.

During Bruck’s tenure at IIT, she created and developed the archives to meet the needs of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and researchers from around the globe. She gathered and catalogued significant collections from the Institute of Design, Marketing & Communications, the Office of the President, and Alumni Relations—to name a few—to serve as the basis for countless publications and public programs across campus. She has served on many campus-wide committees, including several iterations of the IIT Hall of Fame Committee. She has been especially committed to promoting awareness of women’s history and the history of Lewis Institute. She has also written many articles for IIT Magazine in her “Rewind” series, formed an Archives Advisory Committee from faculty and staff, created the IIT Archives Lecture Series, and worked for the establishment of an Assistant University Archivist position. In recognition of her contributions to IIT, in 2005 she was awarded the Julia Beveridge Award, which was created to honor women who have contributed significantly to the life and progress of the University.

We will be holding a celebration for Bruck on Tuesday, February 17 at 3 p.m. in the Kemper Gallery in the upper level of Galvin Library. Join us in recognizing Catherine’s many contributions at IIT.

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP by filling out this form. If you are unable to attend, you may also share memories or comments on this form as well.