Harrington College of Design

The school traces its history to 1931, when Frances Harrington, a practicing interior designer, traveled to Chicago to provide a series of lectures for interior design professionals. She soon found a growing interest in the study of interior design and expanded her offerings by creating the Harrington Institute of Interior Design. As Harrington Institute grew, Ms. Harrington began providing diplomas to her qualified day division students. When she retired in 1959, her former student Robert Marks assumed leadership of the school. Marks added many programs and degree options to the school's curriculum. Changes in programs, which are now under the guidance of the school's professional Advisory Board, are driven by input from the design industry's professional organizations.[3] In 2003, Harrington Institute changed its name to Harrington College of Design after being purchased by Career Education Corporation, and proceeded to expand the school's design-related programs of study. The school moved to its current location at 200 W. Madison Street and mandated an annual 20% enrollment increase, which they were able to sustain for a few years until the economy faltered then crashed in 2008. Before burning it to the ground, CEC pushed talented administrators and teachers out, installed incompetent leadership, and milked the Federal Loan programs for every cent without concern regarding quality or graduation rates.