Nancy Conradt Obituary

Nancy Conradt, PhD., professor emerita at the College of DuPage (COD), died June 27, 2023 from the complications of successive strokes following a surgical procedure in late September 2022.

Born Nancy Marilyn Jachimowicz to the late Walter and Bernice Jachimowicz of Buffalo, NY on May 29, 1946, Nancy was educated in local parochial schools and distinguished herself as an outstanding student. After completing the eighth grade, she was awarded a full scholarship to a local all-girl college preparatory school. Upon graduation from high school in 1964, she attended Fordham University's all-female Thomas More College on full scholarship and was a member of its first graduating class in 1968. Her undergraduate record earned her admission to Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States.

She continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin, where she earned her MA (1970) and PhD (1974) degrees in sixteenth century European history. In 1974, she and her husband Roger Conradt moved to the Chicago metropolitan area where she began teaching at COD in 1975.

Nancy was the recipient of numerous teaching awards throughout her career. Although trained primarily in European history, she also immersed herself in Asian history and developed courses in United States history since the second world war. She engaged her students on the cogent political and social issues that have marked the latter half of the twentieth century and continue to the present. Nancy was also one of the first history professors to actively integrate the internet into her classes, providing students with rich source material from various European libraries and museums.

Nancy served terms as vice president and president of the COD Faculty Association. She regularly represented the faculty in contract negotiations with COD administration.

After retiring from COD in 2009, Nancy was elected to the Board of Trustees of the West Chicago Public Library District. She served as the Board's president from 2012 until 2022. She supported open access to reading materials of all types, free from the constraints of prejudicial censorship.

Nancy was preceded in death by her stillborn daughter Sarah in 1972. She is survived by Roger, her husband of 53 years, her daughters Amanda (Brian) Adams, and Emily Conradt; two grandchildren, Max Adams and Cindy Adams; and her sister Judith Jachimowicz of Buffalo, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks friends and mourners to consider a donation to the Smile Train, a non-profit organization that provides corrective cleft palate surgery to children living in developing nations.

As of the writing, plans for a memorial service had not been finalized. Friends and family wishing to be notified of memorial service details should email [email protected].