New England

Through rare photos and archival materials, discover Boston University's brilliant past that exemplifies Learning, Virtue, and Piety.

Most universities begin with a plot of land on which to build. This was not the case with Boston University. Founded originally in Newbury, Vermont, in 1839, the school moved to Concord, New Hampshire, in 1847 and finally took root in Boston in 1867. The university developed seven schools and colleges within the first few years, with more to come later. Located in the center of a vibrant city, Boston University has become the fourth largest independent university in the nation. In Boston University, follow the development of the school as it grew and changed over one hundred and sixty years. Through vintage images, learn about the Boston University School of Oratory, where the telephone was invented; the Massachusetts Agricultural College, in the heart of the city; and subterranean passages in some of the earliest buildings. Find out about the ghost that haunted one campus building and why the institution was not named Rich University for one of its founders and most generous donors.

In the first decade of the 20th century, the state of Massachusetts established itself as a leader in the education of individuals with disabilities.

The third state school for the feebleminded was built in rural Belchertown, in the western part of the state. Opened in 1915, Belchertown State School would eventually encompass almost 900 acres of land and would become the largest employer in town. For nearly 60 years, the state school educated individuals with disabilities who were otherwise excluded from public education, training the “residents” to become independent members of their families and of society. The model was a success until reports of abuse and neglect began to surface, culminating in the landmark 1972 Ricci v.Greenblatt case, which ultimately led to the state school’s closure in 1992.The state school’s rich history, maintained and curated by the late Donald LaBrecque, chronicles the rise of special education and developmental services and the ultimate collapse of the state school system.

Katherine Anderson is a veteran special education teacher and has been researching and writing about state schools and other institutions for more than a decade. She is the president of the Belchertown State School Friends Association and is working to preserve the substantial archive of state school history.

These images from the University archives show both the continuity and change at Tufts through time,

Tufts College was founded in 1852 as a liberal arts college by a group of Universalists committed to creating a nonsectarian institution of higher education. From its first year with four faculty, seven students, and one building, Tufts University has grown to include four campuses, seven schools, and more than eight thousand students. In the one hundred fifty years since its founding, Tufts has maintained its commitment to teaching, learning, and research, providing a place for students to grow as scholars, leaders, and citizens of the world. Instead of an exhaustive history, this book provides fascinating glimpses into life at Tufts from the earliest days to the late twentieth century. These images from the university archives show both the continuity and change at Tufts through time, illustrating central themes in its history: the pivotal role of teaching, learning, and research; the importance of leadership; a strong cultural tradition; and a commitment to citizenship on campus and in the wider world.

The town of Hanover, chartered in 1761, began as a sleepy, idyllic community nestled in the Upper Connecticut River Valley.

In 1770, noted Connecticut minister Eleazar Wheelock chose to relocate his school, Dartmouth College, to a virgin wilderness corner of the struggling young township. In spite of hardships, within several years Wheelock and his small college had taken root on the Hanover Plain, joining together with the local community that would come to be known as the Village at the College. Over the next two centuries, the college and the village would grow together in triumph and tragedy, rich in history and events, to become a special place revered by generations of alumni and residents alike.

Collected in this intriguing visual history are more than 200 photographs that bring to life the history of Colby College from 1813 to 1963.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Photographs bring alive our image of the past, and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history. Collected in this intriguing visual history are more than 200 photographs that bring to life the history of Colby College from 1813 to the sesquicentennial in 1963. From President Chaplin's voyage up the Kennebec River to the relocation of Colby to Mayflower Hill, it focuses on the events, and more importantly on the people that have defined Colby's history. Using material from the Colby College Archives, Anestes Fotiades leads us on a unique journey into the past, where the faculty, staff, and students of Colby are remembered with reverence and pride; people like President J. Seelye Bixler, Webster Bugsy Chester, Julian Taylor, and many others. The photographs have been chosen to provide an accurate history as well as a delightful voyage of nostalgia into the heritage of one of Maine's most progressive institutions of higher education.

Early missives from Mount Holyoke College for women reveal a look at postcards from students at the groundbreaking institution.

By the turn of the nineteenth century, Mount Holyoke College had already built a strong reputation as a female seminary and was emerging as a top-ranked women's college, especially for students in the sciences. Around this time, postcards were becoming a popular and entertaining form of communication. In this attractive and fascinating volume, we get a glimpse of the early images of the school, as well as the messages written by students in attendance as they kept in touch with friends and family. As the school grew and changed, so did the messages sent home from the campus.

On September 8, 1875, Wellesley College, an undergraduate liberal arts college for women, opened its doors to its first students.

Eager, brave, and determined, they came from around the country to begin their new life. They took classes and made their home in College Hall, the grand building founders Henry and Pauline Durant built on a hill overlooking Lake Waban. From the beginning, an outstanding faculty, led and inspired by a series of gifted female presidents, devoted themselves to the education of their students, encouraging intellectual discussion, debate, and analytical thought. In this pioneering world of women's education, a community of learners was born and has thrived for the past 130 years. Wellesley's graduates have carried the tradition of excellence beyond the campus, epitomizing the college's mission to provide an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. In photographs and words, Wellesley College tells the story of this school from its early beginnings.

Hundreds of striking photographs document the interesting history of the Univeristy of Maine.

Established by the Morrill Act of 1862, Maine State College officially opened its doors in September of 1868 as a primarily agricultural school. By 1897, the Maine state legislature voted to change the name of the school to University of Maine, and expand the focus toward liberal arts. The flagship school of the University of Maine system, the Orono campus has had a significant impact on Maine life from its scientific inventions to its cultural contributions. Located on the banks of the Stillwater River, the university has always attracted motivated undergraduates and graduate students. From its earliest days, it has worked to be the state's center of learning, discovery, and service to the public. Here the history of the state's land grant university from 1865 to 1940 is presented in hundreds of striking photographs. They tell the story of the the school, including its academic, social, athletic, and administrative history as it grew over its first 75 years.

Framingham State College chronicles the history of the institution from when it first started in 1839 with three students. Buildings are seen as they originally looked and as they look today. Animating these views are stories of how the buildings were named and of the students who lived and learned in them. In addition, the teachers and administrators who walked and taught on these grounds are highlighted in rich detail.

Since 1800, the University of Vermont has pursued a progressive mission of enlightening individuals and, through them, society.

When university president Daniel Sanders welcomed the first class of students into the school, he envisioned the college as a “temple of knowledge.” Balanced against the demands of national development, cultural change, and increased emphasis on academic specialization, UVM has seen generations of students who are intellectually curious and utilize their education into the practical needs of society.University of Vermonttells the story of the students, curriculum, and campus through a unique collection of drawings, paintings, and photographs, many of which are published here for the first time.

Cotting School details the interesting history of this national leader in serving children with a broad spectrum of disabilities.

In 1893, two pioneering orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Augustus Thorndike and Dr. Edward Bradford, saw the need to educate children whose physical challenges prevented them from attending school. As an experiment, they founded the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children in Boston. Modeled after 19th-century European institutions, the school was America's first for children with physical disabilities. Early classes were held in a church basement where Mary Perry volunteered to teach seven students. Tuition, a hot meal, and transportation in a horse-drawn carriage were free. Thanks to the leadership of the two doctors and board chairman Francis Joy Cotting, within 10 years the school was housed in an impressive, debt-free brick building. Renamed the Cotting School, the school is now located in Lexington and serves 130 day students from 74 communities. Staffed with highly skilled special education teachers; nurses; physical, occupational, and communication therapists; and dental and vision specialists, Cotting is a national leader in serving children with a broad spectrum of learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges, and complex medical conditions.