The history of Tufts University, originally Tufts College, can be traced back to 1847 when the Universalist Church set up convention for the creation of a university for the parish. In 1858, the college was established when Boston businessman Charles Tufts donated 20 acres of land to the church to establish the college. It is the third oldest college that was founded in the Boston area. During the 19th century the college grew. The official college seal, bearing the motto Pax et Lux (Peace and Light) was adopted in 1857. The school colors of brown and blue were selected in 1876. Tufts' mascot became Jumbo when P.T. Barnum gave a natural history museum to the university.
During the late 19th and early 20th century, the college grew and expanded to becoming a national university offering masters and PhD programs with the establishment of a medical school in 1899, an engineering school in 1898, a dental school in 1899, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1933. In 1954, Tufts College became Tufts University. During the 1970s, French American nutritionist Jean Mayer became president and through a series of acquisitions, increased the endowment six-fold and expanded the university. During the 1990s and 2000s, Tufts continued to observe growth with the merger with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the establishment of the Allen Discovery Centers.
Foundation
In the 1840s, the Universalist church wanted to open a college in New England due to the majority of members being barred from expensive colleges. In the spring of 1847, Rev. Thomas J. Sawyer of New York opened a correspondence with Rev. Hosea Ballou of Medford and Rev. Thomas Whittemore of Cambridgeport who was also the editor of Trumpet and Universalist Magazine. On April 17, 1847, Sawyer issued a circular in the "Trumpet" and called for an "educational convention" to meet on Orchard Street in New York City on May 18. The meeting was opened by Ballou and presented the arguments for a college for the Universalists. After it was agreed upon, the selection of a site was left to a board which was elected later in that meeting. The first board of trustees had five members. Ballou announced that $100,000 needed to be raised prior to the commencement of any operations. Seeing no other alternative, the board reconvened on September 14, and a business committee was established. Later on April 21, 1851, a committee on location was established and reported two favorable offers, a tract of 20 acres on a portion of the farm of Charles Tufts and a patch of land in 25 miles away in the town of Franklin. After several weeks, the trustees chose the Medford site, the site in Franklin would later be developed as a preparatory school for the new college.
Early years (1852–1904)
Charles Tufts had inherited the land, a barren hill which was one of the highest points in the Boston area, called Walnut Hill, and when asked by a family member what he intended to do with the land, he said "I will put a light on it." His 20-acre donation (then valued at $20,000) is still at the heart of Tufts' now 150 acre campus, straddling Somerville and Medford. His gift was accompanied by another 20 acres from Timothy Cotting. Additionally Sylvanus Packard also contributed to the college by bequeathing his entire of estate worth about $300,000 to the college upon his death in 1866. It was also in 1852 that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts chartered Tufts College, noting the college should promote "virtue and piety and learning in such of the languages and liberal and useful arts as shall be recommended." Building operations commenced and on July 23, 1853, the corner-stone of the first college building was laid by Ballou. The building was designed to be rectangular, one hundred feet by sixty feet. With three finished storied built in an Italianate style with red brick and sandstone trimmings. Architect Gridley James Fox Bryant was hired for the design. In addition to recitation rooms, the building contained dormitories, bathing accommodations, a chapel, library, and two common rooms. During construction, Ballou spent a year travelling and studying in the United Kingdom. The methods of instruction which he initiated were based on the tutorials that were conducted in the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh.
On August 18, 1855, the last examination for admission was held and the opening of the college was announced on the August 22. In February 1855, an association was formed whose main job was to raise funds for the college. It consisted of parishes, auxiliary, and religious societies, and was known as the "Tufts College Educational Association." The first matriculation exercise occurred from 9:00-11:00 in the morning on August 16, 1855. Opening prayers and four toasts were made with the total amount subscribed at the dinner to be $4,000.
Under President Ballou, 21 students entered the Freshman class including four who had been studying there the previous years. Additionally, there were three Sophomores, three juniors, for a total of 30 students. The Class of 1856 had 15 students but by 1859 it had risen to 50. The first commencement exercises occurred on July 8, 1857, with three students receiving their degrees. The requirements for admission were the same as Harvard but most of the young men came from the country and had poor preparation, thus they were admitted under heavy conditions. During the six years of Ballou's tenure 108 students were registered.
After Ballou died in 1861, he was succeeded by Alonzo Ames Miner. Though not a college graduate, his presidency was marked by several advances. The first major donation to the college came from the parish at $16,000. Later on Dr. William Walker donated $200,000. In 1863 a gift of $50,000 was provided by the State for the creation of three scholarships each $50. When the tuition was raised from the original $35 to $50 the scholarships were increased to $100. Several other scholarships were during the 1860s. The establishment of preparatory schools for Tufts which include Goddard Seminary, Westbrook Seminary, and Dean Academy also occurred.
During the Civil War the college actively supported the Union cause. The mansion of Major George L. Stearns which stood on part of the campus was a station on the Underground Railroad. In addition to having the largest classes spring up, 63 graduates served in the Union army.
Miner's successor, Elmer Capen of the Class of 1860 was the first president to be a Tufts alumnus. During his time, one of the earliest innovators, Amos Dolbear became chair of the physics department in 1875. He installed a working telephone which connected his lab in Ballou Hall to his home on Professors Row. Two years later Alexander Graham Bell would receive the patent. Dolbear's work at Tufts was later continued by Marconi and Tesla. Other famous scholars included William Leslie Hooper who in addition to serving as acting president, designed the first slotted armature for dynamos. His student at the college, Frederick Stark Pearson would eventually become one of America's pioneers of the electrical power industry. He became responsible for the development of the electric power and electric street car systems which many cities in South America and Europe used. Another notable figure was Stephen M. Babcock who developed the first practical test to determine the amount of butterfat in milk. Since its development in the college, the Babcock Test has hardly been modified. Expansion of the chemistry and biology departments were largely led by scholars Arthur Michael, who was one of the first organic chemists in the U.S., and John Sterling Kingsley who was one of the first scholars of comparative anatomy.Tufts College. (1952) Tufts College: A Centennial History. Medford, Massachusetts.Russell, Miller E. (1966) Light on the Hill: A History of Tufts College (1852-1952). Charles Sumner Wilson (1853–1904), who in 1870 became the first Black student nominated to West Point, was one of the first known students of African descent at the College, where he studied for two years.
Curriculum
The first curriculum offered one course which led to a Bachelor of Arts degree with most of the work being prescribed. Half of the work was required to be in Greek and Latin. Instruction in Mathematics was required for two years, History for three, and Rhetoric for four. Work in modern languages was considered an elective and with work in Moral Science, Physical Science, Natural and Revealed Religion finishing the prescribed studies. Few changes were made to the curriculum during Ballou's tenure. Changes included reducing the Mathematics requirements and the expansion of modern language instruction.
The curriculum was expanded with the creation of the Philosophical Course aimed at helping students in the Classics. The first course of a three-year program leading to a degree in civil engineering was established in 1865, the same year MIT was founded. Thomas Willis Pratt who would later develop the Pratt Truss was the primary instructor. He was assisted by Dr. Charles Bray. In 1869, the Crane Theological School was organized.
Under Capen's direction, larger opportunities for elective work began. The required work in Latin, Greek and Mathematics was confined to a year and a half. In 1875, the Philosophical course was extended to cover the four years. The Faculty of Letters doubled eventually from 11 to 26 instructors by 1895. In 1890, elementary French and German was made a requisite for admission and in 1891 a Modern Language course was established. Modern Languages were eventually required for advanced work in the Philosophical Course. On July 15, 1892, the Tufts Board of Trustees voted to become coeducational, such that "that the College be opened to women in the undergraduate departments on the same terms and conditions as men."Miller, Light on the Hill, p. 176. The trustees also voted to create a graduate school faculty and to offer the Ph.D. degree in biology and chemistry. In 1893 the Medical School opened and in 1899 the Boston Dental College was integrated into the university. In 1897, Henry Peyton Johnson became the first Black man to graduate from the medical school. In 1890, the Department of Electrical Engineering was created, and in 1892 - 1893 the course of three-year program in civil engineering was extended to four years. With the advent of the four-year program the degrees granted were bachelor of civil or electrical engineering. Tufts College added the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1894 and 1898, respectively. In 1898, the trustees voted to formally establish an undergraduate College of Engineering.
Development and expansion
After the completion of College Hall, in 1856, a brick building, known as Building A, was constructed for $9,715. Arranged for a boarding house and dormitory, it accommodated 26 students. In 1857 a two-story wooden dormitory accommodating 12 students was built on the site of what is now West Hall and in 1860 a large 4-story dormitory, now known as East Hall, was erected.