Guide

The History of The University of Massachusetts

• 5 min read

Discover the rich history of The University of Massachusetts, from its 1863 founding to its top global ranking. Explore key milestones, influential figures, pioneering research, and The University of Massachusetts’ ongoing influence.

Contents

The Founding
19th Century
20th Century
21st Century
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The History of The University of Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts, also known as UMass, currently ranks as the 46th best university in the United States. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, it is the largest public research university in New England. Established 150+ years ago, UMass has a rich history spanning three centuries in which it underwent drastic changes and developments. You can find out more about the history of the University of Massachusetts on this page.

The Founding of The University of Massachusetts

The University of Massachusetts was founded in 1863 originally as Massachusetts Agricultural College. It aimed to provide instruction in the agricultural, mechanical and military arts.

Key Figures in the Establishment

The university was established due to the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, which used funds from selling federally owned land to create colleges throughout the United States. William Clark was appointed President of the college and Professor of Botany in 1867. The same year, the first students were enrolled, a cohort of about 50.

The four figures who were most credited with the founding of the university are Willian Clark, Levi Stockbridge, Charles Goessmann and Henry Hill Goodell.

Early Vision and Mission

Massachusetts University was established as an agricultural college with the almost sole aim of teaching and developing scientific agriculture. It wasn’t until later in the century that any other subjects were added to the curriculum and female students were able to enrol.

The University of Massachusetts in the 19th Century

The remainder of the 19th Century brought about some changes to the campus and curriculum. From 1883 to 1890, four new buildings were constructed, including the Old Chapel Library. In 1882, the liberal arts were added to the curriculum and in 1896 the first Master’s degrees were awarded. The most significant change in the 19th century was the introduction of female students to the college in 1875. In the following 30-40 years, housing was constructed to accommodate the female cohort.

The University of Massachusetts in the 20th Century

Throughout the 20th century, significant changes were made to the university. Firstly, the college was renamed as the University of Massachusetts. Secondly, there was great expansion of the curriculum with the introduction of the engineering and economics departments in 1935, and the founding of the schools of Business, Nursing and Education during the 1950s.

There was also significant expansion of the campus with the building of the Murray D. Lincoln Campus Centre which contained a hotel, office space, restaurant and campus store. Additionally, multiple campuses were established in different cities including the UMass Medical School in Worcester in 1962 and UMass Boston in 1964.

The University of Massachusetts During World War I

During the first World War, 51 students, alumni and staff of UMass lost their lives on the battlefield. Surviving alumni arranged a fund to construct a building in their honor. This became Memorial Hall, which was visited by President Eisenhower in the 1950s. Additionally, in 1921, 194 disabled war veterans were enrolled at Massachusetts University.

The University of Massachusetts During World War II

At the start of America’s involvement in the second World War, the campus was used for military training. By 1944, over 50% of the college’s cohort was drafted to join the war efforts and, although the exact number of losses are not known, there were many fatalities among staff and students. Following the war, a memorial flagpole was constructed to commemorate the fallen campus members. Similarly to after WWI, Massachusetts admitted war veterans in 1946, this time enrolling over 1,300 veterans at the college’s new campus at Fort Devens.

The University of Massachusetts’ Influence in the 21st Century

UMass entered the 21st century with the launching of an appropriately modern learning platform, UMassOnline, which opened in 2001. This initiative offers online graduate and undergraduate programs and now ranks 20th out of 338 universities in best online Bachelor programs.

In 2003, The University of Massachusetts was designated as a research university and the UMass Amherst Foundation was created, supporting private fundraising on behalf of the university.

In 2004, the university started a major 10-year and $1 billion campus expansion program, which included a new laboratory, basketball center and academic building.

Current Challenges

In 2015, UMass announced that they will no longer admit Iranian students into specific engineering and science programs due to efforts to prevent the Iranian government developing a nuclear weapon. Understandably, this was met with a lot of criticism and backlash and the policy was removed. However, there have been specific curriculum changes for Iranian students which continue to receive criticism.

Additionally, since October 2023, hundreds of students have campaigned for UMass to condemn the Gaza siege. Protests and an encampment have taken place throughout 2024 requesting that the university divest from Israel.

Forward-thinking Initiatives

As UMass started as an agricultural university, environmental consciousness has always been important to the institution. However, throughout the 21st century, the university has increased its efforts to combat climate change. UMass first action plan was established in 2007 which was highly successful and won multiple awards.

In 2022, UMass launched a new Carbon Zero campaign in which they outline their plan to use geothermal technology on campus to reduce greenhouse emissions. UMass is also leading research in areas of sustainability such as in renewable energy and focussing on local and global education through the Carbon Literacy Project to empower individuals around complex social and environmental issues.