The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Tufts College

TUFTS COLLEGE, located at Tufts College Station near Medford, Mass. It was chartered in 1852 and first opened to students in 1854; though established by members of the Universalist Church, it is non-sectarian in its policy and control. A notable feature of the first curriculum of the college was the special attention given to history; the policy has always been most liberal, and the courses have been constantly increased in number and broadened in scope in response to the tendencies of the modern educational development. Civil engineering courses were begun as early as 1869; and courses in other engineering departments added later; the first professional school was the Divinity School established in 1882; the Medical School was added in 1893, and the Dental College in 1899. All departments were open to women in 1892. In 1910 Jackson College for Women was opened as a department of Tufts College. The college organization now includes the following departments: (1) the School of Liberal Arts; (2) the Engineering School; (3) Jackson College for Women; (4) the Graduate School; (5) the Crane Theological School; (6) the two-year Pre-Medical School; (7) the Medical School; (8) the Dental School. The degrees conferred are A.B. and B.S. in the School of Liberal Arts, Engineering and Mechanics, and A.M. for graduate work. The courses leading to the degree of A.B. are largely elective, requirements being by groups, instead of by special subjects, and each group except English and physical training including electives; the science and engineering courses are more specialized in character, and include only a few electives. Shop work is included in the engineering course. The Bromfield-Pearson School is designed to furnish instruction for those who are deficient in some of the studies required for entrance to the engineering courses, but fitted to pursue the college courses in certain subjects. The Crane Theological School offers a four years' course leading to the degree of S.T.B.; in 1902 an arrangement was made by which the A.B. course could be combined with the theological course in such a way that both decrees could be obtained in five years. The Medical School offers a four years' course leading to the degree of M.D.; the Dental School confers the degree of doctor of dental medicine at the satisfactory completion of a four years' course. These two schools are located at Boston, occupying a large well-equipped building completed in 1902. An additional building for the Medical School was completed in 1917.

There are 82 scholarships and four special scholarships provided in the collegiate department and 12 in the Crane Theological School. The government of the college is vested in a board of 30 trustees, 20 of whom are self-perpetuating; to give the alumni as a body a representation in the college administration, 10 of the trustees are elected by the alumni, two each year for terms of five years. Alumni members of the board of trustees have the same power as the self-perpetuating members of the board. On the college campus there are (1918) 21 buildings; these are Ballou Hall, the Barnum Museum (built and endowed by P. T. Barnum), the Goddard Chapel, the Goddard Gymnasium, the Eaton Library, Packard Hall (occupied by the Crane Theological School), the chemical building, the Bromfield-Pearson School (containing the engineering shops), Robinson Hall, Miner Hall (occupied by Jackson College for Women) and Paige Hall, four dormitories for men, East Hall, West Hall, Dean Hall and Curtis Hall, five for women, Metcalf Hall, Start House, Richardson House, Gamma House and Knight House, and the power house. The general library in 1918 contained 74,000 volumes; in addition there are several special libraries, including the Universalist Historical Society collection (in Packard Hall), 6,000 volumes; the library of natural history (in the Barnum Museum), 2,500 volumes; the Metcalf musical library (in the Goddard Gymnasium), 1,600 volumes. The Medical and Dental schools also have libraries in their building in Boston, and students in these schools have access to the Boston Public Library. The productive funds in 1918 amounted to $2,256,000; the students numbered 1,645; the faculty numbered 255.