Lowell Technological Institute
Encyclopedia
The Lowell Technological Institute was a public college
located in Lowell, Massachusetts
, United States
. It was founded in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School.
.
The Lowell Textile School opened on October 4, 1897. Originally, the first class had over 200 students. The school was modeled on the success of the Polytechnical School at Philadelphia. The school originally opened in three rented rooms on Middle Street in downtown Lowell. The college offered three year diplomas in cotton or wool manufacture, design, or textile chemistry and dyeing. Tuition at the time was one hundred dollars.
, the grounds of the college were used as a military training camp. During this time, the school almost went bankrupt due to the increased demand for soldiers and textiles.
By 1929, Lowell’s expanded curriculum, larger faculty, and livelier extracurricular program warranted a name change that reflected its evolution from a trade school to a technical college, and it became the Lowell Textile Institute.
During World War II, the school almost went bankrupt again as war demanded soldiers and textiles. The enrollment of the school fell to 73 students at one point.
In 1947 the first two dormitories were built, Smith and Eames Hall. In 1967, two dormitories were built across the Merrimack River
. In 1973, Lowell Technical Institute Dormitory was built near Leitch and Bourgeois Hall. At eighteen stories, the building, which was later renamed Fox Hall, is one of the tallest buildings in Lowell .
. The schools merged in 1975 to form the University of Lowell, which changed its name to the University of Massachusetts Lowell
in 1991. Today, Lowell Tech's campus is known as the North Campus of UMass Lowell.
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was founded in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School.
Beginnings
Plans for the school were started when the Massachusetts State Legislature passed a law granting $25,000 to each of the four major textile turns as long as they contributed to the building of a school of textiles in LowellLowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
.
The Lowell Textile School opened on October 4, 1897. Originally, the first class had over 200 students. The school was modeled on the success of the Polytechnical School at Philadelphia. The school originally opened in three rented rooms on Middle Street in downtown Lowell. The college offered three year diplomas in cotton or wool manufacture, design, or textile chemistry and dyeing. Tuition at the time was one hundred dollars.
New Building
In 1903, the school moved to the newly built Southwick Hall. In 1913, the school granted its first bachelors degree in textile dyeing and textile engineering. During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the grounds of the college were used as a military training camp. During this time, the school almost went bankrupt due to the increased demand for soldiers and textiles.
By 1929, Lowell’s expanded curriculum, larger faculty, and livelier extracurricular program warranted a name change that reflected its evolution from a trade school to a technical college, and it became the Lowell Textile Institute.
During World War II, the school almost went bankrupt again as war demanded soldiers and textiles. The enrollment of the school fell to 73 students at one point.
Expansion
In 1953, President Martin Lydon expanded the curriculum to include programs in plastics, leather, paper, and electronics technology, increased the liberal arts, and renamed the school the Lowell Technological Institute. The mission of the college moved towards general engineering, and a bachelor’s program was created in 1956. The textile program was closed in 1971, reflecting the closure of most of the mills in the city.In 1947 the first two dormitories were built, Smith and Eames Hall. In 1967, two dormitories were built across the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
. In 1973, Lowell Technical Institute Dormitory was built near Leitch and Bourgeois Hall. At eighteen stories, the building, which was later renamed Fox Hall, is one of the tallest buildings in Lowell .
Merger
In 1972, a feasibility study was conducted on merging the school with the nearby Lowell State CollegeLowell State College
Lowell State College was a public college located in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1894 as the Lowell Normal School.-Early years:...
. The schools merged in 1975 to form the University of Lowell, which changed its name to the University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
in 1991. Today, Lowell Tech's campus is known as the North Campus of UMass Lowell.