History
Tufts University (originally called Tufts College) was founded by the Universalist Church in 1852 on land donated for the purpose by Charles Tufts. Tufts’ intention was for the college to be “the light on the hill,” its Walnut Hill location being the highest point in the town of Medford, MA. One of the earliest donors to Tufts, P.T. Barnum provided the money to build the Barnum Museum of Natural History, along with his prized elephant Jumbo, who became the school’s mascot.
The school first admitted women in 1892, on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The well-respected Fletcher School of law and Diplomacy was established in 1933, and in 1950s the school officially became Tufts University. The presidency of Jean Mayer, beginning in the 1970s ushered in an era of much expansion, and today it is organized into ten different schools in the Medford/Somerville area outside of Boston.
Location
Tufts is located in Medford/Somerville, MA, close to Boston. The small, suburban town is a good size for college students, and the fact that the bigger city of Boston is nearby gives students some more diverse entertainment options, should they tire of the area right around school. The location near the city also is great for internship, job, and networking opportunities.
Susan Golbe ’11 says of the Medford/Somerville area, "The street address for Tufts is Medford, MA but the campus spans the border of Somerville and Medford. The two towns are suburbs of Boston, about five miles away. You can catch the T to Boston in Davis Square – a ten-minute walk or shuttle ride from campus. Somerville is a gentrifying town of artists, immigrants and college students. Davis Square offers some great restaurants and a movie theater and the middle of Boston is less than 20 minutes away on the T."
Campus
Tufts is located atop Walnut Hill in Medford, MA. As the campus expanded over the years, two distinct areas developed - up-hill and down-hill, each with its own character. The two areas each have their own dorms and dining halls and perks. Upperhillers say that their dining hall is better, but Downhillers counter that they have easier access to frat row and its parties.
The top of the hill, the oldest part of campus, is arranged around an open quad. Ballou Hall, the oldest building on campus, is there, next to which are the Goddard Chapel on one side, and Barnum Hall on the other. Bendetson Hall, where the office of undergraduate admissions is located is across the quad. Dowling Hall, the students services center is to the north, down the hill a bit, and the Cousens Gym is across Boston Avenue from Dowling – the pool and other recreational facilities are in the same general location. Tisch Library is to the south of the central quad, also downhill a bit on the other side and looks out on Professors Row.
Issues
Kenneth Hall, an administrative assistant at the Office of Residential Life and Learning, was convicted of sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old girl in the summer of 2007, just before the start of school.
Students are upset over the increasing amount of forced triples in dorms, that is, dorms which were originally designed for two people being made to hold three or sometimes even four.
