Origins

The institution now known as the University of Massachusetts Amherst was first established in 1863, under the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862, as Massachusetts Agricultural College. It opened in 1867 on a 310-acre campus with four faculty members, four wooden buildings, and 56 entering students. The curriculum combined modern farming, science, technical courses, and liberal arts.

Over time, the curriculum, student body, and facilities outgrew the college’s original mission. Graduate degrees were authorized in 1892. The same year, the first female student enrolled but for almost the first two decades of the 20th century, the numbers of women students remained tiny.

In 1931, to recognize further broadening of the curriculum, “Mass Aggie” became Massachusetts State College, which in turn became the University of Massachusetts in 1947. Immediately after World War II, the University experienced rapid growth in facilities, enrollment, and programs. A temporary campus opened at Fort Devens (1946-49) to accommodate large numbers of returning veterans.

Another surge of growth occurred in the 1960s, as undergraduate enrollment rose to form classes of approximately 4,000. At the same time, a campus building boom and the establishment of new departments and programs gave the institution much of its modern scope and appearance. With the development of a multicampus system, the president’s office was moved to Boston in 1970, and the chancellor became the chief executive of the Amherst campus.

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