Mount Ida College's Legacy: Timeline
About
Upon its closing in 2018, Mount Ida College was a regional, co-educational college with 1,500 students, more than 40 majors, and a graduate program designed for working adults. Explore the timeline of key moments in the College's history.
The Milestones That Shaped Us
The Mount Ida College for Girls is founded in Newton Corner, Mass.
“Mount Ida School for Girls” was founded in 1899 by George Franklin Jewett and Abigail Fay Jewett, and located in an elegant home in Newton on what was called “Mount Ida Hill”. The name Mount Ida College was derived from this location. The school, known as a college prep and finishing school, steadily grew, adding a junior college curriculum in 1917.
The Great Depression leads to the closure of the school
After facing financial difficulties and foreclosure due to the Great Depression, the school closed and was sold to, Dr. F. Roy Carlson in 1936. In 1937, Dr. Carlson found a new home for the then “Mount Ida School for Girls” when he purchased the Shaw Estate for $80,000.00. The estate included Shaw Hall, along with two other buildings, Holbrook Hall and Hallden Hall, all were under disrepair.
The school reopens
William Carlson purchases the school and reopens it on the Robert Gould Shaw II estate in the Oak Hill section of Newton.
First Associate Degrees awarded
The institution officially becomes Mount Ida College and awards its first Associate Degrees.
The College becomes co-educational
The College transitioned from an all-female school to a private, co-ed, career-focused college offering bachelor's and associate degrees.
Two Plus Two undergraduate system
The college establishes a Two Plus Two undergraduate system that consists of a Junior College Division and a Senior College Division.
Chamberlayne Junior College merges with Mount Ida College
The legacy of Chamberlayne continued on after the merger as the Chamberlayne School of Design and Merchandising which was a highly respected school of Mount Ida College.
New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences merges with Mount Ida College
This merger brought the mortuary science program into the Mount Ida College curriculum where it remained until the closure in 2018.
UMass Amherst acquires the campus and adopts the Veterinary Technology Program
Mount Ida College closed its doors on May 17, 2018, and the land and campus buildings were acquired by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The UMass Amherst acquisition ensured that the campus would maintain its education purpose, and the university has preserved the legacy of Mount Ida College through archives, scholarships and on-campus recognition.
In the Spotlight
Mount Ida College’s iconic Mustang Statue has been permanently preserved outside of the Health, Wellness and Recreation building and includes a plaque that honors the students, faculty and staff of the College.