Becker College
Encyclopedia
Becker College is a college in Massachusetts
, United States
with campuses in Worcester
and Leicester
. Established in 1887, Becker College is home to two distinct campuses located in Worcester and Leicester, Massachusetts. The college offers 27 undergraduate degree
programs including a nursing
program which is one of the top 20 producers of registered nurses in Massachusetts, a veterinary sciences program and a video game design and development program ranked in the top 10 nationally for the past two years by The Princeton Review
. In April 2011, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designated Becker as the home of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI). The college’s enrollment has grown to 1,750 and students have the opportunity to live and study in the urban atmosphere of Worcester or the rural environment of Leicester. Becker College has over 21,000 alumni.
college. The institution comprises two separate campuses located six miles apart, each with its own dormitories, library, dining hall and academic facilities. A satellite Center for Accelerated and Professional Studies is located in Southborough
, MA.
Leicester
Becker’s Leicester campus began as an academy in 1784. The campus is situated within the town common, which in the 18th century, consisted of a tavern, a meetinghouse and the first home built in Leicester, now known as the May House.
Colonel Ebenezer Crafts of Sturbridge
and Jacob Davis of Charlton
saw a need to provide schooling for children of modest families who lived in Central Massachusetts. The state legislature
was petitioned, funds were raised and, in 1784, Leicester Academy
was founded. The charter was signed by Governor John Hancock
, and Samuel Adams
, President of the United States Senate
. It was the third academy in the nation, following the establishment of Governor Dummer Academy at Byfield
in 1782 and Philips Academy at Andover
in 1780.
Samuel C. Crafts
, son of the founder, Ephraim Allen of Sturbridge and Samuel Swan
of Leicester were members of the inaugural class. All three later graduated from Harvard College
.
Worcester
Three years after the Leicester Academy centennial, in 1887, Becker’s Business College was founded.
Edward Carl Anton (E.C.A.) Becker founded Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1887 and served as its President from 1887 through 1907.
Becker was born in Peoria, Illinois on April 30, 1855. He attended Peoria Bryant & Stratton Business College, graduating from both the business and telegraph departments. Following graduation, he served as a teacher and principal at the college. He’d go on to purchase and manage the Rockford Business College in Rockford, Illinois and the Freeport Business College in Elgin, Illinois.
After Becker’s successes in the Midwest, he moved east, managing a school in Pottsville, Pennsylvania before arriving in Worcester to lead the business department at Hinman College.
Finally, in 1887, E.C.A. Becker established Becker’s Business College in the Clark building at 492 Main Street in Worcester. On opening day, one student showed up. By the end of the week 30 were in attendance. The college offered courses in bookkeeping, penmanship, arithmetic, shorthand and typing for both men and women.
E.C.A Becker was a member of the Worcester Board of Trade and the Worcester Economic Club. In his free time he enjoyed hunting in Maine, a hobby showcased by two large moose heads that adorned the Becker reception office until the early 1930’s. He was also known to have had a pleasant sense of humor.
Upon his death in 1907, the college had an average annual enrollment of 200 students. Graduates excelled in the counting rooms of Worcester’s manufacturing and mercantile establishments and on their civil service examinations.
In 1907, E.C.A. Becker’s wife Mary Charlotte Becker formed a corporation to manage the college, serving as treasurer, with son-in-law Walter S. Doud as president, and daughter Eva M. as clerk.
In 1938 the Medical Secretarial course was introduced and became a national model that attracted a number of students. With a critical need for student housing in the area, in 1939 the college purchased a late-Victorian house
, built in 1893 on Cedar Street. This home became the first Becker dormitory.
Merger
In 1974, Becker and Leicester began working together to expand academic offerings and provide broader social and recreational opportunities for their students. As a result of their close cooperation, the two were formally consolidated in 1977 as the Worcester campus and Leicester campus of Becker College.
The college serves more than 1,750 students from 18 states and 12 countries and offers more than 25 bachelor degree programs, as well as a variety of adult learning options.
Timeline
1784............Leicester Academy founded
1788............Eli Whitney
, inventor of the cotton gin, graduated.
1836............William Morton
, the “Father of Modern Anesthesiology,” graduated.
1880............First perfect game
in major league baseball was pitched at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
, which is now Weller Academic Center’s “quad.”
1887............Becker’s Business College is founded at 492 Main St. Worcester, Mass.
1893............Harry G. Stoddard, Worcester industrialist graduated.
1898............Robert Goddard, the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” studied at Becker.
1926............Becker’s Business College changed its name to Becker College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science.
1936 ...........Colton House on Cedar St. in Worcester is opened as first dormitory for women.
1937 ...........Becker initiates a major in journalism
, the first to be offered in the East.
1937............Becker establishes its student newspaper, The Becker Journal.
1943............Becker School of Business Administration and Secretarial Science changed its name to Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science, and received the authority to grant associate in science degrees.
1950............Becker introduces its Retail Merchandising Program, the first in Massachusetts.
1954............Leicester Junior College was established.
1958............Senator John F. Kennedy
visits campus to address a Becker assembly.
1963............Dedication of the Paul R. Swan Library on the Leicester campus.
1968............Dedication of the Borger Academic Center on the Leicester campus.
1974............Cooperative Education was first offered.
1977............Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science and Leicester Junior College merged.
1978............The Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology, the first in Massachusetts,was accredited.
1980............Becker College properties in Worcester are added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
1982............The Animal Health Care Center opens on the Leicester campus.
1986............Dedication of the Gilbert R. Boutin Student Center on the Worcester campus.
1990............Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science changed its name to Becker College with continued authority to grant associate in science degrees.
1990............Dedication of the William F. Ruska Library on the Worcester campus.
1991............Becker College receives authority to grant Bachelor of Science
and Bachelor of Arts
degrees.
1992............A student center is constructed on the Leicester campus.
1997............The Lenfest Family Animal Health Clinic is dedicated.
2000............Dedication of the Arnold C. Weller Academic Center on the Worcester campus.
2006............Becker College properties in Leicester are added to the National Register of Historic Places.
2008............Dedication of Barrett Hall, a residence hall on the Leicester campus, in honor of Colleen Barrett ’64.
2008............Rev. Samuel May, Jr. House authenticated as an official National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site by the National Park Service
.
2008............Becker College marks 20 years of criminal justice education.
2009............Becker College initiates the Franklin M. Loew
Lecture Series in honor of the College’s eighth president.
2009............The Becker College Nursing Program celebrates “25 Years of Caring.”
2010............The Princeton Review ranks the Becker College undergraduate Video Game Design program #1 in New England and #4 in the United States and Canada.
2010............Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. is named 10th president of Becker College.
2011............Gov. Deval Patrick
and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray approve the designation of Becker College as host of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute.
and Game Design to Nursing and Vet Sciences. Becker has a total of 394 faculty and staff, representing an 18:1 student/faculty ratio. The college offers Bachelor, Associate and Accelerated Degree Programs. All programs are fully accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
In 2010, 96% of Becker nursing students passed their Registered Nurses examination.
The Worcester campus is located on Sever Street in the residential Elm Park
neighborhood, not far from downtown Worcester, which is about 40 miles west of Boston. Purchased in 1854 using public funds, Elm Park is recognized as one of the first purchases of land for a public park in the United States. Classes are held in the Arnold C. Weller Academic Building (former site of the Bancroft School
) and the Health Science Center on the Sever Street Quad, as well as in the Design Center (Graphic, Interior and Game) on Cedar Street, which also houses a Mac
Lab and motion-capture suite. A multi-purpose gymnasium and dining hall are features of the Gilbert R. Boutin Student Center, and within three blocks on Cedar Street are six of the 11 residence halls found on the Worcester campus, Merrill, Davis, Lincoln, Colton (Becker’s first residence hall in Worcester, purchased in 1939), Cedar and Willow Hall, a brick apartment-style building. Beeches, Miller, Maple, Bullock and Linden Halls also serve dormitories. Lining Roxbury Street are office buildings, Campus Police and the Collaborative Learning Center, in former homes and typical “three-deckers”
for which Worcester is famous.
Leicester
The Leicester campus is in a traditional, rural setting, located six miles west of Worcester. Students are shuttled between Leicester and Worcester for classes and events. The historic Leicester Common is a centerpiece to the campus, which includes three historic buildings, once stately homes that the College transitioned into residence halls, Lane, Winslow and Hitchcock. Behind those halls, on Old Main Street, are the Leicester gymnasium and the Lenfest Animal Health Center, the College’s veterinary teaching clinic, which is open to the public for appointments during the academic year. Around “the grove” are the Borger Academic Center which houses classrooms, laboratories and the Daniels Hall auditorium, Marsh Hall (classrooms, offices and the Collaborative Learning Center); Susan E. Knight Hall (dining hall, rooms and offices) and the Leicester Student Center. The Leicester campus is also home to many of the College’s athletic teams that play home games on Alumni Field. The equestrian
team practice and host competitions at the Becker Equestrian Center in nearby Paxton, Massachusetts
, and the hockey team host home games at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts
.
The College plans to break ground in spring 2011 on a new Campus Center in Leicester. The new building will be adjacent to the existing student center and will house a new dining hall and space dedicated to academics and physical fitness.
Both campuses occupy historic districts with buildings listed on the National Historic Register. On Worcester’s quad is a monument commemorating the pitching of the first perfect game in professional baseball, on June 12, 1880 by J. Lee Richman of Worcester, against Cleveland, in a national league game. The game took place on the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds, where the College, and much of the neighborhood, now stands.
One of the most prominent buildings on the Leicester campus is the Rev. Samuel May House, built in 1835 and officially recognized in 2008 as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Rev. Samuel May was a leading anti-slavery figure for over three decades and a prominent individual in the New England literary community during the mid 1800s. His wife was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as well as an outspoken proponent for women's suffrage. Frequent visitors to the May House included Ralph Waldo Emerson
, William Lloyd Garrison
, Booker T. Washington
, George Hoar, May’s brother-in-law, Bronson Alcott and his daughter Louisa May Alcott
. It is known that the young author spent summers at the May House and it has been reported that she wrote some of her works from her room on the third floor. The house, which has been used as a residence hall, is due to be converted into a visitor center for the Town of Leicester, a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad and home to the Louisa May Alcott Creative Writing Center.
Southborough
In 2008, the College opened a second site for its Center for Accelerated & Professional Studies, a program for working adults that was founded in 2001. Located at 337 Turnpike Road in Southborough, Massachusetts
a half-mile east of I-495 on Route 9 West, the Center houses classrooms for the accelerated bachelor of science degree in business, hosts workshops and forums and also makes space available for meetings and community events.
Becker has two campus libraries with a combined collection of 73,467 cataloged items as well as periodicals and newspapers
The Gateway Program at Becker is a 3 week summer program that includes one math foundations course, Student Success Workshop, and a variety of activities that will help the transition to Becker
Clubs
There are several organizations on campus, including ALANA–Multicultural Club, Animal Health Club, Gay Straight Alliance, Black Student Union, Business Club, Community Service Club, Dance Club, Drama Club, Education Club, Fitness Club, Music Club, Nursing Club, Ski/Snowboard Club, Student Activities Committee, Student Alumni Society , Student Government Association, the student newspaper (The Becker Journal), Travel Club, and the Yearbook Club.
Social Responsibility
In 2011, two students organized a letter writing campaign asking Congress to maintain funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief and other humanitarian programs. Many Becker students also participate in the Habitat for Humanity program over spring break. Others will be spending a portion of their summer volunteering in Honduras
at the Monte Horeb Center, an educational/vocational project for youth/young adults at risk, providing opportunities for those who cannot complete their studies because of economic limitations.
Creative Expression
A game design student at Becker took home second prize out of more than 300 students in the 2010 Colleges of Worcester Consortium
Art Show. Two others developed and released the games Cannon Duel and Bombardment, which are both available at the App Store. Student artwork is on display in the Weller Academic Center and blueprints are regularly showcased from the college’s interior design program. Students also contribute to the Hawk Review, a publication containing essays, poetry, fiction and journal entries. Becker is home to a student run online newspaper, the Becker Journal
level of the NCAA. Prior to becoming an NCAA institution in the fall of 1998, Becker competed in junior college athletics. The 2007-08 women’s basketball team was the first team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The soccer, tennis, field hockey, golf, basketball, baseball, volleyball and softball teams complete in the New England Collegiate Conference
(NECC). The football team is a member of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
(ECFC). Men’s ice hockey is a member of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Northeast Division (ECAC). Women’s lacrosse is a member of the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA). Men’s lacrosse is an associate member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference
(GNAC). The equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA/ Zone 1, Region 1).
in Major League Baseball
history was thrown in 1880 by Lee Richmond on a field which is now part of the Becker College campus. A monument marks the site of the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
where Richmond threw his perfect game. The Chicago Tribune recognized the feat as unusual, calling it "the most wonderful game on record".
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with campuses in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and Leicester
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,970 at the 2010 census.-History:Leicester was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1714....
. Established in 1887, Becker College is home to two distinct campuses located in Worcester and Leicester, Massachusetts. The college offers 27 undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
programs including a nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
program which is one of the top 20 producers of registered nurses in Massachusetts, a veterinary sciences program and a video game design and development program ranked in the top 10 nationally for the past two years by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
. In April 2011, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designated Becker as the home of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI). The college’s enrollment has grown to 1,750 and students have the opportunity to live and study in the urban atmosphere of Worcester or the rural environment of Leicester. Becker College has over 21,000 alumni.
History
Located in the heart of Massachusetts, Becker is a unique New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
college. The institution comprises two separate campuses located six miles apart, each with its own dormitories, library, dining hall and academic facilities. A satellite Center for Accelerated and Professional Studies is located in Southborough
Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough is an affluent town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. Its population was 9,767 at the 2010...
, MA.
Leicester
Becker’s Leicester campus began as an academy in 1784. The campus is situated within the town common, which in the 18th century, consisted of a tavern, a meetinghouse and the first home built in Leicester, now known as the May House.
Colonel Ebenezer Crafts of Sturbridge
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
and Jacob Davis of Charlton
Charlton, Massachusetts
Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all...
saw a need to provide schooling for children of modest families who lived in Central Massachusetts. The state legislature
State legislature
In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the "Legislature", or the "State Legislature", while in 19 states,...
was petitioned, funds were raised and, in 1784, Leicester Academy
Leicester Academy
Leicester Academy was founded on March 23, 1784, when the Act of Incorporation for Leicester Academy was passed by the Massachusetts General Court as a private, state chartered institution. The charter issued to the Academy bears the bold signature of John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts; and...
was founded. The charter was signed by Governor John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, and Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, President of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. It was the third academy in the nation, following the establishment of Governor Dummer Academy at Byfield
Byfield, Massachusetts
Byfield is a village in the town of Newbury, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It borders West Newbury, Georgetown, and Rowley. It is located about 30 miles north-northeast of Boston, along Interstate 95, about 10 miles south of the border between New Hampshire and...
in 1782 and Philips Academy at Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
in 1780.
Samuel C. Crafts
Samuel C. Crafts
Samuel Chandler Crafts was a United States Representative, Senator and the 12th Governor of Vermont.Born in Woodstock, Connecticut, he graduated from Harvard College in 1790 and moved in 1791 to Vermont with his father, who founded the town of Craftsbury...
, son of the founder, Ephraim Allen of Sturbridge and Samuel Swan
Samuel Swan
Samuel Swan , was a five-term U.S. Congressman and medical doctor....
of Leicester were members of the inaugural class. All three later graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
.
Worcester
Three years after the Leicester Academy centennial, in 1887, Becker’s Business College was founded.
Edward Carl Anton (E.C.A.) Becker founded Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1887 and served as its President from 1887 through 1907.
Becker was born in Peoria, Illinois on April 30, 1855. He attended Peoria Bryant & Stratton Business College, graduating from both the business and telegraph departments. Following graduation, he served as a teacher and principal at the college. He’d go on to purchase and manage the Rockford Business College in Rockford, Illinois and the Freeport Business College in Elgin, Illinois.
After Becker’s successes in the Midwest, he moved east, managing a school in Pottsville, Pennsylvania before arriving in Worcester to lead the business department at Hinman College.
Finally, in 1887, E.C.A. Becker established Becker’s Business College in the Clark building at 492 Main Street in Worcester. On opening day, one student showed up. By the end of the week 30 were in attendance. The college offered courses in bookkeeping, penmanship, arithmetic, shorthand and typing for both men and women.
E.C.A Becker was a member of the Worcester Board of Trade and the Worcester Economic Club. In his free time he enjoyed hunting in Maine, a hobby showcased by two large moose heads that adorned the Becker reception office until the early 1930’s. He was also known to have had a pleasant sense of humor.
Upon his death in 1907, the college had an average annual enrollment of 200 students. Graduates excelled in the counting rooms of Worcester’s manufacturing and mercantile establishments and on their civil service examinations.
In 1907, E.C.A. Becker’s wife Mary Charlotte Becker formed a corporation to manage the college, serving as treasurer, with son-in-law Walter S. Doud as president, and daughter Eva M. as clerk.
In 1938 the Medical Secretarial course was introduced and became a national model that attracted a number of students. With a critical need for student housing in the area, in 1939 the college purchased a late-Victorian house
Victorian house
In the United Kingdom, and former British colonies, a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria...
, built in 1893 on Cedar Street. This home became the first Becker dormitory.
Merger
In 1974, Becker and Leicester began working together to expand academic offerings and provide broader social and recreational opportunities for their students. As a result of their close cooperation, the two were formally consolidated in 1977 as the Worcester campus and Leicester campus of Becker College.
The college serves more than 1,750 students from 18 states and 12 countries and offers more than 25 bachelor degree programs, as well as a variety of adult learning options.
Timeline
1784............Leicester Academy founded
1788............Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
, inventor of the cotton gin, graduated.
1836............William Morton
William Morton
William Morton may refer to:* William T.G. Morton , American dentist, the first to use ether anesthesia* William Morton , American boxer, see Boxing at the 1955 Pan American Games* William Morton , Scottish cricketer...
, the “Father of Modern Anesthesiology,” graduated.
1880............First perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in major league baseball was pitched at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds was a 20-acre site in Worcester, Massachusetts in the 19th century. It was bounded by Highland Street , Sever Street , Cedar Street or Williams Street , and Agricultural Street . The grounds were just east of the large public park called Elm Park...
, which is now Weller Academic Center’s “quad.”
1887............Becker’s Business College is founded at 492 Main St. Worcester, Mass.
1893............Harry G. Stoddard, Worcester industrialist graduated.
1898............Robert Goddard, the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” studied at Becker.
1926............Becker’s Business College changed its name to Becker College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science.
1936 ...........Colton House on Cedar St. in Worcester is opened as first dormitory for women.
1937 ...........Becker initiates a major in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, the first to be offered in the East.
1937............Becker establishes its student newspaper, The Becker Journal.
1943............Becker School of Business Administration and Secretarial Science changed its name to Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science, and received the authority to grant associate in science degrees.
1950............Becker introduces its Retail Merchandising Program, the first in Massachusetts.
1954............Leicester Junior College was established.
1958............Senator John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
visits campus to address a Becker assembly.
1963............Dedication of the Paul R. Swan Library on the Leicester campus.
1968............Dedication of the Borger Academic Center on the Leicester campus.
1974............Cooperative Education was first offered.
1977............Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science and Leicester Junior College merged.
1978............The Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology, the first in Massachusetts,was accredited.
1980............Becker College properties in Worcester are added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
1982............The Animal Health Care Center opens on the Leicester campus.
1986............Dedication of the Gilbert R. Boutin Student Center on the Worcester campus.
1990............Becker Junior College of Business Administration and Secretarial Science changed its name to Becker College with continued authority to grant associate in science degrees.
1990............Dedication of the William F. Ruska Library on the Worcester campus.
1991............Becker College receives authority to grant Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
and Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees.
1992............A student center is constructed on the Leicester campus.
1997............The Lenfest Family Animal Health Clinic is dedicated.
2000............Dedication of the Arnold C. Weller Academic Center on the Worcester campus.
2006............Becker College properties in Leicester are added to the National Register of Historic Places.
2008............Dedication of Barrett Hall, a residence hall on the Leicester campus, in honor of Colleen Barrett ’64.
2008............Rev. Samuel May, Jr. House authenticated as an official National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
2008............Becker College marks 20 years of criminal justice education.
2009............Becker College initiates the Franklin M. Loew
Franklin M. Loew
Franklin Martin Loew, DVM, PhD, was president of Becker College, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University and dean of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine .-Early career:Loew grew up in Syracuse, New York...
Lecture Series in honor of the College’s eighth president.
2009............The Becker College Nursing Program celebrates “25 Years of Caring.”
2010............The Princeton Review ranks the Becker College undergraduate Video Game Design program #1 in New England and #4 in the United States and Canada.
2010............Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. is named 10th president of Becker College.
2011............Gov. Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray approve the designation of Becker College as host of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute.
Academics
Becker offers 29 degree programs ranging from Animal Sciences and Criminal JusticeCriminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
and Game Design to Nursing and Vet Sciences. Becker has a total of 394 faculty and staff, representing an 18:1 student/faculty ratio. The college offers Bachelor, Associate and Accelerated Degree Programs. All programs are fully accredited through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
In 2010, 96% of Becker nursing students passed their Registered Nurses examination.
Campus
WorcesterThe Worcester campus is located on Sever Street in the residential Elm Park
Elm Park
Elm Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, in east London, England. It is a suburban development situated east north-east of Charing Cross. Unlike the nearby suburbs of Upminster and Hornchurch, Elm Park was not developed until after the arrival of the electrified District Line in 1935...
neighborhood, not far from downtown Worcester, which is about 40 miles west of Boston. Purchased in 1854 using public funds, Elm Park is recognized as one of the first purchases of land for a public park in the United States. Classes are held in the Arnold C. Weller Academic Building (former site of the Bancroft School
Bancroft School
Located on a campus in Worcester, Massachusetts, Bancroft School is an independent, coeducational, K-12, college-preparatory day school serving the communities of Central Massachusetts and MetroWest Boston....
) and the Health Science Center on the Sever Street Quad, as well as in the Design Center (Graphic, Interior and Game) on Cedar Street, which also houses a Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
Lab and motion-capture suite. A multi-purpose gymnasium and dining hall are features of the Gilbert R. Boutin Student Center, and within three blocks on Cedar Street are six of the 11 residence halls found on the Worcester campus, Merrill, Davis, Lincoln, Colton (Becker’s first residence hall in Worcester, purchased in 1939), Cedar and Willow Hall, a brick apartment-style building. Beeches, Miller, Maple, Bullock and Linden Halls also serve dormitories. Lining Roxbury Street are office buildings, Campus Police and the Collaborative Learning Center, in former homes and typical “three-deckers”
Triple decker
A triple-decker is a three-story apartment building, typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment; although two apartments per floor is not uncommon....
for which Worcester is famous.
Leicester
The Leicester campus is in a traditional, rural setting, located six miles west of Worcester. Students are shuttled between Leicester and Worcester for classes and events. The historic Leicester Common is a centerpiece to the campus, which includes three historic buildings, once stately homes that the College transitioned into residence halls, Lane, Winslow and Hitchcock. Behind those halls, on Old Main Street, are the Leicester gymnasium and the Lenfest Animal Health Center, the College’s veterinary teaching clinic, which is open to the public for appointments during the academic year. Around “the grove” are the Borger Academic Center which houses classrooms, laboratories and the Daniels Hall auditorium, Marsh Hall (classrooms, offices and the Collaborative Learning Center); Susan E. Knight Hall (dining hall, rooms and offices) and the Leicester Student Center. The Leicester campus is also home to many of the College’s athletic teams that play home games on Alumni Field. The equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
team practice and host competitions at the Becker Equestrian Center in nearby Paxton, Massachusetts
Paxton, Massachusetts
Paxton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2010 census.-History:Paxton was first settled in 1749 and was officially incorporated in 1765....
, and the hockey team host home games at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
.
The College plans to break ground in spring 2011 on a new Campus Center in Leicester. The new building will be adjacent to the existing student center and will house a new dining hall and space dedicated to academics and physical fitness.
Both campuses occupy historic districts with buildings listed on the National Historic Register. On Worcester’s quad is a monument commemorating the pitching of the first perfect game in professional baseball, on June 12, 1880 by J. Lee Richman of Worcester, against Cleveland, in a national league game. The game took place on the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds, where the College, and much of the neighborhood, now stands.
One of the most prominent buildings on the Leicester campus is the Rev. Samuel May House, built in 1835 and officially recognized in 2008 as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Rev. Samuel May was a leading anti-slavery figure for over three decades and a prominent individual in the New England literary community during the mid 1800s. His wife was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) as well as an outspoken proponent for women's suffrage. Frequent visitors to the May House included Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
, William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
, Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
, George Hoar, May’s brother-in-law, Bronson Alcott and his daughter Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women was set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868...
. It is known that the young author spent summers at the May House and it has been reported that she wrote some of her works from her room on the third floor. The house, which has been used as a residence hall, is due to be converted into a visitor center for the Town of Leicester, a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad and home to the Louisa May Alcott Creative Writing Center.
Southborough
In 2008, the College opened a second site for its Center for Accelerated & Professional Studies, a program for working adults that was founded in 2001. Located at 337 Turnpike Road in Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough is an affluent town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. Its population was 9,767 at the 2010...
a half-mile east of I-495 on Route 9 West, the Center houses classrooms for the accelerated bachelor of science degree in business, hosts workshops and forums and also makes space available for meetings and community events.
Becker has two campus libraries with a combined collection of 73,467 cataloged items as well as periodicals and newspapers
Student life
In 2010, there were 56 international students studying at Becker. 100% of students are provided financial aid. Becker offers both gift aid and self-help aid. Gift aid includes grants and scholarships. Self-help aid includes federal Stafford loans, federal work-study, and alternative financing options.The Gateway Program at Becker is a 3 week summer program that includes one math foundations course, Student Success Workshop, and a variety of activities that will help the transition to Becker
Clubs
There are several organizations on campus, including ALANA–Multicultural Club, Animal Health Club, Gay Straight Alliance, Black Student Union, Business Club, Community Service Club, Dance Club, Drama Club, Education Club, Fitness Club, Music Club, Nursing Club, Ski/Snowboard Club, Student Activities Committee, Student Alumni Society , Student Government Association, the student newspaper (The Becker Journal), Travel Club, and the Yearbook Club.
Social Responsibility
In 2011, two students organized a letter writing campaign asking Congress to maintain funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief and other humanitarian programs. Many Becker students also participate in the Habitat for Humanity program over spring break. Others will be spending a portion of their summer volunteering in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
at the Monte Horeb Center, an educational/vocational project for youth/young adults at risk, providing opportunities for those who cannot complete their studies because of economic limitations.
Creative Expression
A game design student at Becker took home second prize out of more than 300 students in the 2010 Colleges of Worcester Consortium
Colleges of Worcester Consortium
The Colleges of Worcester Consortium is a non-profit association of 12 colleges and universities located in central Massachusetts. The Consortium claims "works cooperatively both to further the missions of the member institutions individually and to advance higher education regionally." It...
Art Show. Two others developed and released the games Cannon Duel and Bombardment, which are both available at the App Store. Student artwork is on display in the Weller Academic Center and blueprints are regularly showcased from the college’s interior design program. Students also contribute to the Hawk Review, a publication containing essays, poetry, fiction and journal entries. Becker is home to a student run online newspaper, the Becker Journal
Athletics
Becker College is currently made up of 16 intercollegiate athletic teams that compete in the Division IIIDivision III
Division III is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States.-Membership:The division consists of colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletically related financial aid to their student-athletes...
level of the NCAA. Prior to becoming an NCAA institution in the fall of 1998, Becker competed in junior college athletics. The 2007-08 women’s basketball team was the first team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The soccer, tennis, field hockey, golf, basketball, baseball, volleyball and softball teams complete in the New England Collegiate Conference
New England Collegiate Conference
The New England Collegiate Conference has been the name of two incarnations of collegiate athletic conferences.-Former Division II conference:...
(NECC). The football team is a member of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
The Eastern Collegiate Football Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Founded in 2009, it features institutions with teams primarily in other conferences.-Members:-External links:*...
(ECFC). Men’s ice hockey is a member of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Northeast Division (ECAC). Women’s lacrosse is a member of the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA). Men’s lacrosse is an associate member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference
Great Northeast Athletic Conference
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.-Current...
(GNAC). The equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA/ Zone 1, Region 1).
Notable alumni and friends
- Colleen BarrettColleen BarrettColleen Barrett is the President Emerita and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. She joined Southwest in 1978, having previously worked for several years as founder Herb Kelleher's executive assistant at his law firm. She has served as Secretary of the Corporation, as Vice President...
, president emeritus of Southwest AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
(BJC '64) - Franklin M. LoewFranklin M. LoewFranklin Martin Loew, DVM, PhD, was president of Becker College, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University and dean of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine .-Early career:Loew grew up in Syracuse, New York...
, veterinarian, animal ethicist, former president of Becker College - Eli WhitneyEli WhitneyEli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
, inventor, (Leicester Academy 1786) - Thomas HillThomas Hill (clergyman)-References:...
, former president of Harvard University, (Leicester Academy 1837) - Elliott P. JoslinElliott P. JoslinElliott Proctor Joslin, M.D. was the first doctor in the United States to specialize in diabetes and was the founder of today’s Joslin Diabetes Center. He was the first to advocate for teaching patients to care for their own diabetes, an approach now commonly referred to as “DSME” or Diabetes...
, pioneer in the clinical use of insulin, (Leicester Academy 1886) - Penny BacchiochiPenny BacchiochiPenny Bacchiochi is an American Republican politician, currently serving as a state representative in Connecticut. She was first elected to the House in 2002 and was reelected in 2004 and 2006....
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state representativeConnecticut House of RepresentativesThe Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
(BJC '81) - Scott Maloney, Motivational Speaker (2005)
Other notable facts
The first perfect gamePerfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history was thrown in 1880 by Lee Richmond on a field which is now part of the Becker College campus. A monument marks the site of the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds
Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds was a 20-acre site in Worcester, Massachusetts in the 19th century. It was bounded by Highland Street , Sever Street , Cedar Street or Williams Street , and Agricultural Street . The grounds were just east of the large public park called Elm Park...
where Richmond threw his perfect game. The Chicago Tribune recognized the feat as unusual, calling it "the most wonderful game on record".