John Albert Cousens
Encyclopedia
John Albert Cousens was an American Universalist
businessman and educator who was the sixth president of Tufts College (later Tufts University
) from 1919 to 1937.
to Sarah (Wiggen) and John Emmons Cousens, members of the Shawmut Universalist Society. He entered Tufts College in Medford
in 1894, but dropped out during his senior year after his father's death in order to run the family coal company, not receiving his B.A.
until 1903.
His company flourished, eventually merging with the Metropolitan Coal Company. He gained business experience as its vice president, and served in many high-level positions of the Brookline Savings Bank and other Brookline financial organizations.
He married Elizabeth Frances Edwards in 1906 but had no children. He was a member of the Audubon Society, the American Museum of Natural History
, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
.
in 1919.
He was initially appointed acting president due to the Trustees' concern over his lack of experience in education, but within a year impressed them enough to make him president.
His presidency coincided with the Great Depression
, but he managed to keep the college's finances in good shape and modestly improve the campus, adding one building to the campus each year, including the Cousens Gymnasium, built in 1931-2.
During Cousens' presidency, Tufts remained a small regional institution. However, he began administrative reforms that later allowed Tufts to grow into an international university, including taking the management and day-to-day operations of the college from the Trustees and putting them in the hands of a centralized administration. He also attempted to institute academic reforms such as a more competitive three-tier system that base Bachelor's and professional degrees on stricter expectations of quality work; however, these and other controversial curriculum reforms failed due to faculty opposition.
He also oversaw the 1930 creation of the New England Medical Center, a joint operation of the Tufts Medical School, the Boston Dispensary
, and the Boston Floating Hospital. In 1933, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was established jointly with Harvard Law School
.
Cousens courted alumni and students, writing for the alumni magazine and the weekly newspaper and giving students, including the poet John Holmes, private financial aid.
Universalist Church of America
The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States . Known from 1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942...
businessman and educator who was the sixth president of Tufts College (later Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
) from 1919 to 1937.
Life
Cousens was born in Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
to Sarah (Wiggen) and John Emmons Cousens, members of the Shawmut Universalist Society. He entered Tufts College in Medford
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
in 1894, but dropped out during his senior year after his father's death in order to run the family coal company, not receiving his B.A.
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...
until 1903.
His company flourished, eventually merging with the Metropolitan Coal Company. He gained business experience as its vice president, and served in many high-level positions of the Brookline Savings Bank and other Brookline financial organizations.
He married Elizabeth Frances Edwards in 1906 but had no children. He was a member of the Audubon Society, the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest, formally-organized horticultural institution in the United States...
, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit animal welfare organization originally founded in England in 1824 to pass laws protecting carriage horses from abuse. SPCA groups are now found in many nations, where they campaign for animal welfare, assist in cruelty to animals...
.
Presidency
As an alumnus of Tufts, Cousens was involved in many aspects of alumni operations, and became a trustee in 1911, serving on the Finance Committee, the Board of Visitors to the Medical School, and the Executive Committee. He was thus a potential replacement for the office of president upon the resignation of Hermon Carey BumpusHermon Carey Bumpus
Hermon Carey Bumpus was the fifth president of Tufts College from 1915 to 1919.-Early life and education:...
in 1919.
He was initially appointed acting president due to the Trustees' concern over his lack of experience in education, but within a year impressed them enough to make him president.
His presidency coincided with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, but he managed to keep the college's finances in good shape and modestly improve the campus, adding one building to the campus each year, including the Cousens Gymnasium, built in 1931-2.
During Cousens' presidency, Tufts remained a small regional institution. However, he began administrative reforms that later allowed Tufts to grow into an international university, including taking the management and day-to-day operations of the college from the Trustees and putting them in the hands of a centralized administration. He also attempted to institute academic reforms such as a more competitive three-tier system that base Bachelor's and professional degrees on stricter expectations of quality work; however, these and other controversial curriculum reforms failed due to faculty opposition.
He also oversaw the 1930 creation of the New England Medical Center, a joint operation of the Tufts Medical School, the Boston Dispensary
Boston Dispensary
The Boston Dispensary or Boston Medical Dispensary provided for "medical relief of the poor" in Boston, Massachusetts, from the late 18th century through the mid-20th century...
, and the Boston Floating Hospital. In 1933, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy was established jointly with Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Cousens courted alumni and students, writing for the alumni magazine and the weekly newspaper and giving students, including the poet John Holmes, private financial aid.