Westbrook College
Encyclopedia
Westbrook College was a liberal arts college
in Portland, Maine
founded 1831 as Westbrook Seminary in Westbrook, Maine
. It closed in 1996 and merged with the University of New England, which uses its old campus.
was established by the Kennebec
Association of Universalists in Westbrook, Maine
. The original 8-acre
property was a gift from Zachariah Stevens, for whom Steven's Plains and Stevens Avenue are named, and Oliver Buckley. The seminary building, now called Alumni Hall, was not finished until 1834, and the first classes were finally held after its completion. The four tracks of study included English, scientific, ladies' classical, and preparatory. It was co-educational, but women in the scientific or ladies' classical tracks received unique "laureate of arts" and "laureate of science" degrees upon completion.
Westbrook became an all-female institution when the last co-educational class graduate in 1925, and gradually became a junior college
, as well, and dropped all preparatory work by 1933. During this time, it seems to have been named Westbrook Junior College. The women's junior college plan had been proposed by president Clarence Quimby in 1914, but was rejected, and he later resigned in 1920. The college continued to grow through the 1970s, and the name was changed to Westbrook College. It became co-educational again in 1973, after the federal government stopped providing funds to gender-discriminating institutions.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Westbrook made a commitment to a four-year liberal arts college
education, but was hit hard by declining enrollment at the same time. By the mid-1990s, the college was seeking to close and merge with another institution, and finally did so with the University of New England in 1996. In an odd twist, the merger actually took place under the Westbrook charter, technically making the new institution Westbook College and changing its name to University of New England.
Westbrook College was originally located in Westbrook, Maine
, then Deering, Maine, and finally Portland, Maine
. The institution never actually moved, but the surrounding area changed hands and names at least twice. Today, the area where the campus is located is known as Portland's Deering Center
neighborhood.
The Westbrook College campus is now known by the University of New England as the UNE Portland Campus.
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
founded 1831 as Westbrook Seminary in Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
. It closed in 1996 and merged with the University of New England, which uses its old campus.
History
In 1831, Westbrook SeminarySeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
was established by the Kennebec
Kennebec
Kennebec can refer to:*Kennebec County, Maine*Kennebec, South Dakota*Kennebec River*Kennebec tribe...
Association of Universalists in Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
. The original 8-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
property was a gift from Zachariah Stevens, for whom Steven's Plains and Stevens Avenue are named, and Oliver Buckley. The seminary building, now called Alumni Hall, was not finished until 1834, and the first classes were finally held after its completion. The four tracks of study included English, scientific, ladies' classical, and preparatory. It was co-educational, but women in the scientific or ladies' classical tracks received unique "laureate of arts" and "laureate of science" degrees upon completion.
Westbrook became an all-female institution when the last co-educational class graduate in 1925, and gradually became a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
, as well, and dropped all preparatory work by 1933. During this time, it seems to have been named Westbrook Junior College. The women's junior college plan had been proposed by president Clarence Quimby in 1914, but was rejected, and he later resigned in 1920. The college continued to grow through the 1970s, and the name was changed to Westbrook College. It became co-educational again in 1973, after the federal government stopped providing funds to gender-discriminating institutions.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Westbrook made a commitment to a four-year liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
education, but was hit hard by declining enrollment at the same time. By the mid-1990s, the college was seeking to close and merge with another institution, and finally did so with the University of New England in 1996. In an odd twist, the merger actually took place under the Westbrook charter, technically making the new institution Westbook College and changing its name to University of New England.
Campus
Westbrook College was originally located in Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
, then Deering, Maine, and finally Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. The institution never actually moved, but the surrounding area changed hands and names at least twice. Today, the area where the campus is located is known as Portland's Deering Center
Deering Center, Maine
Deering Center is a neighborhood in the residential area of Portland, Maine, United States.Deering Center runs from Brighton Avenue to Forest Avenue to Catherine McAuley High School near Wayside Street on Ludlow Street.-History:...
neighborhood.
The Westbrook College campus is now known by the University of New England as the UNE Portland Campus.