University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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The University of Massachusetts The University of jMassachu- setts was founded under the pro- visions of the jNlorrill Land Grant Act of Congress of 186 2. This Act provided in each state for the endowment for and maintenance of at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and class- ical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agri- culture and the mechanic arts. . . in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industri- al classes in the several pursuits and professions of life. Massachusetts accepted the pro- visions of the Morrill Act in 1863 by founding the new college at Amherst to be known as Massa- chusetts Agricultural College. Chapter 15 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth states that the leading object of the College shall be to teach subjects relating to agriculture and the mechanic arts so as to promote liberal and practical education. Its curricu- lum may include other scientific and classical studies and shall in- clude military tactics. . The Trustees of Massachusetts Agricultural College were incor- porated in 1863, and the officers were appointed in that year. It was not until October 2, 1867, however, that the College was formally opened to students. At that time there were four teachers on the campus and four wooden buildings. The enrollment in- creased during the first term and by Deceml)er, 1867. forty-seven students had been accepted. From this modest beginning the College has grown steadily, both in num- ber of students and scope . of its work. In April, 1931, the name of the institution was formally changed by legislative enactment to Massachusetts State College. In 1939, the Trustees voted to award the A.B. degree as well as the B.S., which previously had been the only undergraduate de- gree of the College. In May, 1947, the College became the University of Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts now serves the Commonwealth in the three important fields of resi- dent instruction, research, and ex- tension. Since all three services are organized on the campus, students have the advantages that come from contact with persons carrying education to the state at large, with others conducting original investigations, as well as with those C ' ugaged in formal instruc- tion. The L niversity ofters four-year undergraduate instruction leading to the following degrees: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bach- 5]

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In Dedication WILLIAM ! LAWSON MAC IIMER, L.H.D. There are only two or three people on the staff who can remember this campus without Dean Machmer. There is no one with a longer period of service. He came to us in 1911 almost directly from Franklin and Marshall where he had majored in languages, particularly Latin and Greek. On the foundation of this preparation he became an inspired and inspiring teacher of mathematics. Soon he was requisitioned as Dean, but throughout his many years of administra- tion he continued to meet at least one class of freshmen in the mathematics dustbin. He was a teacher of subject but more especially of students, a dean of regulations but more especially of person- nel. He is gratefully remembered by a host of former .students because of his patience and human insight, but it should be emphasized that he consistently helped to maintain scholastic and ethical standards which have made the Univer- sity of Massachusetts the pride of her alumni. For over forty years he labored with us and for us, virtually without va- cation, virtually without sick leave. His devotion to Alma Mater has been im- pressive. Moreover, since the creation of Academic Activities Board in 1916, he has been almost without interruption its chairman. Thus among the many honors conferred upon him perhaps none is giv- ing him greater satisfaction than this: that three times, once in the beginning, once in the middle and now at the close of his long career, his students have dedicated to him this Index. F.P.R.

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elor of Science in Agricultural. Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Vocational Agriculture. This instruction is assigned to the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Agriculture and Horticulture, Business Adminis- tration, Engineering, Home Eco- nomics, and to the Division of Physical Education. The aim of the four-year course is to give as high a degree of pro- ficiency in some particular branch of learning as is possible without sacrificing the breadth, knowledge, and training which should char- acterize a well-rounded college ed- ucation. Courses leading to advanced degrees are available in the Grad- uate School. Majors leading to the Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree may be taken in the following fields: Agronomy. Bacteriology, Botany, Chemistry, Economics, Psychology, Entomol- ogy, and Food Science. In addition, the following de- partments offer major work lead- ing to a Master of Science degree only: Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Animal Hus- bandry, Business Administration, Dairy Industry, Education, En- gineering, Floriculture, Geology and Mineralogy, Home Econom- ics, Mathematics, Olericulture, Physical Education (Men), Pom- ology, Poultry Science, Psychol- ogy, Wildlife INIanagement, and Zoology. Students may enroll as candi- dates for the degree of Master of Arts in the following fields: Eco- nomics, English, History, Philos- ophy, and Sociology, and Ro- mance Languages. The Stockbridge School of Ag- riculture was organized at the University in 1918 under the name of The Two Year Course in Prac- tical Agriculture. Its purpose was to meet the demand for shorter courses in agriculture which might be taken by high school graduates who were unable to take the four- year college course. In 1928 the School was given its present name in honor of Levi Stockbridge, the first professor of agriculture at the LTni versify and its fifth president. This program trains men and women primarily for the practice of farming or associated agricultur- al industries. As the two-year pro- gram is now organized a student may choose any one of eleven vo- cational courses, and a diploma is awarded for satisfactory comple- tion of any two-year course. The University of Massachu- setts provides research and regula- tory services in the fields of Ag- riculture and Horticulture through its Experiment Stations. A fund of scientific knowledge has been accumulated and research workers carry on constant experimentation. 6]