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Page 10 text:
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This is On a cold Tuesday morning, November 10, 1867 to be exact, the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science first opened its doors. The expansive faculty consisted of four teachers, all anxious to begin putting the thirty-two students through their paces. An imposing three story granite building that stood atop a hill in Northwest Worcester comprised the campus. The structure was called Boynton Hall, named after John Boynton, the founder of the Institute. Boynton was a tinsmith and a peddler, well known throughout New England. What prompted him to make such a commitment of time and money to establish the Institute? John Boynton felt that in the increasingly industrial society which surrounded him, there was a pressing need to elevate the position of the farmer, mechanic and manufacturer. Hence, he offered a large portion of his personal fortune to finance the construction of a school that would teach local mechanics and manufacturers the state of the art in industry. The only stipulation was that the town of Worcester provide the land and necessary buildings. The citizens complied and in 1865 plans for such an institute began. Another prominent citizen was Ichabod Washburn, who had a dream of a different type of industrial school, one aimed at a practical education. When he heard of the newly proposed school, he too acted upon his dream and provided the resources necessary 4 • Opening WPI • • • for a manufacturing shop (later known as the Washburn shops) to be built directly behind Boynton Hall. One hundred and nineteen years later, much has changed. The first things that come to mind are the obvious ones such as the school name, the addition of numerous facilities, and the curriculum. But a more fundamental evolution has taken place in the form of the Plan and all that it represents. While Washburn envisioned a practical education and Boynton wished to elevate the position of the working man, the Plan achieves both of these goals. The practical education is a unique combination of projects and classwork, resulting in greater levels of competency. Potential for attaining Boynton ' s concept of advancing the role of the engineer in society is subsequently increased. What is WPI? It is the continuation of a legacy of ideas set forth by two industrial visionaries. John Boynton and Ichabod Washburn would be pleased to see how far their Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial science has come. It is their spirit of progress that constantly propels Worcester Polytechnic Institute onward to new, loftier goals.
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