UMass Lowell history

Established in 1895 as the Lowell Textile School, the institution was founded to train technicians and managers for work in Lowell's booming textile industry.

Under the guidance of founder James T. Smith, Lowell Textile opened its doors in February 1897 in the upper floors of a downtown commercial block located on Middle Street.

The 10th and final normal school to be established in Massachusetts, it opened in 1898 with 108 students and five faculty members.

In 1903, the school moved to permanent quarters in Southwick Hall, giving the growing student body, state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, and vast workrooms necessary for hands-on experience in textiles.

Frank Coburn, for whom the hall was later named, served as the school's first principal until 1908.

By 1929, Lowell’s expanded curriculum, larger faculty, and livelier extracurricular program warranted a name change that reflected its evolution from a trade school to a technical college, and it became the Lowell Textile Institute.

1931 Massachusetts Agricultural College becomes Massachusetts State College

In 1953, President Martin Lydon expanded the curriculum to include programs in plastics, leather, paper and electronics technology, increased the liberal arts offerings and renamed the school the Lowell Technological Institute.

As the demand for more qualified teachers grew, the legislature reorganized the Normal School into Lowell State College in 1960 with a curriculum that expanded beyond education to include baccalaureate degrees in other fields including nursing and music.

1962 UMass Medical School is established

1964 UMass Boston is established

Beginning in 1967, the college was authorized to confer two more degrees: Master of Education and Master of Music Education.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Center for Lowell History was established in 1971 to assure the safekeeping, preservation, and availability for study research materials in unique subject areas, particularly those related to the Greater Lowell Area and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

In 1972, a feasibility study was conducted on merging Lowell State College with Lowell Technological Institute.

1974 UMass Boston moves to Boston Harbor

Lowell State and Lowell Tech merged in 1975 as the University of Lowell.

In 1984, Wang sold the property to UMass Lowell for a total of one dollar after not finding any use for the buildings in ten years.

1989 The Saxon Commission calls for a five-campus UMass system with one president and one Board of Trustees

In 1991, the Lowell campus joined the University of Massachusetts system under its current name.

In the early 2000’s, UMass Lowell Chancellor Bob Hogan deemed the buildings unsuitable to house the GSE department or host classes.

2001 UMassOnline is established

In 2011, the college was renamed the Manning School of Business in honor of alumnus Robert J. Manning ’84, chairman and CEO of MFS Investment Management.

Since the fire in 2013, UMass Lowell has added a “No Trespassing” sign to the outside of the entrance to the campus and refuses to talk about it, which has led to many break-ins to the campus.

In response to the fire, Massachusetts Senator Michael Barrett drafted a bond, which became a bill in 2014, to fund the demolition of the rest of the campus, but the buildings have remained untouched to this day.

Video: River Hawk fans flock to home opener - October 17, 2015

2016 UMass Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association

In the following spring, in April 2017, the school moved to its new home, the Pulichino Tong Business Center.

Society of Plastics Engineers helps UMass Lowell in its fight against single use plastic - November 2, 2020