Wentworth Institute Of Technology
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Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
institute of technology An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...
in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. Wentworth was founded in 1904 and offers career-focused education through 21
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
programs as well as 13
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
s.


History

In 1903, Boston businessman Arioch Wentworth donated the majority of his estate, estimated at $7 million, for the purpose of founding an industrial school within Boston. A board of seven directors incorporated Wentworth Institute on April 5, 1904, as a school "to furnish education in the mechanical arts". The directors spent several years investigating the educational needs of the community, increased the endowment, and reached a settlement with Wentworth's daughter, who had contested his will. Frederick Atherton was Trustee Secretary. The campus was established in Boston's
Back Bay Fens The Back Bay Fens, often called The Fens, is a parkland and urban wild in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was established in 1879. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to serve as a link in the Emerald Necklace park system, the Fe ...
, and Arthur L. Williston was the first principal of the college. On September 25, 1911, Wentworth opened as a
technical school In the United States, a technical school is a type of two-year college that covers specialized fields such as business, finance, hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, visual arts, information technology and community work. Associa ...
to 242 students. By 1919 the school had 1,800 students and 45 teachers. Wentworth became a degree-granting institution in 1957 and awarded its first baccalaureate-level degrees in 1970. In 1972, the institute admitted its first female students. In 1973, Wentworth instructors unionized to join the
American Federation of Teachers The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders. About 60 per ...
and on October 28, 1977, the teachers of Wentworth went on strike.Clifford, Joseph P. ''A Century of Honesty, Energy, Economy, System: Wentworth Institute of Technology, 1904–2004''. Boston: Wentworth Institute of Technology, 2003. Print. In 1977, the college's lower and upper divisions merged as the Wentworth Institute of Technology. Wentworth acquired the former Ira Allen School building from the city of Boston in 1980 and the former Boston Trade High School in 1983. In November 2009, Wentworth became a master's degree-granting institution, with the creation and accreditation of its master of architecture program. Wentworth received approval for university status from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in July 2017. Mark A. Thompson became the fifth president of Wentworth Institute of Technology on June 1, 2019. He succeeded Zorica Pantic, who was the first female engineer to head an
institute of technology An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...
in higher education in the United States. In September 2021, Wentworth was ranked #31 amongst Regional Universities North by ''U.S. News & World Report''. As of April 2022, Wentworth offers bachelor's degrees in 21 engineering, technology, design, and management disciplines.


Campus

The Wentworth campus is located in the
Fenway Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...
neighborhood of Boston. It consists of 15 buildings for administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, laboratories, library, and athletic facilities. Students enrolled for full-time study may live in one of nine residence halls near the main campus buildings. The institute's collaborating neighbors include the
Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts College of Art and Design, branded as MassArt, is a public college of visual and applied art in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873, it is one of the nation’s oldest art schools, the only publicly funded independent art school ...
,
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
, the
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is a private university focused on medical and health-related science programs and located in Boston, Massachusetts. The university provides traditional and accelerated programs of s ...
, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Wentworth is a member of the
Colleges of the Fenway The Colleges of the Fenway (COF) is a consortium of five colleges located in or near the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The association promotes collaboration among its member schools to enhance the variety of educational programs; ...
consortium, and shares many facilities and activities with nearby institutions. With this membership, Wentworth students are entitled to register for course with participating neighboring institutions at no additional cost.


Student life


Enrollment

Total enrollment (2018): 4,516 total (4,341 undergraduate and 175 graduate students) *Men: 77% *Women: 23%


Athletics

Wentworth Institute of Technology's athletic teams are nicknamed the Leopards. Wentworth is a member of the
NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...
and participates in the
Commonwealth Coast Conference The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions are located in New England in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, with a Connectic ...
as a non-
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
member.


Notable alumni

* Vahe Aghabegians, technology adviser to the
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
n government * Luther Blount (MC&TD '37), entrepreneur, prolific inventor * George Chamillard (IE '58), former chairman and CEO of Teradyne, Inc. *
Russell Colley Russell Sidney Colley (July 22, 1897 – February 4, 1996) was a U. S. mechanical engineer who played a role in creating the spacesuits worn by the Project Mercury astronauts, including fitting Alan B. Shepard Jr. for his historic ride as America' ...
(MC&TD '18), prolific inventor,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
engineer, inventor of silver nylon space suit used in first crewed space flight * John B. Kennedy, city manager, politician *
Joe Lauzon Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. (born May 22, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, competing in the UFC's Lightweight division. A well-rounded fighter, he has the fourth most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history, behind Donald Ce ...
(BCOS '06), professional
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
, competing in the
UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
's Lightweight Division *
David Lovering David Lovering (born December 6, 1961) is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other act ...
(EET '82), musician, drummer for the
Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...
* Stephen F. Lynch (CMW '88),
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Massachusetts * Cindy Stumpo, American entrepreneur and residential contractor numerous national publications * John A. Volpe (AC '30),
Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...
,
United States Secretary of Transportation The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
, namesake of the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wentworth Institute Of Technology Universities and colleges in Boston Educational institutions established in 1904 Engineering universities and colleges in Massachusetts Private universities and colleges in Massachusetts 1904 establishments in Massachusetts