The New Bedford Institute of Technology was a public

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

located in

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American p ...

, United States. It was founded in 1899 as the New Bedford Textile School.

History

The New Bedford Textile School was funded under a bill that appropriated money for three textile schools in the major textile cities in Massachusetts. The school was built at 1213 Purchase Street. The city matched the funds of the state when the school was being built. The first classes offered were meant to refine the skills of the mill workers. As a result, classes were offered during the day and night. The first class ever offered at the school was the "General Cotton Course". Curriculum at the school later expanded to include knitting technology, chemistry of textiles, dyeing and finishing and fashion and textile design. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the school began offering degrees in engineering, chemistry, and business administration. These additions came in response for the increased need for educational opportunities in the area. Due to the increased demand, the Board of Collegiate Authority approved the Trustees’ request to grant a Bachelor of Science degree in November 1948. In 1950, 42 graduates earned their degree in textile chemistry, textile engineering, and machine design. Because of the change in the mission of the school, the name of the school was changed to the New Bedford Textile Institute in 1946. In 1957, the name of the school was again changed to the New Bedford Institute of Textiles and Technology.

Merger

In the 1950s and 60s, the school had plans of expansion. As

Bradford Durfee College of Technology The Bradford Durfee College of Technology was a college located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1895 as the Bradford Durfee Textile School. It was then incorporated in 1899 and opened in 1904. The school was named after Bradford ...

was also nearby, the state set up a committee to merge the schools. The merger with Bradford Durfee College was completed in 1964, forming the Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute. The new school was located in North Dartmouth. In 1991, the merged school became part of the

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medical ...

system as the

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly Southeastern Massachusett ...

Campus usage

From 1985 until 1988, the building on Purchase Street was used by the

Swain School of Design The Swain School of Design (also known as Swain Free School) was an American non-profit educational institution, founded in 1881 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The school and archive is now part of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, within t ...

until it merged with the

Southeastern Massachusetts University The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly Southeastern Massachusetts U ...

in 1988. From then until 2001, the building was used by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Notable alumni

Seabury Stanton Seabury Stanton (October 9, 1892 – October 19, 1971) was an industrialist from New Bedford, Massachusetts who ran Berkshire Hathaway prior to its takeover by Warren Buffett in 1964. Biography Early life and career Seabury Stanton was born ...

, chairman of

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...

prior to its takeover by

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Bedford Institute Of Technology Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts Defunct universities and colleges in Massachusetts Embedded educational institutions Educational institutions established in 1899 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Education in Bristol County, Massachusetts Educational institutions disestablished in 1964 1899 establishments in Massachusetts