Suffolk University 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 recorded ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States. With 7,560 students on all campuses, it is the tenth-largest university in metropolitan Boston. It was founded as a law school in 1906 and named after its location in

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County ( ) is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston ...

. The university is also host to its namesake public opinion poll, the

Suffolk University Political Research Center The Suffolk University Political Research Center (SUPRC) is an opinion polling center at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. History, organization, and leadership Founded in 2002, the center mostly conducts national and statewide polls,< ...

. The university, located at the downtown edge of the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, comprises the Suffolk College of Arts and Sciences, Sawyer Business School, and

Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School (also known as Suffolk Law School) is the Private university, private, non-sectarian law school of Suffolk University located in Downtown Boston, downtown Boston, across the street from the Boston Common and the Fr ...

. The university's sports teams, the Suffolk Rams, compete in 19 varsity sports in

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...

as members of the

Commonwealth Coast Conference The Conference of New England (CNE), formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), is an List of NCAA conferences, intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division ...

History

Gleason Archer founder of Suffolk University

Suffolk University was initially founded as a law school in 1906 by Boston lawyer Gleason Archer Sr., who named it "Archer's Evening Law School", intending it for law students who worked during the day. The school was renamed "Suffolk School of Law" in 1907, after Archer moved it from his

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for ne ...

home into his law offices in downtown

. A year later the first of Archer's students had passed the bar, leading to a boost in registration. The school's original goal was to "serve ambitious young men who are obliged to work for a living while studying law."About Suffolk Law School
March 3, 2009. By 1930, Archer developed Suffolk into one of the largest law schools in the country, and decided to create "a great evening university" that working people could afford. The school became a university in the 1930s when the "Suffolk College of Arts and Sciences" was founded in 1934 and the Sawyer Business School—then known as the "College of Business Administration"—in 1937. That same year, the three academic units were incorporated as Suffolk University. During the 1990s Suffolk constructed its first residence halls, began satellite programs with other colleges in Massachusetts, and opened its international campuses. From 1990 to 2005, its endowment increased over 400%, to approximately $72 million, and enrollment climbed.

Presidents

* Gleason Archer Sr. (1906–1948) *

Walter Burse Walter M. Burse (1898-1970) served as the second president of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts from 1948 to 1954. Walter Burse graduated from Brown University in 1920 and then Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law ...

(1948–1954) *

Robert Munce Robert John Munce (1895–1975) served as the third president of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts from 1954 to 1960. Munce was born in Washington, Pennsylvania on January 25, 1895, to Robert John Munce, Sr. and Elizabeth M. Donley. ...

(1954–1960) * Dennis C. Haley (1960–1965) * John E. Fenton (1965–1970) *

Thomas Fulham Thomas A. Fulham (July 18, 1915 – March 30, 1995) was an American businessman and the president of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts from 1970 to 1980. Life Thomas Fulham was born in 1915 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Fulham graduated ...

(1970–1980) * Daniel Perlman (1980–1989) * David Sargent (1989–2010) * Barry Brown (2010–2012) (interim) * James McCarthy (2012–2014) *Norman R. Smith (2014–2015) (interim) * Margaret McKenna (2015–2016) * Marisa Kelly (2016–present)

Campus

The main campus in downtown Boston is situated on well-known Beacon Hill, adjacent to the

Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the New State House, is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol and seat of government for the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, lo ...

and the

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously fu ...

. Up until 1995, Suffolk was a commuter-only school. Today, there are five coed residence halls, housing over 65% of freshman, and a total of 24% of the entire undergraduate population: *Smith Hall *Nathan R. Miller Hall *10 West * Modern Theatre *One Court Street The residence hall at 150 Tremont Street, renamed Smith Hall in 2018, was the first built by the university and currently houses students in singles, doubles, quads, and suites, with communal bathrooms. Nathan R. Miller Residence Hall (located at 10 Somerset St.) was opened in 2005 and houses 15 floors of freshman, and 2 floors of sophomores in singles, doubles and quads, with bathrooms shared between every two rooms or one bathroom per quad. The 10 West Residence Hall, opened in 2008, has housing for freshman and sophomores in singles and doubles. Suites accommodate 3–5 students and a variety of apartment-style suites (that include full kitchens) house 2 to 8 students. Both Miller Hall and 150 Tremont have cafeterias. Students living at 10 West/Modern Theater can eat at 150 Tremont. Suffolk University occasionally leases additional properties (such as the Hyatt & Holiday Inn Beacon Hill). If leased, those locations house freshman students. The Modern Theatre Residence Hall opened in the fall of 2010 and is considered an extension to the 10 West Resident Hall. The two residence halls share one entrance at 10 West Street. The Modern Theater Residence Hall is built over the restored Modern Theatre (Boston). In the fall of 2020, the university added a new residence hall, the Ames Building at One Court Street, which it purchased in the fall of 2019. On June 26, 2024, Suffolk University announced plans for a sixth residence hall after the purchase of a new property. President Marisa Kelly said that 101 Tremont Street across from Granary Burial Ground will be converted to an 11-story residence hall following their pending permit and review process of the city of Boston.

Academics

Suffolk employs over 900 full-time and adjunct faculty members, who instruct approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students on its Boston Campus. The Sawyer Business School (previously the Sawyer School of Management) focuses on global business education. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. Joint degrees are also offered. About 3,000 students are currently enrolled in all programs. The Saturday-only Executive MBA Program incorporates four off-site one-week seminars and week-long global trips to

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

and China. The Global MBA is a specialized MBA in international business with an intensive concentration in either finance or marketing. The full-time program includes a 3-month internship outside the student's home country. Summer 2010 Global MBA internships are in 10 countries. Part-time Global MBAs complete either a global experiential research project at their place of business or a 3-month consulting project that includes an intensive 2 week residency outside the US. The Suffolk College of Arts and Sciences has seventeen academic departments which offer more than seventy

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

and graduate programs. Among the departments is the New England School of Art and Design (NESAD)Suffolk University(2006). Schools, Colleges and Campuses. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from:http://www.suffolk.edu/schools.html/~Academics Suffolk University Law School, founded in 1906, offers a standard

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

program and advanced L.L.M. program. 43% of applicants were admitted to the J.D. program in 2005. The university is also home to various research centers and institutes, including the Centers for Crime & Justice Policy Research, Restorative Justice, and Women's Health and Human Right, the Moakley Archives, the Poetry Center, Political Research Centers, and the Sagan Energy Research Laboratory. The

(SUPRC) conducts various scientific polls of national and regional political issues. The university also has an undergraduate honors program in the College of Arts & Sciences and Sawyer Business School. Freshman and transfer students are considered for the Honors program upon applying to Suffolk. Students in their second year are considered candidates for the program by remaining one year at the institution with a 3.5 GPA.

Reputation and rankings

In 2018 U.S. News ranked Suffolk #177 (tie) in National Universities.

Athletics

Suffolk University teams, nicknamed the ''Rams'', participate as a member of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

's Division III. The Rams are a member of the Conference of New England and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). They were a member of the

Great Northeast Athletic Conference The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). History Chronological timeline * 1995 – In 1995, th ...

(GNAC) from 1995 to 2020. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, golf, ice hockey, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, ice hockey, soccer, softball, golf, tennis and volleyball.

Student newspaper

''The Suffolk Journal'' is the weekly

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

of Suffolk University. It has operated continuously since 1936. ''The Journal'' prints a 16-page weekly newspaper, distributed across campus.

Notable persons

Notable alumni

* Paul Benedict, Broadway actor (Hughie, the Music Man), director, television and actor (Bentley on the Jeffersons, the Goodbye Girl, Sesame Street, This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind) *

Eliza Dushku Eliza Patricia Dushku (; born December 30, 1980) is an American former actress. Dushku starred as Faith (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Faith in the supernatural Drama (film and television), drama series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1998–2003) an ...

, actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bull), activist * John Hynes, class of 1924, 49th

mayor of Boston The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a m ...

* Thomas J. Lane, class of 1925, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts (1941–1963) * James A. Burke, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts (1959–1979) * Gleason Archer Jr., class of 1939, theologian, author * William L. Uanna, class of 1942,

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

at the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

from 1949 to 1951, Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) as Director of Operations of the I Service Command, security expert on The

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

* Martin F. Loughlin, class of 1951, U.S. District Court of New Hampshire, judge (1979–1995) * Thomas Michael McGovern, college president * David Sargent, class of 1954, president of Suffolk University (1989–2010) *

Joe Moakley John Joseph Moakley (April 27, 1927 – May 28, 2001) was an American politician who served as the United States representative for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district from 1973 until his death in 2001. Moakley won the seat from incumbent ...

, class of 1956, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 1973–2001, chairman of the

U.S. House Committee on Rules The Committee on Rules (or more commonly the Rules Committee) is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other committ ...

* Judge Frank Caprio, class of 1965, television judge ''Caught in Providence'' on ''ABC''; Chief Judge Providence, R.I. Municipal Court * Gunnar S. Overstrom Jr., class of 1968, vice-chair of Fleet Boston and president and chief operating officer of the Shawmut National Corporation. * James Sokolove, class of 1969, television personal injury attorney * Robert L. Caret, class of 1969, Chancellor of University System of Maryland * Richard J. Leon, class of 1974, U.S. District Court of the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, judge (2002–present) * Paul Reiber, class of 1974, Chief Justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

James Bamford James Bamford (born September 15, 1946) is an American author, journalist and documentary producer noted for his writing about United States intelligence agencies, especially the National Security Agency (NSA). ''The New York Times'' has calle ...

, class of 1975, journalist, author * Francis Flaherty, class of 1975, Justice of

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the Supreme court, court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by ...

* William F. Galvin, class of 1975, Secretary of State of Massachusetts * Dan Harrington, poker player, winner of 1995 World Series of Poker, member of Poker Hall of Fame * Robert A. DeLeo, class of 1976, member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1991 – present) 85th

Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives This is a list of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Speaker (politics), Speaker of the House presides over the Massachusetts House of Representatives, House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority par ...

* Jerald G. Fishman, class of 1976, president & CEO,

Analog Devices Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), also known simply as Analog, is an American multinational corporation, multinational semiconductor company specializing in data conversion, signal processing, and power management technology, headquartered in Wilming ...

* John F. Tierney, class of 1976, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 1997–2015, former chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs *

Paul Suttell Paul Allyn Suttell (born January 10, 1949) is the chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Suttell graduated from the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode IslanHe then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, from whi ...

, class of 1976, Justice of

* John Loftus, class of 1977, author, television commentator * Maureen Goldberg, class of 1978, Justice of

* Ronald Machtley, class of 1978, president of Bryant University, U.S. Representative from Rhode Island (1989–1995) * Michael E. Festa, class of 1979, member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1998 – present) * Nina Mitchell Wells, Secretary of State of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, 2006–present * Martin Meehan, class of 1981, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 1993–2007, former chairman United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, current president of the

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the Public university, public university system of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes six campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell ...

* Joan Vennochi, class of 1984,

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

winner, investigative journalist

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

* Cheryl Jacques, class of 1987, legislator, president of the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

* Edward M. Augustus Jr., class of 1987, city manage for

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

Patrick C. Lynch Patrick C. Lynch (born February 4, 1965, Providence, Rhode Island) is an American lawyer who served as Rhode Island's 72nd Attorney General. He oversaw the investigation and prosecution of the second-deadliest fire in Rhode Island history, the ...

, class of 1992, Attorney General of Rhode Island * Gary Christenson, class of 1990, 1992, and 2003 (triple alumnus),

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Malden, Massachusetts Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people. History Malden is a hilly woodland area no ...

* Allan Fung, Class of 1995, Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island * George Sifakis, Class of 2000, Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison * Jenna Mourey (Jenna Marbles), class of 2008, YouTube personality * Michelle Leonardo, class of 2013, Miss New Jersey USA 2012, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2008 and Top 10 at Miss USA 2012 * Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe sports reporter and columnist, 2017 Massachusetts Sports Writer of the Year and 2017 recipient of the Boston Baseball Writers' Association of America's Dave O'Hara award.

Notable faculty and trustees

* Patricia Brown, emeritus law librarian and professor * Joseph Glannon, professor, well-known writer of Torts and Civil Procedure texts * Joseph P. Hoar, trustee, Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command * Tom "Clack" Magliozzi, professor of business and co-host of '' Car Talk'' * Gerald Peary, professor of communications, noted film critic, reviewer, and columnist * Susan Starr Sered, senior research associate at Suffolk University's Center for Women's Health and Human Rights, author of books on women's health * Ronald Suleski

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Boston Universities and colleges established in 1906 Private universities and colleges in Massachusetts 1906 establishments in Massachusetts