Endicott College

     Endicott College was founded in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe, as Endicott Junior college, a two-year women’s college with the mission of educating women for greater independence and an enhanced position in the workplace.The college was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that same year, and graduated its first class of 20 students in 1941.

The school was named for John Endicott, an early overseer of Harvard University and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1944, the school was approved by the state for the granting of associate's degrees, and in 1952, Endicott was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1975, the college dropped the 'Junior' from its name. In 1994, Endicott became co-educational.

George Bierkoe served as Endicott’s first president from its opening until 1971.Eleanor Tupper then served as president until 1980. She subsequently wrote Endicott and I, published in 1985, which details the founding and history of the college.Carol Hawkes became the third president of Endicott College in 1980, and during her tenure the college transitioned from a 2-year to a 4-year institution.Francis Gamelin served as Endicott's fourth president as the college searched for Hawkes successor.In 1988, Richard E. Wylie became the fifth and current president of Endicott.
Endicott's campus includes many historic buildings. On June 6, 1939, Endicott College purchased its first building, an estate known today as Reynolds Hall,which has served as a residence hall since the college opened on September 17, 1939.In 1940, Endicott College purchased two more buildings: Alhambra and College Hall. Both structures were a part of the William Amory Gardner estates. Built in 1750 by Thomas Woodbury, Alhambra is the oldest building on Endicott’s campus, and prior to its purchase, was used as a summer home by Isabella Stewart Gardner (until 1906).Since its purchase by the college, it has been used as student housing. College Hall, built in 1916, was designed as a summer home by Henry Richards and subsequently purchased by Endicott in 1940. The building currently houses multiple administrative offices, including the Office of the President.

Campus -

The college campus is located on 235-acre (0.95 km2) oceanfront property on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay, in an area known as the Gold Coast.This area includes two beaches, Tupper Beach and Brindle Beach, frequented by the campus community.

Endicott's main academic buildings include the Wax Academic Center, Judge Science Center, Gerrish School of Business, Manninen Center for the Arts, Center for Nursing and Health Professions, and Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.The Halle Library serves as the main library on campus and also houses additional classrooms and student support services.

The Callahan Center is the main student activities building on campus and houses the main dining hall,as well as a number of student services.

The Post Sports Fitness and Science Center was opened in 2009 and is the main center for the School of Sports Science and Fitness Studies. The building includes a gymnasium, a field house with an indoor track, workout facilities, aerobics and dance rooms, and classrooms.

The Manninen Center for the Arts opened in 2009 and houses the School of Visual and Performing Arts.The facility includes a number of spaces for performances and exhibitions, including the 250-seat Rose Performance Hall and a 100-seat black box theater.

In July 2014, Endicott broke ground on the Raymond J. Bourque Ice Arena, which will house the college's NCAA Division III men’s and women’s ice hockey programs, as well as serve as home to Beverly Youth Hockey, Beverly High School Hockey, and other local sports activities.

Endicott currently houses all on-campus students in a variety of residence halls, from large dormitory-style arrangements to smaller apartment-style housing. Some residence halls serve particular populations, including a healthy-living dorm and women-only dorms, or offer themed programming.Many historic buildings are used as residence halls, including Reynolds Hall, Alahambra Hall, Winthrop Hall, Kennedy Hall, and Hamilton Hall. The latter was built in the late 1800s and by the Cotting family, whose members founded the Cotting School in 1893, and later owned by Herbert Sears Tuckerman.The college has also announced plans to build a new 300 bed residence hall in 2015.

Academics -

Endicott offers 23 Bachelor programs, 27 concentrations, and 27 minors.The college is composed of the School of Arts and Sciences, Gerrish School of Business, School of Communication, School of Education, School of Hospitality Management, School of Sport Science and Fitness Studies, School of Nursing, School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies.Graduate programs are offered in Business, Education, Nursing, Computer Science, and Political Science.The most popular major is Business Management, followed by Fitness and Recreation Studies, Psychology and Visual/Performing Arts.

In 2014 the college initiated its first doctoral program (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership in Higher Education, and currently also offers an Ed.D. in PreK-12 Educational Leadership, a Ph.D. in Applied Behavioral Analysis, and a Ph.D. in Nursing.

Endicott employs 94 full-time faculty members and 298 adjunct faculty members.Endicott's student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.

All bachelor's degree candidates must complete three distinct internship experiences before graduation, including two 120-hour positions and a semester-long internship during their senior year.Students majoring in Nursing and Athletic Training earn internship credits with clinical educational experiences, while Education majors gain experience in the classroom through student teaching.

Student Life -

Endicott offers over 60 student organizations,numerous academic honor societies, and varsity, club, and intramural sports. Many students also choose to participate in national community service organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer in the local community.

In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate students, Endicott offers a program called Keys to Degrees, which allows single parents to live on campus with their children. The program was launched in 1993 and offers financial assistance, workshops, and a baby-sitting cooperative for this population of students.In 2014, the college was awarded a grant to replicate the program across the U.S.

Athletics -

Endicott College teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Gulls are a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC). Endicott was formerly a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and volleyball, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.Endicott offers 8 men’s and women’s club sports: Cheerleading, Crew, Dance, Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Rugby, and Sailing. Beginning with the 2015 season, Men’s Ice Hockey will become a Division III sport as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC).