The University of Massachusetts Boston has a rich history that is intertwined with the city it calls home. With the engagement of its alumni, UMass Boston will continue to make history. UMass Boston is especially proud to remember, value, and build on the traditions and legacy of Boston State College. The college motto, "Education for Service" has been exemplified by generations of graduates, many of whom were public educators in Boston and surrounding communities.

The Boston State College Room, located in the Campus Center, is a special place of tribute and institutional memory. The space contains more than 80 photos and items of memorabilia that bring to life the spirit of Boston State College. 

A History of “Education for Service”

The university’s earliest mission begins in 1851 when Superintendent Nathan Bishop proposed building a normal school to train elementary school teachers. Girls’ High School held its first classes in the Adams School building on Mason Street in 1852.

Girls’ High was renamed Girls’ High and Normal School in 1854. It moved to new quarters on West Newton Street in 1870.

Boston Normal School became a separate institution in 1872 and moved to first the Rice School building on Dartmouth Street in 1876, then a specially-built facility on Huntington Avenue in 1907.

The school then went through another series of name changes:

1922: Teachers College of the City of Boston

1952: State Teachers College at Boston

1960: State College at Boston

1968: Boston State College

In 1982, Boston State merged with UMass Boston to form what has become one of the state’s major academic enterprises and Boston’s only public university.