Boston University

Boston University is a non-sectarian private university located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded as a Methodist seminary in Vermont in 1839, then transferred to Concord, New Hampshire in 1847, to Brookline, Massachusetts in 1867, and finally moved to its present campus along the Charles River in Boston from 1939-1948. Originally the "Newbury Biblical Institute," it changed its name to "Methodist General Biblical Institute of Concord," "Brookline School of Theology," "Boston Theological Seminary" and "Boston School of Theology" before adopting the name "Boston University." http://www.bu.edu/visit/about/history/index.html It should not be confused with Boston College, an entirely separate university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Campus and facilities

The university's main Charles River Campus follows Commonwealth Avenue and the Green Line, beginning near Kenmore Square and continuing for over a mile and a half to its end near the border of Boston's Allston neighborhood. The Boston University Bridge over the Charles River into Cambridge represents the dividing line between East Campus, where most schools and classroom buildings are concentrated, and West Campus, home to several athletic facilities and playing fields, the large West Campus dorm, and the new John Hancock Student Village complex.

Related Topics:
Commonwealth Avenue - Green Line - Kenmore Square - Allston - Boston University Bridge - Charles River - Cambridge

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Student housing

Boston University's housing system is the nation's 10th largest among four year colleges. BU was originally a commuter school, but the university now guarantees the option of on-campus housing for four years for all undergraduate students. This is a challenge considering the size of BU's undergraduate population and its urban setting. Housing is determined by a random lottery within classes (i.e. seniors receive priority). Currently, 76% of the undergraduate population lives on campus.

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There are two types of student housing; the first type is the large dormitory. BU's first large dormitory was a former hotel. The Myles Standish Hotel in Kenmore Square was built in 1925 and was purchased by BU in 1949. While it was a hotel Myles Standish hosted guest such as Babe Ruth, who favored Suite 818 when he was in town to play the Red Sox. In the 1950s Boston University Alumnus Martin Luther King, Jr. was among the residents. Today Myles Standish Hall and the attached Myles Annex (a separate building purchased for housing in 1980) together house over 900 students. Another large dormitory, Shelton Hall on Bay State Road was once the Sheraton Hotel. Playwright Eugene O'Neill passed away in his suite on the 7th floor of Shelton Hall. Ironically, today the 7th floor is home to a specialty housing area called the Writer's Corridor. The biggest dormitories, commonly housing underclassmen, are the large Warren Towers and West Campus dorms each housing around 1,600 students. Warren Towers is a large three towered building on Commonwealth Avenue across from the College of Arts and Sciences. The West Campus complex is located on the west end of campus, near Nickerson Field, the Fit-Rec Center, and Agganis Arena. Its three separate towers, Claflin, Rich, and Sleeper, are named after three founders of the University.

Related Topics:
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Eugene O'Neill - Warren Towers - Commonwealth Avenue

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The smaller dormitory and apartment style housing are mainly located in two parts of campus: Bay State Road or the South Campus residential area in Brookline. Some of these buildings are beautifully restored row houses that originate from the middle of the 19th-century.

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John Hancock Student Village

The Student Village is a large new residential and recreational complex covering 10 acres between Buick Street and Nickerson Field, ground formerly occupied by a National Guard Armory, which had been used by the University as a storage facility prior to its demolition and the start of construction. The Student Village was designed with the intention of fostering community and bridging the divide between East and West campuses.

Related Topics:
Nickerson Field - National Guard - Armory - Demolition - Community

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The dormitory of apartment suites at 10 Buick Street (often abbreviated to "StuV" by students or simply "The Village") opened to juniors and seniors in the fall of 2000. In 2002, John Hancock Insurance announced its sponsorship of the multi-million dollar project. The Agganis Arena, named after Harry Agganis, which can house up to 7,200 spectators, opened to concerts and hockey games in January 2005. In March of 2005, the final major element of the Student Village complex, the Fitness and Recreation (FitRec) Center, was opened, drawing large crowds from the student body. The center incorporates 6 racquetball courts, two pools, a jogging track and a rock climbing wall, among other sports-related arenas.

Related Topics:
2000 - 2002 - John Hancock Insurance - Agganis Arena - Harry Agganis - Spectators - Concerts - Hockey - January - 2005 - March

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Other facilities

The Mugar Memorial Library is the home of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, where documents belonging to thousands of eminent figures in literature, journalism, diplomacy, the arts, and other fields are housed. Among them are Isaac Asimov's personal papers from 1965 onward, and documents from distinguished alum Martin Luther King Jr.

Related Topics:
Mugar Memorial Library - Isaac Asimov - 1965

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