Middlesex University (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Middlesex University, known primarily for its medical
and veterinary school
s, operated from 1914 until 1947, first in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, later in Waltham, Massachusetts
.
The "Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery" was founded in 1914 by John Hall Smith, and originally located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and affiliated with the Middlesex Hospital. In 1917, Massachusetts chartered an institution named the "University of Massachusetts" with the same board of trustees.
In 1928, it moved to the Waltham campus, the present-day campus of Brandeis University
. The building which Brandeis calls "Usen Castle" or "the Castle" was originally the main building of Middlesex University.
In 1935 Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery received authorization to grant B.A. and B.S. degrees and became "Middlesex College." In 1937 it merged with the University of Massachusetts to become "Middlesex University," with schools of medicine, liberal arts, pharmacy, podiatry, and veterinary medicine.
Middlesex University was important as a veterinary school; it was the only veterinary school in New England, and when it closed in 1947, there was none in New England until Tufts University
opened Cummings
in 1978. As of 2006, about nineteen Middlesex graduates were practicing in Massachusetts.
Middlesex University is described by a Brandeis University
web page as "a university founded on the principles of equality, freedom, and scholarship, as the school maintained a student population diverse in race, color, and religion, during a time when many universities in the United States had quotas and were not as open." In particular, it freely admitted Jews during a time when most elite universities had Jewish quota
s, and it had many Jews among its students and faculty. Its medical school experienced difficulty securing AMA
accreditation. The AMA said this was due to insufficient funds, faculty, and facilities, but some at the university believed that antisemitism played a role. In the words of C. Ruggles Smith, son of the founder:
In 1944, a law making doctor's licensing dependent on holding an MD from an AMA-accredited medical school, and financial problems caused by World War II, made the situation of Middlesex University untenable. In 1946, the Middlesex trustees transferred the charter and campus of the university to the foundation which was to establish Brandeis, with the hope, not to be realized, that Brandeis would be able to continue the medical and veterinary schools. In 1947, Brandeis, feeling that the medical school would never be more than third-rate and that the financial burden of operating it was too heavy, closed its doors.
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
and veterinary school
Veterinary school
A veterinary school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, which is involved in the education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian one must first complete a veterinary degree A veterinary school should not be confused with a department of animal science...
s, operated from 1914 until 1947, first in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, later in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
.
The "Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery" was founded in 1914 by John Hall Smith, and originally located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and affiliated with the Middlesex Hospital. In 1917, Massachusetts chartered an institution named the "University of Massachusetts" with the same board of trustees.
In 1928, it moved to the Waltham campus, the present-day campus of Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
. The building which Brandeis calls "Usen Castle" or "the Castle" was originally the main building of Middlesex University.
In 1935 Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery received authorization to grant B.A. and B.S. degrees and became "Middlesex College." In 1937 it merged with the University of Massachusetts to become "Middlesex University," with schools of medicine, liberal arts, pharmacy, podiatry, and veterinary medicine.
Middlesex University was important as a veterinary school; it was the only veterinary school in New England, and when it closed in 1947, there was none in New England until Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
opened Cummings
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the eight colleges and schools that comprise Tufts University and is the only school of veterinary medicine in New England.-Degree programs:...
in 1978. As of 2006, about nineteen Middlesex graduates were practicing in Massachusetts.
Middlesex University is described by a Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
web page as "a university founded on the principles of equality, freedom, and scholarship, as the school maintained a student population diverse in race, color, and religion, during a time when many universities in the United States had quotas and were not as open." In particular, it freely admitted Jews during a time when most elite universities had Jewish quota
Jewish quota
Jewish quota was a percentage that limited the number of Jews in various establishments. In particular, in 19th and 20th centuries some countries had Jewish quotas for higher education, a special case of Numerus clausus....
s, and it had many Jews among its students and faculty. Its medical school experienced difficulty securing AMA
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
accreditation. The AMA said this was due to insufficient funds, faculty, and facilities, but some at the university believed that antisemitism played a role. In the words of C. Ruggles Smith, son of the founder:
- From its inception, Middlesex was ruthlessly attacked by the American Medical Association, which at that time was dedicated to restricting the production of physicians, and to maintaining an inflexible policy of discrimination in the admission of medical students. Middlesex, alone among medical schools, selected its students on the basis of merit, and refused to establish any racial quotas.
In 1944, a law making doctor's licensing dependent on holding an MD from an AMA-accredited medical school, and financial problems caused by World War II, made the situation of Middlesex University untenable. In 1946, the Middlesex trustees transferred the charter and campus of the university to the foundation which was to establish Brandeis, with the hope, not to be realized, that Brandeis would be able to continue the medical and veterinary schools. In 1947, Brandeis, feeling that the medical school would never be more than third-rate and that the financial burden of operating it was too heavy, closed its doors.