HISTORY

The 1940s The façade at 921 Boylston Street, Boston.

Story So Far The Story So Far

“The long-range success of the Bentley School must depend upon far-sighted planning, in which recognition of a changing world in education should not be obscured by traditional prejudices or by lack of progressive thinking.” Harry C. Bentley

Charting Leadership

Archival Treasures

A portrait of the founder as a young man; a bowtie worn with his distinguished, tailor-made suits; the book that inspired his love for the accounting profession; the Bentley family Society of Mayflower Descendants membership card; his gymnastics tumbling shoes; his monogrammed briefcase, reflecting his commitment to etiquette and professionalism

President

Tenure From

Education

Professional Background

Seminal Accomplishments Harry C. Bentley

1917-1953

Harwinton, Conn.

Eastman Business College; New York University

Founding Bentley in a single classroom

The Boston Braves, 20th-century American art, opera and gymnastics

To quote the epitaph of another great builder, Sir Christopher Wren: “If you seek his monument, look around you”

He sometimes canceled classes on opening day of the Boston Braves baseball season

Established the Winsted Business School and later taught accounting at several colleges

Hobbies or Passions

Legacy

Anecdote

Quotation

We teach like hell from bell to bell.

A Vision and a Leap of Faith

BY CLIFFORD W. PUTNEY

THE INSTITUTION WE KNOW AS BENTLEY UNIVERSITY BEGAN QUITE HUMBLY AS A SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE.

Its founder — Harry Clark Bentley — was one of America’s foremost authorities on accounting practice. His teaching skills were just as formidable. His students at Boston University, learning their instructor was soon to depart, pressed Mr. Bentley to open his own school so they could continue studying with him. That’s how it all started.

The first class, a group of 30 men, met on February 26, 1917, in the unremarkable Huntington Chambers building at 30 Huntington Avenue in Boston. There, Mr. Bentley taught classes three evenings a week plus Saturday morning. He had picked a promising time to enter the academic business. The U.S. government had implemented a federal income tax just a few years earlier, and the newly created Federal Reserve Board started to require uniform financial reports from companies. Such actions created a business boom for people with accounting skills.

There were, at the time, a number of small, privately owned business schools in Boston. So the arrival of the Bentley School — a for-profit vocational institution that offered certificates and diplomas rather than degrees — did not make any ripples in established academic circles. Like other small schools of the day, Bentley had a more modest and focused mission than the larger, older colleges and universities in the area. Mr. Bentley sought to educate the next generation of accountants.

MILESTONES

1917 1919

Bentley School of Accounting and Finance is founded in Boston by Harry C. Bentley. Thirty students, soon to be known as the Bentley Associates, attend. Bentley defeats MIT 7-0 in football, in what is believed to have been the school’s first sporting event.

1920

The first class graduates; the average salary of these 18 men is $2,973 (the national average is $1,407).

1942

Bentley becomes coed.

1955

The Alumni Association is founded.

1957

The first computer science course is offered — without a computer!

1961

Bentley graduates from a school to a college, granting Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting.

FIRST-GENERATION DREAMS

Early students at Bentley were typically older than those attending four-year institutions. Many came from Boston-area working-class families and, therefore, needed jobs to pay their tuition. They were, in most cases, the first of their family to pursue any sort of post-secondary education.

From the start, and through its first few decades, Bentley focused on teaching students the information they needed to succeed in the accounting profession and to pass the state’s Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

Admission in those early years was based primarily on a student’s ability to pay. But that pragmatism did not compromise Mr. Bentley’s commitment to delivering a rigorous education. As he liked to put it: “We teach like hell from bell to bell.”

Mr. Bentley had other aspirations as well. One was changing perceptions of accounting, uplifting the field from what some saw as menial bookkeeping to a genuine profession. Accordingly, he often counseled students on the grooming and social graces needed for the business world.

OPENING CLASSROOMS

The school was designed to admit only men. Given the biases of the times, professions open to women were often viewed poorly by the general public. Mr. Bentley took note and was reluctant to see the same happen for accounting.

The times brought changes to the young institution, however. The United States entered World War I just months after the Bentley School opened. As millions of men nationwide went off to fight, Mr. Bentley saw student enrollment dwindle precipitously. The school faced this first major hurdle with a willingness to adapt that has become a hallmark. Mr. Bentley decided to admit women to stay afloat.

The end of World War I would also mean the end of female students at Bentley — at least temporarily. Still, the school retained a more liberal stance on admissions than most others of the era. Mr. Bentley, a progressive Republican in the tradition of Theodore Roosevelt, opened up his growing classrooms to ethnic, racial and religious minorities, who faced either limited acceptance or outright rejection by established academia of that time.

Such stories illustrate the complex environment in which Mr. Bentley and the school operated at the start. Moreover, they speak to who Mr. Bentley was: a deeply ethical and generous person. He was known to lend money to students, particularly during the Great Depression, so they could finish their studies. But he also could be very hard-headed and determined.

These characteristics helped the Bentley School survive through war and economic hardship. Time and again, Mr. Bentley and his team of academics exercised tremendous leadership against such challenges. They made smart decisions that kept this school growing, even as other small private schools closed. In 1942, for example, as another large number of young men went off to war, Mr. Bentley moved again to admit women; the policy remained in effect thereafter.

AMBITIOUS AIMS

New challenges arose in the wake of World War II. The federal government and individual states became major players in post-secondary education, paying for veterans to attend college and funding expansion of community colleges and state universities. The hugely popular GI Bill and growing public interest in post-secondary education spiked enrollment at Bentley — but also at competing schools.

Mr. Bentley came to believe that, to flourish, his school must award four-year degrees rather than diplomas and certificates. He noted that a college degree was often a prerequisite to receive an officer’s commission in the U.S. military, for example, while 120 semester hours of college credit was required to take the CPA exam in New York (as it soon would be in other states). He saw,too,

1962

Land is purchased for the new Waltham campus; the price for 103 acres is $365,000.

The beaver is our first mascot … but not for long.

1963

The falcon becomes our official, beloved mascot; the Falcon Society is established the following year, to recognize stars in the classroom and campus community.

1968

The Waltham campus opens in the fall with two existing buildings (Lewis Hall and Dovecote) and 12 new ones: the library, student center (LaCava Center), Faculty and Administration Building (Morison Hall), lecture hall (Lindsay Hall), Classroom Building (Jennison Hall) and seven Tree Dorms.

how his students were ineligible for educational deferments from the Selective Service System and could be drafted to fight at any time.

These factors inspired a critical move in 1948. Mr. Bentley converted the private for-profit school into a self-governing nonprofit institution with a Board of Trustees. And the board’s first task: Transform the Bentley School into a degree-granting college.

The work involved redressing many noncollegial characteristics of Bentley. These included an extremely high student-to-teacher ratio, an absence of small and even medium-size classes, an emphasis on teaching that kept instructors from doing research, and an accountant-heavy Board of Trustees that lacked professional diversity. The school also had a shortage of faculty with master’s and doctoral degrees.

These obstacles discouraged the trustees. But Mr. Bentley persevered and worked hard to win others to the cause. As he wrote in a February 1950 letter to the board’s executive committee: “We should not assume the smug attitude that because the school has done well thus far, it can continue to do equally well without regard to the consequences of future developments in the field of education.”

Mr. Bentley, by then in his 70s and moving toward retirement, identified his successor’s biggest priority as overseeing Bentley’s evolution into a college.

GRADUATING TO A COLLEGE

Maurice M. Lindsay assumed the role of president in 1953. A vice president who had joined Bentley in 1920 as an accounting instructor, he steered a steady course. The school retained its focus on training accountants, and continued to draw mostly working-class white men from the Boston area who could afford its exceptionally low tuition ($475 a year for day students in 1958). Bentley remained in Boston, even as rising enrollment fueled expansion in and around its headquarters at 921 Boylston Street.

Among other accomplishments, President Lindsay strengthened Bentley’s ties to alumni, and prompted the school to launch its first capital campaign, which helped enlarge the footprint of the Boston campus. Notable milestones also included establishing the first cafeteria, first respectable library, first nonrented dormitory, first scholarships, first student newspaper and alumni magazine, first standing faculty committees and first ranking system for faculty. All were important steps toward gaining collegiate status.

In 1961, the school received authority to grant a four-year degree, specifically, the Bachelor of Science in Accounting. The Bentley College of Accounting and Finance was open for business.

LOOKING OUTWARD

Becoming a college set the stage for dramatic changes throughout the 1960s. Under its third president, Thomas L. Morison, Bentley added a liberal arts program and an athletics program, and expanded the ranks of faculty and administrative staff. It instituted a system of faculty tenure and, in 1966, gained accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

There was significant growth in student enrollment during the 1960s. Bentley doubled day-school enrollment over the course of the decade, thanks in part to the baby boomers who reached college age. Enrollment was 1,894 students in the 1969-1970 academic year. The faculty expanded accordingly, reaching 109 professors by 1969.

To accommodate such growth and position Bentley for the future, college leaders determined that Bentley could no longer get by with its cramped facilities in Boston. They considered other locations in the city as well as in several nearby communities. Acknowledging that a move to the suburbs would be risky, they nonetheless took action upon seeing a prime 103-acre suburban property with stunning views. Bentley bought the land in 1962 and solidified plans to build a campus in Waltham, within the growing Route 128 industrial and commercial corridor.

1971

We become Bentley College.

1973

The Graduate School is founded, offering master’s degrees in accounting and taxation.

1976

The Center for Business Ethics is established.

1982

More students live on campus than commute.

1984

Laptops are distributed to all freshmen.

1989

The footbridge is built.

1990 1991

The Service–Learning program is founded.

Breakfast by Moonlight starts a pancake tradition.

1994

The Multicultural Center is founded.

1995

The Hughey Center for Financial Services (Trading Room) debuts.

President Morison and Dean of Faculty Rae Anderson wrote of the plans in 1965: “The campus that will rise on the academic plateau now being created on the crest of the great hill of the North Campus has been articulated in New England colonial architecture of the Georgian period. The style of architecture selected was not chosen by chance or happenstance. As an institution with deep roots in New England, Bentley College chose a style that would take full advantage of the spectacular location and capitalize upon the natural beauty of the surroundings, in full harmony with our New England heritage. The goal is to create something of beauty — beauty of a lasting character. Hence, the decision to forgo contemporary design of an ephemeral nature.”

PUSH AND PULL

Not everyone was so entranced. Bentley had long drawn most of its students from Boston and nearby neighborhoods; many chose the school because it offered a solid education they could reach by public transit. Would students follow Bentley west? The Waltham site was large enough to meet the school’s needs, but its location in a city then on the downswing inspired concern. Some trustees and other leaders saw a threat to the well-being of the institution.

Robert O’Connor, a longtime dean of Bentley’s evening division, spoke for many in calling the move to Waltham “a huge leap of faith.”

The change of venue signaled the final transition from a city night school to a residential day college. Leaders had to contend with a range of new administrative requirements, from maintaining campus security to caring for 12 new buildings and expansive grounds. It was a whole new ballgame and victory, not assured.

Indeed, Bentley entered the 1970s with a dimmer outlook than it had 10 years earlier. Enrollment dipped, expenses outstripped income and layoffs ensued.

HOLDING FIRM

Yet college leaders, under the direction of Gregory H. Adamian, held firm to their vision. Moreover, President Adamian brought new rigor and vitality to the institution. During his presidency, from 1970 to 1991, Bentley would not only cement its reputation as a center of excellence for accounting education, it would emerge as a strong, well-rounded establishment.

In 1971, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education authorized Bentley to offer a full range of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. With that, the Bentley College of Accounting and Finance became, simply, Bentley College. The school’s graduate program started in 1973, offering Master of Science degrees in accounting and taxation. Academic initiatives included creating the Center for Business Ethics (1976) and extracurricular options expanded with the opening of the Dana Athletic Center (1973).

The wisdom of moving from Boston was becoming clearer all the time. Waltham and other suburbs saw an explosion of business growth that brought a new class of companies to the state and the country. Boston-based industrial firms like United Shoe Machinery Corporation and United Fruit Company, which once hired scores of Bentley graduates, were falling victim to changing times. Businesses focusing on technology emerged in their wake. Bentley College officials took steps across the institution to ensure that students were prepared for this new economic era.

PLAYING ON A NATIONAL STAGE

President Adamian oversaw Bentley’s transformation from a regional accounting school to an institution recognized nationally for innovative business education. The number of faculty jumped from 42 to 350 during his tenure, and full- and part-time enrollment doubled. Plans called for recruiting more women and more students from outside Massachusetts.

2000

The campus grows by 53 acres, gaining the Greenspace, athletic fields and more.

2005

Bentley is approved to grant doctoral degrees in business and accountancy.

2008

We become a university.

2010

The Bentley team wins the annual College Fed Challenge.

2014

The women’s basketball team wins the NCAA Division II National Championship.

2016

Bloomberg ranks Bentley as a Top 10 business school in the U.S., and the Princeton Review ranks our Career Services program as No. 1 in the nation.

Maurice M. Lindsay Thomas L. Morison Gregory H. Adamian Joseph M. Cronin Joseph G. Morone Gloria Cordes Larson

1953-1961 1961-1970 1970-1991 1991-1997 1997-2005 Since 2007

St. Croix, New Brunswick, Canada

Shaw Business School; Bentley School; Hamilton College of Law, Chicago

Principal, Kinyon’s Commercial School

Expanding residential and student life options without a true campus

Painting: His works were auctioned to support the scholarship fund he established

Securing authority to grant Bachelor of Science degrees

An astute investor, he did extremely well on Wall Street and started a student investment club — a forerunner of the Bentley Investment Group

Education is a continuing process. It does not end with a college degree: indeed, it is only well begun.

For nearly half a century, the common denominator among Bentley students has been, and is, a motivation that is uncommon.

The final measure of a college’s success is the enduring influence on all whom it touches. For all that we have accomplished, the influence of Bentley College is just beginning.

We teach productivity and profitability, yes, but we also teach that the world is more than a marketplace.

In academics, we must offer the most advanced business education possible. In student life, we must be every bit as appealing as the good liberal arts colleges with which we are beginning to compete.

Students are the reason I fell in love with Bentley. They are focused, motivated and prepared. They want to do something important with their lives and are here to learn how.

Medford, Mass. Somerville, Mass. Milton, Mass. Staten Island, N.Y. McLean, Va.

Bentley School; Suffolk University (BSA, MSA and JD)

Executive, H.P. Hood

Harvard College; Boston University Law School; Harvard University (MPA)

Lawyer and professor of law

Harvard College; Harvard University (MA); Stanford University (EdD)

Top state education official for Illinois and Massachusetts

Planning and executing the move from Boston and building the Waltham campus

An expert pinochle player who entertained alumni and donors over games at the Algonquin Club

The beautiful new Waltham campus and expanded academic programs

Leading change to firmly establish Bentley as a suburban, residential college with a regional reputation for excellence and innovation in business education

An avid and accomplished golfer, he did much fundraising on the course

Guiding Bentley though the challenge of economic recession and declining interest in business study

He painted scenes from faculty and staff honeymoon photos as gifts

Contributions so numerous he has been called Bentley’s “second founder”

Championing international education and student advising

The first Bentley president to travel the country extensively, meeting alumni and raising funds for the new campus

Enjoyed surveying the campus from the balcony in Morison Hall, puffing on a ubiquitous cigar

Made use of an antique Bentley automobile, a gift from a professor, in local parades and at college events such as Reunion and Homecoming

Hamilton College; Yale University (PhD)

Vassar College; University of Virginia Law School

Executive at General Electric; dean, Lally School, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Establishing Bentley as the “business school for the information age”

College hockey; during his presidency, Bentley hockey moved to Division I Senior government official; partner, Foley Hoag; corporate boards

Creating the Center for Women and Business; championed an innovative fusion model of undergraduate education; breaking ground for the multipurpose arena

Her three Labrador retrievers: Harry Jr., Sally and Teak

Launching the PhD program; adding the DeVincent land and the Army Corps land to the campus, totaling 53 acres

Renowned for remembering the name of virtually every faculty and staff member

Transforming Bentley from a regional business school into an internationally recognized and accredited university

First woman to chair the Boston Chamber of Commerce; oversaw construction of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center; ranked in the Top 50 “Most Powerful People,” Boston magazine

921 Boylston Street in the 1960s

Moreover, academic offerings expanded from a single program in accounting to undergraduate degrees in 11 business and liberal arts disciplines. The school’s endowment benefited as well, going from $385,000 in 1970 to $60 million in 1991. The years saw construction of 27 buildings, including residence halls and academic, administrative and athletic facilities.

The school’s long commitment to ready students for the professional world surged forward. In fall 1984, Bentley gave all first-year students portable computers. It would shortly become the first college to require laptop computers for all students.

EBB AND FLOW

Growth slowed during the last decade of the 20th century. Student enrollment stalled or decreased in the midst of economic recession and declining interest in business studies. There were staff layoffs and campus construction came to a halt.

Still, Bentley leaders stayed focused on the future. Joseph M. Cronin, president from 1991 to 1997, worked with students, faculty, administration and alumni on a new strategic plan. In particular, it called for globalizing a Bentley education. Students gained opportunities to study abroad and more international students arrived to study in Waltham. President Cronin was instrumental in fostering a spirit of diversity and acceptance on campus, particularly through outreach to gay and lesbian students.

The school welcomed its sixth president, Joseph G. Morone, in 1997. He led efforts to build on longtime strengths across the college, and increased funds for research, teaching and curriculum development. There were significant improvements to campus infrastructure and new facilities that positioned Bentley as “the business school for the information age.” Construction boomed again, with the opening of the Smith Center for Academic Technology and the Student Center as well as a $13 million renovation of the library. Campus aesthetics improved with the addition of a Greenspace, made possible by repurposing parking lots and acquiring nearby property.

BECOMING A UNIVERSITY

The expansion of programs, faculty and reasearch capacity under President Morone helped Bentley achieve another ambitious goal: university status. The school met the chief criterion for the elevated position in 2005, when Massachusetts granted authority to award PhDs in business and accountancy. Three years later, the state approved Bentley’s petition to call itself a university.

In 2007, the school named its first female president: Gloria Cordes Larson. Milestones during her tenure include launching a distinctive 11-month MBA program, establishing the Center for Women and Business, and facilitating research on how well colleges and universities are preparing students for the 21st-century workplace. The school’s visibility and reputation have grown apace. For example, Bentley is one of only three U.S. educational institutions to earn accreditation by the European Quality Improvement System, which benchmarks quality in management and business education. An annual ranking by Bloomberg BusinessWeek lists Bentley as one of the Top 10 business schools nationwide for 2016.

Now, the centennial year is upon us. Mr. Bentley would certainly be astonished at what his school has become. In his time, he had questioned the need for his students to study much other than accounting. But he did see the wisdom of adapting to changing times. (Witness his push for teaching students how to use the adding machine and other new technologies of the day.) Moreover, as a man who appreciated opera and other fine arts, he understood the value of a broadened perspective. As he often told students: “I can teach you everything about accounting, but accounting isn’t everything.”

At age 100, the university is striving to deliver on the “everything” that Mr. Bentley envisioned.

Associate Professor of History Cliff Putney is writing a history of Bentley.