Nichols College Magazine – Fall 2015 – Bicentennial Edition

BICENTENNIAL EDITION

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Nichols College MAGAZINE

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Volume 9, Issue 3 | Fall 2015

From the President MAGAZINE Volume 9, Issue 3 | Fall 2015 BICENTENNIAL EDITION

Reaching the age of 200 is impressive for any institution, but the journey Nichols has taken to get here is unique as well. A rural academy founded by Amasa Nichols in

1815, rooted in Universalist tradition, and supported and served by pioneers of the

Industrial Revolution. The rebirth in 1931 as a junior college for men – the first to

receive authority from the Commonwealth to award the associate degree in business

administration – thanks to the dream and determination of James L. Conrad, Sr.

And Conrad’s vision for a four-year college, actualized in 1959, which set the foundation for today’s Nichols College.

This commemorative issue of Nichols College Magazine is our attempt to capture some of the moments behind the milestones – the people, the events, the shared experiences

that have shaped our unique history. Our list is by no means exhaustive, just a few

notable stops along the journey to remind you of what binds us all to this special place.

Nichols’ bicentennial is a cause for celebration, of our remarkable past, our thriving

present, and our promising future. We are still going strong after 200 years! Amasa

EDITOR Susan Veshi VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Bill Pieczynski DESIGN Patricia Korch PRINTING Puritan Capital, Hollis, NH COVER PHOTO Patrick O’Connor Patrick O’Connor Photography Shrewsbury, MA

Nichols College

to bear fruit.

PO Box 5000 123 Center Road Dudley, MA 01571-5000 508-213-1560 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., M–F www.nichols.edu

Dr. Susan West Engelkemeyer

Periodicals postage paid at Webster, MA, and additional mailing offices.

would be proud to know that the seed he planted on this rural hilltop in 1815 continues

Nichols College M AG A Z I N E

(UPSP 390480) is published three times a year by Nichols College Dudley, MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

Nichols College

College Advancement PO Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

EDITOR’S NOTE Special thanks to Dr. James L. Conrad, Jr. for his two volumes of Nichols history, which served as the inspiration and primary source for this edition, and to Jim Douglas for his invaluable help.

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Notably Nichols: AN A

~ Z CO M P E N D I U M

l

A

In Appreciation of the Academy

By James L. Conrad, Jr., Ph.D.

American society needed educational assistance in the 1810s when Amasa Nichols discussed his Dudley Hill Academy with his fellow Universalists.

Changes in fundamental approaches to American education were necessary. Gone were pre-Revolutionary city-based Latin grammar schools while many rural schools (grades one through nine) were losing effectiveness and popularity in a new American society. And, after the American Revolution and the War of 1812, American society was being led by energetic, democratic, and middle class groups.

Fortunately, an emerging American academy system was poised to introduce a new approach to secondary schools.

These academies generally were churchconnected, private secondary schools usually offering subjects primarily for the 9th to the 12th grades. By 1820, 36 academies existed in Massachusetts; Nichols Academy in Dudley joined this group in 1815. These academies generally had a dual purpose: to train their students for life or prepare them for college. This approach was relatively new.

Most academies offered both a classical curriculum (including Latin and Greek) to meet college requirements and a flexible English curriculum intended to serve the everyday needs of its students.

This later program included branches of literature, reading and writing, arithmetic, geography, bookkeeping, English grammar, composition, astronomy, and navigation.

Nichols Academy accepted this model in 1819. It would be in place until 1900.

Both men and women – ages 12 to 22 – were welcome at Nichols Academy. For men with a rural and agrarian background, a dual program was ideal.

Women frequently focused on programs intended for teaching. Academy courses made it possible for Nichols students to teach in district elementary schools in rural communities, including Dudley. This elevated the level of local educational instruction. Then, too, the actual presence of preceptors or headmasters and teachers who were university and college graduates

introduced new educational elements to their societies. Not surprisingly, the early Dudley Hill community remained the center of the early town of Dudley in part due to the hilltop Academy.

In 1827-1828, Academy enrollment included approximately 121 students including 51 Dudley students.

Both men and women – ages 12 to 22 – were welcome at Nichols Academy. For men with a rural and agrarian background, a dual program was ideal.

Women frequently focused on programs intended for teaching.

Ten Massachusetts towns were represented, two in Rhode Island, and three in Connecticut then furnished most of the student body. The largest number of Academy students was 267 in 1867. When the Reverend Dr. Charles Goodell wrote about Dudley Hill in 1932, the nationally known preacher commented glowingly about New England academies. In the case of the Dudley Academy, Rev. Goodell believed it was possible “to name half a hundred men who had a college education because of the influence of Nichols Academy.” The Reverend Goodell was right to praise the little school on the Hill – but there was much more to be said.

Between 1871 and 1909, the Academy became the high school of Dudley as well as Nichols Academy. The result was an increased level of learning for all Dudley students because of the Academy’s availability – at little cost. Communities such as Dudley also received the opportunity to see their young people offered a vital 19th century education. Over many decades, their programs provided an important flexibility for young students just beginning their formal education. And, in the process, community pride and advancement led local observers to compare the power of a Nichols Academy education with the benefits to the mill community that came from the water power that ran from “springs” on the Hill.

Clearly, many former students realized opportunities available to them during and after the Civil War. They appreciated the importance of a Nichols Academy education and the potential for young educated men in the United States during and after the Civil War. Many Academy students were able to use the Civil War to achieve unparalleled gateway

experiences into a new world after 1865.

One was Hezekiah Conant, an inventor and entrepreneur, who will return to Nichols Academy in the 1870s. Conant then rebuilt the school with well-known architect, Elbridge Boyden.

Although the Academy was positioned for success at the beginning of the 20th century, it was forced to close its doors in 1909 when enrollment dropped to low levels. Consequently its campus became available for use by other institutions.

This, too, was a vital legacy. In 1931 the property was leased by the Academy trustees to Nichols Junior College of Business Administration and Executive Training. The entire campus was sold to Nichols Junior College in 1942.

Without the dedication of the Academy trustees to the original goals and purposes of Amasa Nichols and his school on Dudley Hill, Nichols College would not be here today. In the process, Nichols Academy has secured a special niche in America’s educational history.

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Dr. Conrad, professor of history, emeritus, at Nichols College, the author of Nichols Academy: The Spring on the Hill 1815-1931 and Nichols: A College for the Hill 1931-1996.

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A

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Academy Bell Nichols’ unique history as an academy and a college is symbolized in the Academy Bell, a gift from the Nichols Academy Class of 1884. The 800-lb. bronze bell was cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Troy, New York, in 1883 and originally

Amasa Nichols

located in the Academy Hall tower until the structure was

Founder and Builder of Nichols Academy

1948 to memorialize the Nichols men who lost their lives

Amasa Nichols of Dudley, Massachu-

tower in 1952, Dr. George J. Searle, who was a member of the

setts, one of the founders of the early

Nichols Academy Class of 1884, wrote, “May the bell that

textile industry, was the owner of the

rings again in the tower of Nichols College inspire the same

Nichols Cotton Factory. He founded

love and devotion I have had for my school for 68 years…”

partially destroyed by the Hurricane of 1938. It was then moved to the tower of Alumni Hall, which was constructed in during World War II. At the dedication of the Alumni Hall bell

Nichols Academy as a Universalist institution in 1815. He acquired the land, financed construction of academy buildings, and served as secretary of the Nichols Academy Board of Trustees.

Described as energetic and politically involved, Nichols was fervent about the school’s sectarianism. He resigned from the board in 1823 when the trustees found it necessary to accept nonUniversalists to its ranks and he was facing personal financial problems. The school continued with his building and Universalist-designed curriculum.

Bazzie For 30 years, Bernard “Bazzie” Bazinet served as the cook, confidante and frequent check casher for Nichols students.

“Holding court” at the snack bar known as Bazzie’s Club House, Bazinet was a fixture at Nichols and was as delighted to be working on campus as the students were to have him. “When you are with young people all the time, it helps to

remained its proprietor when it moved

Beta Cella Rata

from its original location on the site of

The job of promoting school spirit in the

the current Lombard Dining Hall to

early days fell to Beta Cella Rata, or the

Alumni Hall in 1972. Bazinet was also the

“Cellar Rats.” Among their activities in

golf coach for many years.

1942 was staging “snake lines” during

keep you young,” he once said. He opened the snack bar in 1946 and

football rallies, offering college songs and sponsoring cheers. In addition to boosting Bison pride, many members of the fraternity took an active part in sports to encourage the student body to become “more athletically inclined.”

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

Why are we the Bison?

Nichols teams once used nicknames such as the Hilltoppers and the Hurricanes. When those proved unsatisfactory, the student body voted for a consistent nickname for its college teams in 1937. The result was the Nichols Buffalo, a decision which was likely influenced by the publicity surrounding the buffalo image on the back of U.S. nickel, which was scheduled to be replaced in 1938. Nichols and Buffalo seemed like an apt combination. The Buffalo nickname lasted about year before quietly evolving into the distinctly American form of buffalo—the bison. Today’s Bison mascot is called Thunder.

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2009 Men’s Hockey

Championships Nichols fielded its first athletic teams with a total enrollment of 65 students in 1931, and within the decade, produced its first champions. Among the notable victories are the first and only undefeated and untied season of Bison football in 1949; the near dynastic run of NEFC titles for football in the ’70s; and the success of the 2002 women’s soccer team who earned Nichols’ first-ever berth in an NCAA Tournament, opening the door for later entrance of men’s and women’s tennis, men’s ice hockey, and men’s soccer.

2009 Women’s Field Ho

1949–50 Undefeated Football Team

2010 Men’s Soccer

1973 Football Team

2014 Men’s Tennis

2002 Women’s Soccer

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

ckey

Hal Chalmers

Civil War and the Academy The Civil War took its toll on all Americans, and members of the learning community of Nichols Academy were not spared. Of the 149 Union soldiers and sailors who have been identified by researcher Robert Ducharme as coming from Dudley, 29 are known to have died in battle or from wounds or disease. This included six who attended Nichols Academy.

Sullivan Ballou attended the Academy

As the college’s first athletic director, Hal Chalmers ’36 set the bar and an example for those who followed. In his student days, he won letters in basketball, football and baseball. Later, he coached the football team to the college’s first New England Junior College Conference title in 1940 and the basketball team to two New England Junior College Conference championships in 1941 and 1957. His devotion to Nichols was legendary.

He taught math and typing, and held a variety of positions, such as alumni director and assistant to the president, until his death in 1975.

for six months in 1846 and died in the Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861. His unforgettable “Letter to Sarah” was immortalized in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary, The Civil War. Others include Major General George Whitfield Davis, who became a key engineer in the construction of the Washington Monument and first military governor of Puerto Rico, and Colonel James Harvey Blood, who became president of the St. Louis Railroad.

Tablets (pictured) memorializing those who lost their lives in the war are still on display today, appropriately, in Academy Hall.

“

To our generation is committed

the important trust of stabilizing

the Government on a broader

stronger more enduring basis of universal liberty, unconditional freedom to all, black and white,

and we ought to see well that we

discharge our trust in a manner of the all-important task committed

to our hands.”

Nichols Academy alumnus Anson Goodell in a letter on the Civil War. Image courtesy: Black Tavern Historical Society Archives

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C James Lawson Conrad In its yearbook dedication, the Class of 1974 lauds James Lawson Conrad for bringing forth an idea of a successful business college in every sense of the word; an idea, they write, that nurtured with faith, dedication and service has become Nichols.

As the founder and first and only president of Nichols Junior College of Business Administration and Executive Training and later president of Nichols College, Conrad is widely regarded and respected as the father of Nichols College and a mentor to his devoted students. A gifted athlete who aspired to be a coach following graduation from Boston University, Conrad brought the junior college program of business administration he built at the New Hampton School to Dudley in 1931.

He believed that a business education required training in ethics and an understanding of the value of culture in the human experiences, characteristics of the Nichols education that remain today.

During his 35-year period of leadership,

There were very few people who

could have done what he did, to

start a school in the

early ’30s, make

into a full-fledged

junior college, and then a four-year

degree giving

program,” says

Dave Lombard ’65, trustee emeritus.

Nichols became a four-year institution, enrollment grew to 600 students, and the campus expanded from three to 36 buildings on 200 acres.

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

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Dudley Appreciation Day Since its beginnings, when Amasa Nichols chose his hometown of Dudley as the site for Nichols Academy, the institution has benefited from strong ties to the community. The school became a primary educational resource for Dudley’s growing population, and in turn, Nichols graduates contributed to the advancement of the town as a rural and industrial force. In 1978,

A tribute to the Class of 1937, written

the college decided to formally acknowledge its gratitude of

by President James L. Conrad in the

continuous community support with the first annual Dudley

yearbook:

Appreciation Day. For 37 years, this summer gathering of town and gown administration has celebrated a mutually beneficial

Class of 1937

relationship and the impact on both that results from working

There is much unfinished in this work of mine

together to keep the connection strong and vital.

So much more I’d like to do,

It colors my thoughts of many things fine

That our college owes to you.

You came to us seeking and questing,

And I hope you have gained what you sought,

You had no idea of your giving,

Nor what your giving has wrought It has long been one of my chantings,

That life’s stairway is covered with dust,

And that in our everyday wonderings,

We’re absorbing both life and rust.

That for what we take in our passage

We should leave something behind,

Not merely a mess of pottage,

But the fine of our heart and our mind.

Herb Durfee

To you men of the following pages,

He went by several names, Officer

Your names may not last thru the ages,

Durfee, head of campus security from

Who have lived the above mentioned creed, But you have answered your college’s need.

Durfee, Top Cop, or just Herbie, but Herb 1961 to 1984, will be long remembered mostly as a Nichols legend. Durfee has been alternately described as an enforcer

You have fashioned the bonds of tradition And building them firm and true,

whom have stories that underscore his

In parting, with sincere supplication, The college pays tribute to you.

chant for pranks. Durfee had stories of

and a friend by former students, many of cool demeanor in a crises or his penhis own from his Nichols days, all of which he promised to “take to his grave” in a 2011 interview for Nichols College Magazine.

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4 in 10 Nichols graduates become a CEO, president or business owner

E

Educational Outcomes Nichols graduates enjoy a solid return on investment. Academy students who sought college preparation were accepted by the likes of Harvard, and in more recent history, Nichols has earned a reputation for the impressive outcome of four in 10 graduates becoming a CEO, president or business owner. The secret to Nichols success is the commitment to fully prepare students through a dynamic, career-focused, resultsoriented education that features a pioneering professional development program, an experienced and mentoring faculty and extensive internship opportunities.

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Robert C. Fischer and the Institute for American Values

Edward Warren, former dean of academic affairs and professor emeritus of history at Nichols, once described Bob Fischer as “that bon vivant, gracious host and intellectual traveling salesman for Nichols, free enterprise and the American way.”

Fischer was tapped to head the newly established Institute for American Values, a campus outreach program in public policy, in 1981 and impressed the college community with his commitment to enhancing the intellectual climate of Nichols.

The Institute sponsored public discussions on issues ranging from education reform to deregulation to Cold War intelligence and invited speakers such as Massachusetts Governor George Romney, television journalist Jeff Greenfield, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, and Senator and Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander (pictured on right).

In addition, Fischer arranged colloquia between students and politicians, journalists and business leaders. He served as director of the Institute until his death in 1998 after which the college renamed it the Robert C. Fischer Policy and Cultural Institute.

Fred Friendly Before he was Fred Friendly, a pioneer in television news coverage, Ferdinand F. Wachenheimer ’36 made his mark as an active and affable student at Nichols Junior College.

Dubbed the “Father of Nichols Dramatics,” Friendly was credited with reviving interest in drama among the student body and was noted not just for his solid performances, but his considerable production skills as well. Early in his career, Friendly teamed up with famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow to produce award-winning documentaries for radio, then television; he became president of CBS News in 1964. (He was portrayed by George Clooney in 2005’s Good Night, and Good Luck). Friendly returned to the Nichols campus as the commencement speaker in 1967 and to receive an honorary doctorate in 1989 (pictured).

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

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Graduate & Evening Programs The MBA Program enrolled its first candidates in 1975. Starting with 50 students, the program boasted a growth of 230 percent over 18 years in 1994, becoming the largest MBA program in Central Massachusetts. Between 1983 and 1996, when satellite campuses opened throughout the region, Nichols was touted for small classes, numerous locations and quality instruction, including the real business experience of its faculty.

In 1979, the college expanded its base of non-traditional learners by instituting programs aimed at adults seeking an undergraduate education leading to bachelor’s and associate’s

H

degrees.

Tommy Gross and

Jim Hana were

waiting for the

exciting climax to

the movie they

had gone to. All

of a sudden, the

screen went dark

and the ushers

came in with their

flashlights to

advise everyone

to leave the

theatre. Tommy and Jim were

really ticked off because they

didn’t even get their quarters back!”

A recollection of the Hurricane of 1938 compiled by Ken Thompson ’39

Hurricane of 1938 As the winds picked up in the late afternoon of September 21, 1938, the Nichols men, confined to their dormitories, watched as a hurricane wreaked havoc on their campus. According to accounts compiled by Ken Thompson ’39, students witnessed the gabled roof of Academy Hall lifting and slamming down on a brick supporting wall. At about 4:45 p.m., Thompson, who was dispatched as a messenger

by President Conrad during the storm, saw bricks falling out of the wall near the peak of the gable. With winds at over 100 miles per hour at this time, a trip from Conant to Budleigh took him 15 minutes. In addition to severe damage to the roof of Academy Hall, the Hurricane of 1938 left 138 trees and power lines down, a crack in the bell tower, and indelible memories for all who experienced it.

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I Industrialist Forefathers The convergence of the Industrial

(still in use today) and enhancing the cur-

Revolution and a burgeoning educational

riculum to prepare students for the best

institution atop a commanding hill in

colleges and technical schools. An

Dudley, Massachusetts, was embodied in

inventor and owner of the largest thread

the ingenuity and resolve of Nichols

mill in Rhode Island, the Conant Thread

Academy pioneers, who made their mark

Company, Conant developed machinery

on both. In addition to Amasa Nichols,

for handling thread and spools including

these include two others of note, Samuel

a ticketing machine for labeling spools.

Slater and Hezekiah Conant.

He held as many as 13 patents for items as diverse as clocks, thread winding,

Samuel Slater

The father of American Manufacturers

firearms, boots, sprinklers, looms, paper and casting projectiles.

J Junior College In 1931, at the request of the Nichols Academy Board of Trustees, James L. Conrad moved the Junior College of Business Administration program of the New Hampton School for Boys in

Samuel Slater, who built

Hampton, N.H., to the grounds of the

America’s first water-

Nichols campus. It was a win-win situ-

powered cotton spinning mill in

ation: the Nichols campus had been

Pawtucket, R.I.,

dormant for several years and the New

in the early 1790s,

Hampton program was in need of

is renowned as

increased facilities. The Nichols Junior

the father of the

College of Business Administration and Executive Training was the first junior

American Industrial Revolution. As owner and

college for men in the East and the first

operator of mills in Dudley and Webster,

junior college in Massachusetts to grant

he began a brief but important associ-

an associate’s degree in business admin-

ation with Nichols Academy in 1822 when

istration. The pioneers of this new educa-

he purchased land around the Academy

tional venture were committed to its

from Amasa Nichols. His support came at

success and witnessed triumph and

a critical time in the development of the

tragedy until 1943 when the junior

Academy, which he continued to serve as

college was forced to close during World

a trustee until his death in 1835. Several of Slater’s children attended Nichols Academy.

Hezekiah Conant Second Founder

An 1845 graduate of Nichols Academy, Hezekiah Conant is credited with being its second founder and most “munificent benefactor.” Arriving on the Board of Trustees in 1874, he launched a campaign to rejuvenate his beloved alma mater by building three new structures

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An Astronomical Clock

War II. It reopened in 1946, stronger and

Hezekiah Conant’s interests in astronomy and meteorology led to the design and patent of a unique astronomical clock in 1887. Standing 9 feet tall, the clock is divided into two sections: the lower containing two pendulums and the upper containing three separate but synchronized clocks. One clock displays standard (solar) time, another displays sidereal (stars) time, and the third shows the difference between sidereal and mean solar time, as well as the positions of the sun and moon. The clock, which was restored in 2009, is one of possibly three surviving examples and proudly stands in the Conant Library.

set on becoming a four-year college.

Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

K Kuppy You could say that Robert “Kuppy” Kuppenheimer helped make history happen at Nichols. His encouragement and generous sponsorship resulted in two enlightening volumes of Nichols history, meticulously written by Dr. James L. Conrad, Jr. (pictured below on left) and treasured by those who read it and lived it. Kuppy’s role in the publication of the history books was gratefully acknowledged in April when the college honored him with a Bicentennial Medal (see page 22).

History is only one of Kuppy’s interests. He is universally respected and appreciated among the faculty for contributing to their professional development, from supporting travel costs to attend or present at conferences to hosting an annual dinner featuring an engaging speaker.

Nichols is fortunate to have dedicated alumni who have displayed exceeding generosity over its history, but only one has such an endearing and approachable nickname as Kuppy.

Let it be said that

Nichols Junior College

is the nucleus of high

standards and the

incubator of leaders

and not followers.”

The Budget, college newspaper, April 26, 1938

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L Latin American Students From as far back as its founding as a junior college, Nichols has been home to international students, particularly those from Latin American countries. For many, Nichols filled a niche as a warm and welcoming place where Latino students could learn American culture and business. Such was the case for Jeronimo Esteve-Abril ’50, whose family traveled from Cuba to Boston in 1948 seeking a U.S. education for their children. “A friend of my father, who was an important client at First Boston Bank, recommended Nichols for me, who wanted to study business,” he says.

Nichols embraced the culture and contributions these students made to campus. With six Cubans in attendance in 1937, for instance, the campus celebrated the 35th anniversary of the inauguration of the Republic of Cuba, asking each of the students to speak on a different aspect of their homeland. More students joined in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, representing countries such as Brazil, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, San Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rico, and Honduras. Their prowess in sports, especially soccer, was also notable and appreciated.

Outside the classroom, foresters formed the Nicon Club (Nichols conservationists) and the

Lumber Bunnies

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Woodsmen Team, who were named the Northeast Intercollegiate Champions in 1965, 1966 and 1969,

The Forestry Program was

against schools such as West Point and

established in 1954 to meet an industry

Dartmouth, for skills such as tree

demand for foresters with a business

felling for accuracy, speed chopping,

background. It was arguably the only

and pulp throwing. The annual game

program of its kind in the East at that

dinner, featuring freshly hunted

time. Students learned to preserve the

entrees, was also a popular event on

abundant resources and promote the

campus. The Forestry Program was

many recreational opportunities pro-

phased out in 1970, but not the spirit

vided by forests while earning a

and camaraderie of its alumni who

bachelor’s degree with specializations

remain close through periodic reunions

in park, wildlife or forest management.

on campus.

Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

They knew we were different. The

business students dressed like businessmen and the forestry students dressed like, well, foresters.”

Jonathan Ives ’67, describing the dynamic of forestry and pure business students in the classroom

M Mayor’s Council There may have been many unofficial Mayors of the Hill throughout Nichols history, but an actual Mayor’s Council existed at Nichols from the early ’60s to the early ’90s. The mayor was elected by the students and shortly thereafter appointed his Council. The Mayor’s Council’s main task was to unite the student body in campus activities, such as sport rallies, snow sculpture contests, dorm spirit awards, and intramural tournaments. By 1973, the role of the Mayor’s Council expanded from running social functions to promoting civic affairs, such as providing needy families in the area with Christmas dinners. In the mid-’90s, the group was renamed the Campus Activities Board.

N NCFD Despite early attempts by the students to organize a studentrun fire department, the Nichols College Fire Department began in earnest in 1959. Starting with two 1927 fire trucks purchased from the Cranston, R.I., Fire Department and later a ladder truck and 500-gallon pumper, this all-volunteer student

Music

organization was in charge of planning the evacuation of all college buildings in the event of an emergency and with the

The world

scheduling and supervision of fire drills, which were required

“culture” has been

to be held by all dormitories at least once each quarter. Their

prominently dis-

services came in handy on several occasions, including on

played on the

February 18, 1969,

college seal since

when strong winds

1931. In the early

fanned a blaze that

years of Nichols

destroyed Olsen Hall.

Junior College,

More than 75 fire

several groups

fighters from the

sprang up to reflect the need to incorporate the cultural

college and neigh-

dimension in the institutional framework as well as to showcase

boring towns fought

the interests and talents of the student body. None more so than

the blaze for more than

clubs devoted to music. By 1936, these included the Glee Club

two hours. A day after

and the Hilltoppers, a dance orchestra. In the late ’40s, they

the fire a local newspaper article on the event noted that the

were joined by the Metronomes, an octet, and the Nicholodians

25-member college fire department was credited with a big

(pictured). Groups were often invited to perform off campus

assist by fire fighters from Dudley, Webster (MA), and

and also brought their

Quinebaug (CT). One from Dudley was reported as having

talents to the airwaves, such

said, “These kids know what they are doing.”

as the Glee Club singing on WTAG radio in 1946, and the Nicholodians’ performance on the Jack Paar radio show in 1956.

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So that the “…old

O

institution, which

has glimmered with

Observatory Among the structures built for Nichols Academy in the era of Hezekiah Conant, the Library and Observatory best captures the spirit of the prolific inventor. Believing that everyone should be interested in the heavens, Conant furnished the small building with both astronomical and meteorological instruments, such as a telescope, barometers, thermometers, and wind and rain gauges. In the History of Worcester County, it was described as “the best equipped of any in New England outside of the colleges and affords the fullest opportunity for practical work.” The building was established as a volunteer U.S. Signal Corps Station where daily reports were telegraphed to the Weather Bureau in Washington via Western Union lines. It currently serves as the college’s Chapel.

wavering and struggling beams for the

last sixty years, may

glow with these new

aids into a stronger and more steady

light, so that people more remote shall

behold and rejoice

and be greatly benefitted thereby.”

Hezekiah Conant describes the meaning of the Library and Observatory in his address to Nichols Academy graduates in 1882.

P Without texting and the Internet, we had to make our own fun…

themed parties and gatherings in the dorm, or a girls’ movie night.

We spent many hours talking well into the night, just getting to

know each other. We played cribbage, backgammon and pitch.

Without all the personal technology, we spent countless hours in

the library meeting in groups or meeting in the computer lab

working on projects. Even trying to get computer projects printed

became a social event as you waited your turn for the printers.”

Ellen (Smith) Bedard ’87 paints a picture of student life before the prevalence of personal electronics.

PC Plan “Computers a must at Nichols College,” trumpeted the Sunday Boston Globe on October 4, 1987, referring to the college’s innovative PC Plan. Believing that computer literacy was the key to success for the well-trained business leader, the college initiated construction of the Mary and James Davis Business Information Center, a computer lab, in the lower level of the Library. Shortly thereafter, the PC Plan made its debut, requiring all undergraduate students to own an MS DOS-compatible personal computer. Nichols was one of the first colleges to make such as all-campus commitment, which ultimately revolutionized teaching, learning, communication and campus life.

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

PDS The acronym is all too familiar to Nichols students of the past nearly two decades, as it inspires first panic then appreciation for its comprehensive approach to workplace readiness. PDS –

R Racquetball

Professional Development Seminar – was custom designed in

The Racquetball Club has the distinction of being the only

1998 by Nichols faculty and staff to facilitate a student’s suc-

Nichols program to win a national championship. The club was

cessful transition from high school to college and college to

founded by the enterprising Shane Wood ’98 in the fall of 1994,

career. In one-credit, one-semester courses over four years,

at a time when the college had no racquetball courts. They

students build on their skills, from time management to

practiced in Auburn. By spring of 1995, the team earned the

resume writing to brand

men’s team title in the USA Racquetball National Intercollegiate

identification to

Championships; Wood seized the men’s #1 singles title; and

effective interviewing to

Nichols’ women finished third.

portfolio presentation.

The signature Nichols program has been modeled by other institutions and lauded by employers for setting Nichols graduates apart.

Q Quartermaster Corps In March 1938, the college became the first educational institution in the country to become affiliated with the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army, which was charged with feeding, clothing and transporting the Army. Through one course each semester, students were prepared to become reserve officers. The Quartermaster Corps was one of two programs available for students interested in military careers. In 1940, Nichols was selected to participate in the Civilian Pilot Training Program sponsored by the Civilian Aeronautics Administration during which 10 students at a time were trained to qualify for a private pilot’s license. During World War II, President James Conrad, who had been a member of the Quartermaster Corps since 1923, served as head of harbor defenses in the Long Island Sound and later as Quartermaster of the Port of Rouen in France.

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S Service to our Country At no other time in the institution’s history was the call to military service more keenly and profoundly realized than in the early era of Nichols Junior College. On campus, students participated in the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army and the Civilian Pilot Training Program (pictured). From 1941 to 1943, World War II influenced all decisions and most outcomes at the college. Dwindling enrollment and fuel shortages took its toll on the campus. Many students did not return to Nichols after the 1941 Christmas break; the Class of 1942 was diminished by about half, and the college had no choice but to close in 1943.

All told, more than 300 students, alumni and faculty went to war. Among the most notable were Nichols College President Colonel James Conrad and Athletic Director and Coach Hal Chalmers, who both returned to Dudley in 1946 to reopen the college.

Following the war, the character of Nichols was enhanced by the many returning servicemen who attended the college on the G.I. Bill and welcomed the educational opportunities now afforded them.

In 1948, the college dedicated its newest building, Alumni Memorial Hall, to the 18 Nichols men who died or were killed in World War II. “February 3, 1946! Who will ever forget that eventful day in the lives of us returning

once more to college life. Once again we were to attempt to take up where some of us

had left off and try to concentrate on studying. Into the hallowed halls of an institution of learning we walked on this day, one that most of us could never forget….”

The Ledger Yearbook 1947, Class History

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

Less than 90 days after we

proudly grabbed those degrees

from Doc Merrill, the armies of

Germany swept over the

borders of Poland; and the first bewildered members of the

class found themselves inducted into the army or federalized national guard.”

Ken Thompson ’39

T Teaching In his inauguration address in 1978, Lowell C. Smith, the fourth president of Nichols, shared a sentiment that resonates through ages of Nichols alumni. He noted that the “real strength of Nichols College is not in the buildings here, but in the people who form the core, the philosophy and the backbone of the institution.” Nichols faculty are known and valued for bringing a dimension of professional experience to their courses, nuances that can’t be found in textbooks. On this page we highlight a few

U Universalist Roots

of the many faculty members who are fondly remembered, not just for challenging

The building of an academy in rural

students in the classroom, but for coaching, mentoring and cheering on their students

Dudley, Massachusetts, got the attention

to success.

of a small but committed group of New England Universalists, whose organizational beginnings can be traced to nearby Oxford in 1785. Believing that a proper secondary education was necessary for their children to experience success, the

LES BROOKS

Universalists, most likely influenced by

TOM DUNCAN

Amasa Nichols, voted to raise $5,000 to

LARRY DOWNS

support such a school. The school remained a Universalist academy from 1819-1823 when financial challenges put an end to Nichols’ and Universalist

KURT DURRSCHMIDT

involvement such as that of Rev. Hosea Ballou (pictured).

PAT HERTZFELD

V The Vault

PAUL WHITE

The Worcester Sunday Telegram called it

ED WARREN JOHN KATORI

“Dudley’s Bomb-Proof Bank” in 1959, but at Nichols it was called the Vault. Located on the lower level of Conrad Hall, the primary administrative building, the Vault was designed and built for the Federal

RICHARD VALLE

Reserve Bank of Boston as a depository for its documents. The site was considered a safe distance from a possible nuclear attack, but it is not clear whether the Vault was actually bomb-proof.

Records of the bank were sent to Dudley Hill from about 1955 to 1963 when it was

BILL STEGLITZ SASHA TIPPER

no longer needed by the bank and turned over to the college.

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“We are all better men because of him.”

Mike Vendetti The career of Michael J. Vendetti spanned 24 years at Nichols College as a coach, athletic director and associate professor. He has been described as “one of the most important figures in Nichols College history.” His influence extended beyond the playing field and touched the lives of countless students during his tenure at Nichols and following his retirement. In memory of Coach Mike, who died on March 20, 2014, and in honor of Nichols bicentennial, Bruce Baker, sports information director at Nichols College from 1971 to 1982, penned this tribute.

Remembering Coach Mike

By Bruce Baker

When an academic institution celebrates an anniversary in

We are all aware of Nichols winning four straight New England

its history such as Nichols College is doing this year many

Football Conference titles in a row in the ’70s and a fifth one

special dates, events and noteworthy individuals are recalled

over a six-year span.

and honored.

However, there was a much lighter side to

While recognizing contributions to the

Coach Mike that many folks may not be

success of the college one such family,

aware of. In one incident, on the occasion

the late Mike and Joan Vendetti and

of some student unrest on campus, the

their sons, Mike, Mark and Paul, must be

president asked Mike and other adminis-

mentioned. All three sons played

trators to walk “guard duty” at night.

football at Amherst College, which Mike

Mike showed up wearing his old Army

and Joan were extremely proud of.

uniform, with only the top button of his

We are all aware of the successful

jacket buttoned because he put on a

coaching career of Mike and yet there is

few pounds since his military days, and

much more to consider as the Vendettis

yelled, “Reporting for duty!” All was calm

were always the first ones sought out on

that night.

campus on Homecoming Day because

Players will also remember the time when

of lasting friendships developed over

Coach Mike, unhappy with their per-

the years and their warm friendly hospitality.

formance during a game, wanted to make an impression on

This year, a large group of former football players from the

them during half time. While yelling at them, he kicked what he

championship years of the 1970s returned to the Hill on a beau-

thought was an empty water bucket. It was a bucket filled with

tiful warm homecoming day in September 2014 to reminisce

ice. He broke his toe, which gave him problems for several years

and remember Coach Mike and Joan.

to come.

Prior to the kickoff, the public address announcer asked the

In retirement, Mike and Joan would spend the winter months at

crowd to observe a moment of silence in honor of Coach Mike.

Ormond Beach in Florida, where Mike could be found sitting in

Almost as though someone wrote a script for this homecoming

a lawn chair wearing the biggest straw hat you ever saw and

day the football team responded with a win which would have

holding court, like he did for many years with former players at

pleased Mike.

homecoming. He was known as the “unofficial mayor of

Individuals talked about the coach and one former player

Ormond Beach.”

summed it up pretty well by saying, “We are all so fortunate to

The passing of Coach Mike and his wife, Joan, marked the end

have shared the best years of Mike Vendetti’s life at Nichols and

of an era in Nichols history but not one which will soon be

because of him we formed a great band of brothers for life. We

forgotten. To Coach Mike and Joan, a job well done on earth.

are all better men because of him.”

Rest in peace.

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W Women at Nichols Nichols entered the co-educational era with six women in 1971; though small in number, their presence forever altered the fate of the college. Facing early challenges of acceptance, the pioneers persevered undaunted and soon made strides both socially and academically. They ably competed in the classroom with solid GPAs and, by 1978, as student-athletes in softball and basketball, their first varsity sports. Women rose to leadership positions on campus as newspaper and yearbook editors, student government representatives and club founders and presidents. Those first female students crossed a threshold over which many have successfully followed to careers as business leaders.

X (Cross)

Y Cross Campus Critical Issues Program For three weeks each fall, from 1999 to 2009, the Nichols College campus united in the study of a single topic through the Cross Campus Critical Issues Program.

Issues, such as inequality, globalization, and consumption, were intensely examined in and out of the classroom

from a variety of disciplines and through activities designed to engage students in learning and discussion, such as debates and poster sessions. In true Nichols fashion, the innovative program, which was funded by the Davis Educational Foundation, also featured an experiential component. In 2005,

Yacht Club Intercollegiate and intramural athletics have always been a vibrant part of the institutional fabric at Nichols. Junior College students pioneered many extracurricular activities that reflected the interests and skills of the student body. By 1939, the Nichols Yacht Club, using the Brown University Yacht Club in Providence, was listed as one of them. Two years later, the sailors defeated the visiting Princeton University team and over the years battled against clubs from MIT, Tufts University, the Coast Guard Academy, Brown, and the University of New Hampshire.

Z

Members of the campus community were randomly assigned to

Zeta Alpha Phi

one of four groups, each representing a different dining expe-

The first honor society was installed at Nichols in 1962 to satisfy

rience, from a meager lunch of rice and water (as the student

a growing need among students for recognition of academic

pictured above received) to a feast of prime rib, potatoes,

achievement. Zeta Alpha Phi began with 18 charter members

for example, when focused on the study of global debt and poverty, the college hosted an Oxfam “Lunch to Stop Hunger.�

salad, and apple pie. The

representing a select group of students who had shown

exercise drove home the real-

excellence in the classroom in addition to their active

ities of hunger suffered by the

participation in other campus activities. By the late ’70s,

tens of millions of Americans

the college added a chapter of Delta Mu Delta to

who live below the poverty line.

promote higher scholarship training in business administration. Honor societies recognizing student achievement in marketing (Mu Kappa Tau), economics (Omicron Delta Epsilon) and history (Phi Alpha Theta) followed.

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Nichols Turns 200!

The Nichols College community joined in a celebration of the institution’s bicentennial, beginning with a kick-off

4.

dinner in September 2014 and concluding with a gala at Worcester’s Mechanics Hall in September 2015.

2. Students left their mark on the new academic building with a traditional beam-signing during Homecoming weekend 2014.

Co-chaired by Nichols Trustee Jane Birckhead and Board of Advisor member Joe Salois ’98, the year-long

3. During Bison Give Back day on October 14, more than 400 Nichols students and staff fanned out across Dudley and neighboring communities to volunteer their time and services, including a pumpkin painting party at the Brookside Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Webster.

celebration featured an array of activities and events designed to spotlight the unique history of Nichols and engage alumni, students, faculty,

1. Nichols kicked off its bicentennial celebration in September 2015 with a blast from the past. Bill Pieczynski, vice president for advancement, channeled the spirit (and the wardrobe) of founder Amasa Nichols.

5.

staff and members of the local community in its successful present and promising future. Advance Nichols College; take new flight!

4. Captain Richard Phillips, who was the center of an international drama in 2009 when his ship was hijacked and he was captured by Somali pirates, recounted his tale in February 2015 at a presentation sponsored by the Nichols Academy Board of Trustees.

7.

1.

6. In September 2014, the Fischer Institute hosted a Nichols Playground featuring games, music and food spanning the centuries, including living statues such as Amasa Nichols.

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2.

8.

3.

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5. Amy Roloff (center), surrounded by Nichols students, was the keynote speaker for the annual Empowering Women in Business conference in March 2015.

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

7. Grammy-nominated country music artist Joe Nichols performed at Bison Fest 2015 in April.

8. At the kick-off celebration in September 2014, Bicentennial Co-chairs Jane Birckhead and Joe Salois presented the Bicentennial Medal to Dr. James Conrad Jr., professor of history, emeritus, who authored two volumes on Nichols history.

9. President Susan West Engelkemeyer presented Robert Kuppenheimer ’69 with the Bicentennial Medal in April 2015 for his generous support of the two volumes of Nichols history, written by Dr. James Conrad, Jr. The presentation occurred during the annual faculty dinner, which is sponsored by Kuppenheimer and which featured Fidelity Investments manager Robert Stansky ’78 as keynote speaker.

11.

10.

10.The Institute for Women’s Leadership sponsored “March Forward: Celebrating the Women of Nichols” in March 2015 during which a panel of distinguished Nichols alumnae discussed women’s leadership.

12.

11-17. Nichols took the bicentennial on the road with receptions in Boston (May 2015), D.C./Alexandria (March 2015), Hartford (October 2014), Naples (February 2015), New York City (April 2015), Rochester (October 2014), and Worcester (May 2015).

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14.

15.

18.Students showed their true colors during the “Tint Me Nichols 5K” event in September 2014.

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19.The Nichols Reads Program welcomed author and activist Wes Moore (center) for a presentation on his bestselling book, The Other Wes Moore.

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On the Occasion of the Bicentennial Legacy and Metamorphosis are the names of two pieces created in honor of the bicentennial, representing two prominent themes throughout the course of Nichols’ history. The school’s evolution from academy to junior college to four-year college attests to its ability to continually transform while upholding strong educational traditions that produce leaders.

Legacy

By Lisa C. Taylor, Adjunct Professor

Metamorphosis Metamorphosis was designed and created by Richard P. Clinton ’54.

Upon a Dudley hill attaining height,

Standing about 17 inches tall, the curvy,

fresh wellspring of purpose and intent.

flowing statue is sculpted from a stone

Amasa Nichols purchase soaring bright.

known as “translucent alabaster” and sits on a base of black marble. “The

Academy providing men forthright,

veins in the stone led me to different

athletics, connections to augment

shapes,” Clinton says, adding that the

higher learning and expand their insight.

variety of shapes “mirrors the College’s transition over the years.” The piece

A Junior College opened doors on site,

took Clinton, who was first senior vice

lush surroundings where business leaders sent

president of real estate at Hartford

their youthful sons with faith they would ignite

National Bank and spends his retirement sculpting and playing golf,

the spark of ambition, the upright

100 hours to complete. It is currently on

calling to career, trending to ascent;

display in Conant Library.

entrepreneur, officer, the might behind the corporation rising bright.

And soon women added to that intent as four year Nichols College reached its height.

Celebrate the legacy tonight.

Our Bison loyalty is evident.

Advance Nichols College; take new flight!

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Nichols College M A G A Z I N E | B I C E N T E N N I A L E D I T I O N

Richard Clinton in his studio

M Hail to our Chiefs We honor the presidents who have led Nichols College,

who have weathered challenges, seized opportunities and steered Nichols throughout its unique and prosperous history.

JAMES L. CONRAD, SR. (Nichols Junior College and Nichols College) 1931-1966

GORDON B. CROSS, PH.D. 1966-1973

DARCY COYLE, DBA 1973-1978

LOWELL C. SMITH, PH.D. 1978-1996

JAMES J. DARAZSDI 1996-1998

DEBRA M. TOWNSLEY, PH.D. 1998-2010

GERALD FELS ’66, DBA (HON.) ’07 (Interim) 2010-2011

SUSAN WEST ENGELKEMEYER, PH.D. 2011-

P.O. Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

Visit online at community.nichols.edu