Boston is, Massachusetts
Boston GLobe Editorial April 27, 1953
New Fields of Endeavor
The decision of Northeastern University to close its law school wiU'doubttess jolt its many law,alumni Yet the attitude displayed by the University authorities'in making this move will doubtless win their approval and that of the community Northeastern serves, when the mat ter is weighed carefully.
What Northeastern is doing, in fact, is lift ing its educational energies to fields where the need is greater than it is for turning out law graduates. As the University officials truly stat^ facilities exist elsewhere in sufficient quantity and quality already, in the matter of law schools^ Other fields are not so amply served^Tcrserve-thenrbetter is sound^olicy.
Northeastern has loi^ since established it self as an Wtitute whose policies • cannote courage, wise perception 7of social, economic, and scientific trends,- and a. deterfi^ination to serve the community4brough close cooperation. Its latest decision cl^Ves to that ideal
Boston Trareler Editorial April 28, 1953
Step for Northeastern
Northeastern University, in deciding, to close its law school, has shown that it has the courage to con centrate its strength where that strength will do the most good.
The decision was a tough one, and will cause some sorrow among alumni.
But it should be remembered that a university must face the facts of life. Enrollment in the law school has been dropping steadily even as enrollment in other de partments of the school increased.
There are enough law schools In the Boston area. Northeastern can afford to concentrate on other fields ot education.
Eliot Wadsworth 2416 Tracy Place ^ Washington 0, D. C.A
Dear Dr. Ell:
The annoancoment in re the School of Law has just arrived, and if I may say so/ redounds greatly to the credit of the President and Corporation of Northeastern University.
Pew- colleges hfive so frankly faced a cliange in the fundamental educational needs which they seek to meet. In the case of our Law School there seems to he no douht that the original need no longer exists and that all our assets can better he used in other fieldst where the demand is certainly grow ing.
Many congratulations on the step you have taken.
Ever sincerely,
Boston, Massachusetts
Announcement in Regard to the School of Law
April 25, 1953
It is with great regret that we inform you that after a careful study of all of th^fects in regard to our School of Law, the Board of Trustees has come to the unanimousconclusion that the Universityshould discontinue the operation of the School.
The entire history of the School, the number of graduates, the high esteem in which the alumm are held, the service rendered to the community and the state,all indicate a splendid and fruitful past.
However, the changes in the community, the great growth and development of Northeastern in the last fifteen years, the many new educational needs which have emerged in the community, and the opportunities now available for the study of law in other institutions in the area have brought the Board of Trustees of the University to the decision that there is now no real need for Northeastern to continue this work.
Established in 1898 as the first evening School of Law in New England, the School for many years was committed exclusively to evening programs, although more recently both day and evening curri cula have been offered. Through several decades, the School has performed effectively a needed and useful service in the field of legal education, providing opportunities for the study of law to many people who would have been unable otherwise to complete a curriculum leading to the LL.B. degree.
But-changing-times and conditions affecting legal education have substantially-diminished-dae numbers of students enrolling in the School.Whereas fifteen years ago, in 1937-1938, there were 1328 regular students enrolled in the School, there are today only 196. In this same period, the number of students enrolled in the entire University has grown from 4,790 to 13,164. Furthermore, Greater Boston is now adequately served by several Schools of Law at other institutions and there appears to be no present or foreseeable need for the continuance of the Northeastern School of Law in order to accommodate people in this area who desire a legal education.
Northeastern University is a community service institution which seeks to discover and to meet important needs in the field of higher education. The offerings are designed to serve substantial groups of students in programs for which there is genuine demand and which are not adequately provided by other colleges and universities in the Boston area.
The University does not conceive its function to include the committing of institutional resources to the purpose of carrying on schools that serve the needs of very few students at high expense or that duplicate unnecessarily the opportunities available at neighboring institutions.
Northeastern tries to apply its energies and facilities to educational enterprises that will yield max imum advantages to the community. The University is primarily concerned with teaching at the under graduate and graduate levels and with research activities which will be stimulating and helpful to the faculty as means toward the enhancement of instruction.
Following this policy the University has periodically re-examined its programs for the purpose of adapting them to evolving community needs,of undertaking new educational enterprises designed to serve unmet demands appropriate to its function and facilities, and of withdrawing from such activities as have outlived their usefulness or wliich involve very few students who can readily be served by exist ing curricula elsewhere. Long committed to this concept of its purpose and place in the community. Northeastern has grown in scope and in effectiveness. The University is now housed in a group of interconnected modern buildings on a sixteen-acre site on Huntington Avenue. Its degree-granting curricula in Liberal Arts, Education, Business Administration, and Engineering annually enroll ap-
proximately 13,000 students. Assets of the University in physical plant and endowment have been in creased in the last 15 years from $1,155,000 to more than $13,000,000. In this period Richards Hall, Science Hall, the Student Center, Alumni Auditorium, and the magnificent new Library Building have been built and a new Physical Education Center is currently under construction.
Plans are being formulated for the enlargement of the educational and vocational guidance resources at Northeastern and for more extensive services to industry through the provision of oppor tunities for professional development of employees. In the near future the University will take over for purposes of instruction and research the building adjacent to its campus currently occupied by the Sylvania Electric Company,and purchased by the University last year.
With the.discontinuance of the School of Law all educational programs of Northeastern University will be carried on at the Huntington Avenue campus where additional facilities will be erected as new developments in the University's service to the community make these necessary.
The Board of Trustees of Northeastern University has voted not to admit any more new students to the University s School of Law and to discontinue conducting the School as soon as the obligations to students already enrolled have been met. This decision was taken by the Board after consideration of long-term trends in legal education as reflected in the life of the School, current and prospective availability of opportunities for studying law in the Greater Boston Area as related to the anticipated demand, and the probable costs of maintaining in the School of Law the standards of excellence essential to its continuance as an integral part of Northeastern University.
The obligations of the School will be met in full. The alumni of the School are and will continue to be alumni of Northeastern University. It is hoped that they will wish to continue active participation in University aflfairs.
(S/gne^i)
President
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
^EWSpbobo by Cbame Briggs
THESE DOORS WIIX CDOSE iii 19S6>after the present freshman class has g-raduated from the ItaW.Schoe!, according to an announce ment by Trnstees eariier this week.
