Dartmouth Preparing for 250th Anniversary

Dartmouth in Hanover, NH is preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1769. The anniversary web page provides information on scheduled events, a short YouTube video, "Dartmouth 250: Honoring Our Past, Inspiring Our Future," and other resources.

A new book, Dartmouth Undying: A Celebration of Place and Possibility, edited by David Shribman and Jim Collins is available now for pre-order.

There will also be a “Hindsight is 20/19,” 26-episode podcast series celebrating Dartmouth’s history. Library staffers and students identified 25 tangible pieces, one per decade, central to the institution's history and will begin offering podcast episodes on each item in January 2019. You can read more about the series in an article by Florida Huff, "New podcast series uses artifacts to highlight College history," from for The Dartmouth newspaper

or in a post written by Charlotte Albright, "Hindsight Is 20/19: Podcast Series Tells Story of Dartmouth’s 250 Years."

The Dartmouth Archives also offers a rich array of institutional resources including oral histories and photographs.

New England College and the New Hampshire Institute of Art Intend to Merge

New England College and the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) announced that they intend to complete a merger of the two institutions by October 1, 2018.

   

New England College is located in Henniker, NH and was founded in 1946.  Located in Manchester, NH, the New Hampshire Institute of Art was initially founded in 1898 as the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences. 

You can also read more about the planned merger in reporting by the New Hampshire Union Leader, "New England College, New Hampshire Institute of Art to merge."

The New Hampshire Institute of Art offers an interesting short video history, "Emma's Gift to NHIA," where you can learn more about the institution and its important role in Manchester. 

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers,and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions.  Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Selling the Campus of Daniel Webster College

New Hampshire Public Radio posted an interesting article last week by Paige Sutherland, "For Sale: A 53-Acre College Campus (With Airplane Hangar)," on the sale of the Daniel Webster College campus in Nashua, NH.  The for-profit institution closed after the 2016-17 academic year.  The article is accompanied by a five-minute audio version.  It also includes a wonderful graphic of the state with the colleges that have closed since 1969.  Readers can click to find out when an institution closed and the current use of each campus.

You can also find links to earlier reporting from NHPR on Daniel Webster's closing:

• "After Nashua's Daniel Webster College Signs Off, What's Next For Students And Staff?" By RICK GANLEY & MICHAEL BRINDLEY • MAY 26, 2017
• "SNHU Decides Against Buying Former Daniel Webster Campus," By PAIGE SUTHERLAND • JUL 31, 2017
• "Nashua Aldermen Say 'No' to Buying Daniel Webster College Campus," By PAIGE SUTHERLAND • SEP 13, 2017
• "Looking to Buy a College Campus? There's One for Sale in Nashua," By PAIGE SUTHERLAND • AUG 30, 2017

If you are interested in recent trends for closures and mergers, access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page.  There are separate tabs for non-profit and for-profit closures.  Each tab includes basic information for each institution, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Implications of Closure: Reviewing the Process for Lebanon College

The New Hampshire Business Review published an interesting article, "When a college closes," outlining the steps involved when an institution closes.  Brad Cook authored the article and focuses on the closing of Lebanon College in Lebanon, NH, a two-year nonprofit institution that closed in 2014.

Mount Washington College Announces it will Close

Paul Feely reported for the New Hampshire Union Leader on August 4, 2015 that Mount Washington College will close.  The institution was a for-profit with 1,511 students  with 9 full-time and 175 part-time faculty.

The institution was founded as Hesser Business College in 1900.  It acquired and absorbed Manchester's Bryant and Stratton's Business College in 1925.  Hesser was itself acquired by Quest Edcucation Corporation [later Kaplan, Inc.] in 1998.  The name of Mount Washington College was adopted in 2013.

You can read more in a post by Janice Brown on the New Hampshire History Blog, "The Early History of Manchester New Hampshire's Hesser Business College [now Mount Washington College] and the Hesser Family."

College of Saint Mary Magdalen Changes Name to Northeast Catholic College

The College of Saint Mary Magdalen changed it's name to Northeast Catholic College. Susan Doucet authored an interesting article for the Concord Monitor on January 24, 2015 placing the change in the context of recent name changes at other New Hampshire colleges.

The institution was initially founded as Magdalen College in 1973 in Bedford, NH. It relocated to Warner, NH in 1991. The name was changed to College of Saint Mary Magdalen in 2010.  The curriculum of Northeast Catholic College is based on the Great Books and enrolls less than 100 students.

New Hampshire Colleges that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names

This table below includes institutions that have closed, merged, or changed their names.  If you note a need for changing or updating information, please notify ray01brown@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

An index with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available.

There is a College History Garden Facebook group or you can view and follow multiple College History Garden boards on Pinterest or there is a board specifically devoted to New Hampshire colleges.

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Lebanon College (NH) Announces Intent to Close

Maggie Cassidy and John P. Gregg report for the W. Lebanon Valley News that Lebanon College cancelled fall classes and intends to close.  Lebanon College was founded in 1956 and operated as a two-year not-for-profit institution.

Update...

The Valley News editorial on August 23, 2014 focuses on the closing.

Charlotte Albright of Vermont Public Radio provided an update article with an audio clip on September 8, 2014.

Chester College of New England #2

The closing of Chester College is addressed in an article by Bill Smith of the New Hampshire Union Leader.

James Bennett and Matthew Stover write in the Concord Monitor on May 19, 2012 for the Board of Trustees of Chester College.  The authors address a number of issues arising from the possible closure of the institution in " Challenging Times for our Tiny College."

An announcement is also available at this time on the institution's web site.

Rivier College (NH)

Kimberly Houghton, Union Leader correspondent reports that Rivier College in Nashua, NH will become Rivier University on July 1, 2012.  The New Hampshire Commissioner of Education approved the name change last week.

Rivier College was founded in 1933 in Hudson, NH and moved to the present location in Nashua in 1941.

Chester College of New England (NH)

An article from Inside Higher Ed details efforts to save Chester College of New England, located in Chester, NH.  The institution's web site also includes information.

Nathaniel Hawthorne College (NH)

Nathaniel Hawthore College was established in 1962 on the Flint Estate, North Branch, Antrim, New Hampshire. The College was a liberal arts school founded by Kenneth McLaughlin, John Berrigan, and Joseph Whelton. The circulum expanded over the years to include business, aviation and computer science. Its name was shortened to Hawthorne College in the 1980's when it merged with the Florida Institute of Technology.  The college closed in 1988.  There is a short video of images on YouTube.

There is also a facebook page set up by Hawthorne alumni with many photographs.



New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission

New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission maintains transcripts for some degree-granting instituions that have closed.

Gibbs Colleges and Schools

See Peter Schworm's article, "Gibbs to Close its Boston Campus," from the February 19, 2008 issue of the Boston Globe.

McIntosh College #2

Doug Lederman's article, "Tears for a For-Profit College's Demise," in the February 20, 2008 issue of InSide Higher Ed focuses on the announced closures by Career Education of McIntosh College, Lehigh Valley College, and several Katharine Gibbs colleges.

McIntosh College

Karen Dandurant covers the announced closure of McIntosh College in Dover, NH for Seacoastonline.

See also, Career Education Corporation's recent announcement.