Today we celebrate another milestone in our University’s history. On this day, 100 years ago, September 17th, 1919, thirteen students found seats in a classroom at the YMCA downtown and participated in the very first class held at what would become Western New England University.

In recognition of 100 years in the classroom, we’re sharing some of our favorite classroom photographs. While the student body, the facilities, and the syllabi have all changed over the years, the spirit of Western New England has remained the same since that first class. Here’s to another 100 years of educating our future leaders!

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Even though we are celebrating our centennial this year, today we’re going to honor something that is 60 years old instead of 100!

Back in 1919, Western New England was housed in the YMCA in downtown Springfield. All of our classrooms, offices, the library, bookstore, everything we needed to run a college, was there. It wasn’t until 1956 that we purchased the land here on Wilbraham Road that we call home today. And it wasn’t until 1959 (sixty years ago!) that we opened the very first building on this campus.

Emerson Hall, then called East Building, was the first structure erected on this plot of land (other than our sign!), and opened it doors for use in late 1959, and thus began the slow transition out of the YMCA, and onto the campus we know and love today. It was a slow move, with Deliso Hall opening next for administrative offices in 1960, followed shortly thereafter by Churchill Library in 1962.

The new building boasted two floors, plus a basement level. The first floor held “chemistry, physics, hydraulics and drafting laboratories together with offices, faulty room and the student lounge.” The second floor had study space for students, and classrooms. And the basement level was home to the state of the art McIlroy Fluid Network Analyzer, (a machine used to analyze water distribution systems by using analogous electrical currents), as well as the mechanical engineering lab.

The basement of Emerson Hall, undated

Toward the end of our centennial year, the University Archive will release our newest online exhibition about the history of our current campus. So if you’re interested in learning more about the history of the buildings you use everyday, stay tuned!

Article from The Westerner, December 1959. Click on each individual image for larger text.