Boston University (BU) is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1839 by Boston Methodists and chartered in Boston in 1869, it originated in Newbury, Vermont. BU is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium for Higher Education, highlighting its position as a leading research institution within the academic community.
In 1905, William Lindsay commissioned the building now known as BU Castle for his own use.
From 1918, former President William Howard Taft lectured on Legal Ethics at Boston University's law school.
In 1920, Lemuel Murlin arranged the purchase of land along the Charles River to unify the geographically scattered school.
Until 1921, former President William Howard Taft lectured on Legal Ethics at Boston University's law school.
Between 1920 and 1928, the school bought 15 acres of land reclaimed from the river by the Riverfront Improvement Association.
By spring 1936, the student body included 10,384 men and women.
In 1939, Boston University acquired BU Castle through an agreement with the city to repay back taxes, funded by donations.
In 1949, Harold Russell, who had already won an Oscar for The Best Years of Our Lives, earned his BFA from Boston University.
In 1951, Harold C. Case became the fifth president of Boston University, initiating significant changes to transform the school into a national research university.
Eugene O'Neill, who once lived in what is now Kilachand Hall, died on November 27, 1953, in a hospital. His ghost is rumored to haunt the building.
Between 1961 and 1966, the BU Law Tower, the George Sherman Union, and the Mugar Memorial Library were constructed in the Brutalist style.
In 1962, Faye Dunaway, an emblem of New Hollywood, earned her BFA from Boston University.
In 1962, Timothy Leary conducted the Marsh Chapel Experiment, also known as the "Good Friday Experiment", at Boston University's Marsh Chapel. The experiment aimed to determine if psilocybin could reliably act as an entheogen in religiously predisposed individuals.
In the spring of 1964, President Case persuaded university trustees to take over WBUR-FM, leading to the firing of student managers and changes in programming and editorial policy.
In 1965, construction began on 700 Commonwealth Avenue, later named Warren Towers, designed to house 1800 students.
Between 1961 and 1966, the BU Law Tower, the George Sherman Union, and the Mugar Memorial Library were constructed in the Brutalist style.
In 1967, Harold C. Case retired after overseeing a significant expansion of the campus.
In 1967, President Christ-Janer found BU Castle too large for his needs and converted it into a conference space.
On April 25, 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., African-American students conducted a sit-in to protest the condition of Boston University's African-American curriculum.
In 1968, David Hemery, who was a student at Boston University in the 1960s, won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the Olympic Games.
Since 1970, The Daily Free Press, the campus student newspaper and the fourth largest daily newspaper in Boston, has provided students with campus news, city and state news, sports coverage, editorials, arts and entertainment, and special feature stories.
On March 27, 1972, police officers defused a demonstration of protesters at the BU Placement Office, where Marine recruiters were holding student interviews.
On December 5, 1972, fifteen BU Student Government officers started a three-day hunger strike at Marsh Chapel demanding that Silber file a lawsuit against the Federal government challenging the constitutionality of the Herbert Amendment.
In 1972, student protests rose against the university administration's endorsement of Marine Corps recruitment on campus.
In 1974, Alfre Woodard graduated from Boston University with a BFA.
In 1976, Saul Bellow, a Nobel Prize-winning literary figure, was recruited to the faculty of Boston University.
On March 16, 1978, about 900 Boston University students protested against the tuition and housing charge increases.
On April 5, 1979, faculty members, clerical workers, and librarians went on strike seeking a labor contract and union recognition.
On November 27, 1979, a demonstration was held at the George Sherman Union against the deposed Shah of Iran and the deportation of Iranian students from the US.
In 1979, Sheldon Glashow, a Boston University scientist, won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
In 1980, Boston University was a major supplier of talent to the USA Olympic gold medal-winning men's hockey team.
In 1981, the Boston University Women's ice hockey team won a Beanpot title.
In 1983, the Metcalf Science Center for Science and Engineering was constructed, exemplifying Structural Expressionism architecture.
In 1986, Christopher Ricks joined the faculty at Boston University and founded the Editorial Institute with Geoffrey Hill.
In 1986, Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Prize-winning literary figure, was recruited to the faculty of Boston University.
Since 1989, Boston University runs the Paris Internship Program. Students take language and elective courses with French faculty at the BU Paris Center, then are placed in internships with French businesses and organizations in the area.
In 1991, Boston University won a national championship in women's rowing.
In 1992, Boston University won a national championship in women's rowing.
In 1992, Casey Sherman, the bestselling author, graduated from Boston University.
In 1992, Derek Walcott, a faculty member in the English Department at Boston University, won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In 1995, Travis Roy collided with the boards and was paralyzed just 11 seconds into his first hockey game for Boston University, making him quadriplegic.
In 1996, Travis Roy founded the Travis Roy Foundation to fund research for and help other spinal cord injury survivors.
In 1997, Boston University disbanded its football team. The funds were reallocated to build the John Hancock Student Village and athletic complex, and to increase funding to women's athletic programs.
In 1998, Daniel Tsui, a Boston University scientist, won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Since 1998, Clarion, a literary magazine, has been printed. The first issue, titled "?", was published by the group Students for Literary Awareness with the sponsorship of the Department of English.
In 1999, the Boston University Sailing Team won a National Championship.
BU was one of four universities at the time invited to join the group since 2000
In 2000, Rick DiPietro was drafted first overall to the New York Islanders.
In the fall of 2000, the dormitory of apartment suites at 10 Buick Street, known as StuVi, opened to juniors and seniors.
In 2002, John Hancock Insurance announced its sponsorship of the multimillion-dollar Student Village project.
Daniel S. Goldin was set to take over the job on November 1, 2003, and be officially inaugurated on November 17, though the deal collapsed in the week leading up to his arrival in Boston.
In 2003, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Boston University a grant to build one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories, called the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL), for studying emerging infectious diseases.
On January 3, 2005, Boston University's Agganis Arena opened with a men's hockey game between the Terriers and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In January 2005, the Agganis Arena, named after Harry Agganis, opened for concerts and hockey games, replacing the Walter Brown Arena for Terrier hockey games.
In February 2005, Boink magazine was launched by a group of undergrads led by Alecia Oleyourryk. The magazine featured BU students posing nude and articles on sexuality.
In March 2005, the Fitness and Recreation (FitRec) Center opened, attracting large crowds from the student body.
In 2005, Aram Chobanian, who had served as president ad interim, was formally recognized as the 9th president.
On April 27, 2006, Robert A. Brown was inaugurated as the university's 10th president.
In 2006, the average GPA of a Amherst College undergraduate was 3.48.
Since 2006, the Charles River and Medical Campuses have undergone physical transformations, from new buildings and playing fields to dormitory renovations.
In September 2007, Boston University implemented a new visitor policy, allowing students to swipe into any on-campus dormitory and sign in guests with photo identification.
In 2007, the average GPA of a Boston College undergraduate was 3.35.
In 2008, Osamu Shimomura, a Boston University scientist, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
In 2009, the Boston University men's hockey team won its fifth NCAA championship.
In fall 2009, construction on the rest of phase II of the Student Village complex, which included 19- and 26-story residential towers, was finished.
Since 2009, the Boston University Figure Skating Team has consistently placed within the top three at the Intercollegiate National Figure Skating Championships.
In 2010, Boston University won a game against Boston College at Fenway Park with a score of 3–2, played a week after the NHL Winter Classic.
In 2010, Boston University's honors college matriculated its first class.
In 2011, Boston University completed construction on a new, multistory residence in Washington, D.C., to house students in the internship, journalism, and management programs. The residence features touch-less entry cards and suites with communal kitchens.
In 2011, Boston University's honors college was renamed Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College following a $25 million donation from alum Rajen Kilachand.
In the beginning of 2011, Boston University opened a new building in Chippendale, Sydney, Australia, featuring underground classrooms, a lecture hall, office space, library, and a roof patio, accommodating approximately 150 students in various programs.
In 2012, Boston University was invited to join the Association of American Universities.
In 2012, John Mollicone, a notable alumni of the Boston University Sailing Team, was a US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year nominee.
On April 1, 2013, Boston University announced that it would cut its wrestling program following the 2013–14 season.
In July 2013, a majority of Boston University's athletics teams began competing in the Patriot League.
In 2013, Christopher Chen, an interdisciplinary researcher focusing on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, joined Boston University and became the director of the Biological Design Center at the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering.
In 2013, Rajen Kilachand donated an additional $10 million to fund a renovation of Kilachand Hall, where first year students in the honors college are required to live.
In 2013, Roy Conli, a Boston University alumnus, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Frozen.
In 2014, Boston University established the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, marking the creation of the newest school within the university.
In 2014, Julianne Moore won the Best Actress Oscar for Still Alice.
In 2014, Peter Del Vecho, a Boston University alumnus, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Big Hero 6.
In 2014, The Hollywood Reporter noted the large number of female Boston University graduates working in Hollywood, estimating over 5,000 alumni in entertainment, with 54 percent being women.
In 2014, former Boston mayor Thomas Menino became a professor of the practice of political science at Boston University. He passed away later that year.
In 2014, the average GPA of a Boston University undergraduate was 3.16.
In February 2015, the faculty adopted an open-access policy to make its scholarship publicly accessible online.
In 2015, Julianne Moore was named to Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
In 2015, the average GPA of New York University undergraduate was 3.52 and the average GPA of Harvard University undergraduate was 3.65.
In Fall 2015, Boston University's student demographics based on currently enrolled student responses within the university student database were 50.6% white, 14% Asian, 11.6% international students, 8.6% Hispanic, and 3.2% black. Among international students, 39% were pursuing undergraduate degrees, 37% were pursuing graduate degrees, and 23% were enrolled in other programs.
In 2016, Boston University put the BU Theatre property associated with the Huntington Theatre Company up for sale and replaced it with the new Joan and Edgar Booth Theatre.
In 2016, Boston University sold the building that housed the Huntington Theatre Company and constructed the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre to consolidate the theater program on campus.
In 2016, Sherwin Gatchalian, a Boston University alumnus, was elected as a Philippine senator.
In 2016, the $1 billion fundraising campaign goal was reached, and the board of trustees voted to raise the goal to $1.5 billion and extend through 2019.
In 2016, the Boston University Men's Club Volleyball team won the NCVF 1AA National Championship.
In 2016, the Chronicle of Higher Education ranked the Boston University School of Social Work as sixth in the nation for research productivity by faculty.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) selected the BU School of Law (LAW) to lead a $350 million trans-Atlantic public-private partnership called CARB-X, aimed at fostering the preclinical development of new antibiotics and antimicrobial rapid diagnostics and vaccines.
In May 2017, construction of the Dahod Family Alumni Center in the renovated BU Castle began.
In May 2017, Boston University withdrew its support for the Photographic Resource Center, which then became a resident partner with Lesley University.
In 2017, Boston University created the Travis M. Roy Professorship in Rehabilitation Sciences after receiving $2.5 million from anonymous donors.
In 2017, Boston University received a $20 million grant over five years from the NSF to establish an Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on bioengineering functional heart tissue.
In 2017, David Grann published his novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.
In 2017, Rajen Kilachand donated $115 million to bolster Boston University's research at the intersection of the life sciences and engineering. The gift created the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering and a $100 million endowment.
In 2017, the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering opened at Boston University.
In 2018, Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development was renamed following the merger with Wheelock College.
In 2018, Boston University acquired the former Wheelock College, now known as the Boston University Fenway Campus.
In 2018, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, formerly Wheelock College, merged with Boston University. The Fenway campus now houses this college.
In Fall 2018, the Dahod Family Alumni Center in the renovated BU Castle was completed.
The fundraising campaign concluded in September 2019, raising a total of $1.85 billion over seven years.
As of 2019, Boston University has sold or leased several building sites in Kenmore Square to real estate developers, leading to the construction of large multistory buildings.
In 2019, Bonnie Arnold earned a nomination for Best Animated Feature for How to Train Your Dragon series.
In 2019, Boston University announced an expansion of its financial aid program, committing to meet the full financial needs of all qualifying domestic students, starting in the fall of 2020.
In 2019, Boston University created the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences as an interdisciplinary academic unit to train students in computing and data science combined with their chosen fields.
In 2019, Geena Davis received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy for her humanitarian efforts.
In 2019, the Boston University Women's ice hockey team won a Beanpot title.
On March 11, 2020, Boston University closed its campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning to online learning for the remainder of the semester.
In July 2020, Boston University appointed Ibram X. Kendi as a history professor and the director and founder of its newly established Center for Antiracist Research.
On July 27, 2020, Boston University initiated its own COVID-19 testing program for faculty, staff, and students, utilizing the BU Clinical Testing Laboratory to provide rapid results.
In August 2020, Boston University filed a service mark application to secure the phrase "F*ck It Won't Cut It" for a student-led COVID-19 safety program, promoting safe behaviors among college students.
On October 29, 2020, Travis Roy, a former Boston University ice hockey player, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, died.
In 2020, The New York Times ranked Julianne Moore eleventh on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
In 2020, the Boston University men's basketball team won the Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship for the first time, however the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
In July 2021, Boston University announced that faculty and staff would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall 2022 semester, following a previous vaccine requirement for students.
In September 2021, Boston University completed a $115 million project to renovate and expand the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, adding clinical spaces and learning centers.
In 2021, Ibram Kendi was named a MacArthur fellow and will receive a "genius grant" of $625,000 split over five years for his center's research.
In May 2022, CARB-X was allotted an additional $370 million in funding.
In July 2022, social scientist Benjamin Sovacool led the establishment of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability.
In September 2022, Robert A. Brown declared his intention to resign from his position as president of Boston University at the conclusion of the 2022–2023 academic year. Brown's presidency began in September 2005.
In October 2022, Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) conducted research modifying the original COVID-19 virus with Omicron variant spike proteins, resulting in a more lethal virus to lab mice. The research sparked controversy and debate over "gain of function" research.
On December 8, 2022, the ceremonial opening of a new building was held, with praise from Bloomberg, The Boston Globe, and CBS News for its carbon-neutral design. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and university leaders.
In 2022, Boston University's medical school was renamed the Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine after receiving a $100 million gift from Edward Avedisian.
In 2022, Hong Chau, an alumni of Boston University, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Whale.
In 2022, the 19-story Center for Computing & Data Sciences opened at Boston University.
In May 2023, CARB-X secured renewed funding from the UK government (£24M over four years), the German government (€39M over four years, and €2M for accelerator), and the Canadian government also announced its plan to support CARB-X with CAD $6.3 million over two years.
On August 1, 2023, Kenneth W. Freeman assumed the role of president ad interim at Boston University.
In October 2023, Melissa Gilliam was officially designated as the incoming president of Boston University, scheduled to commence her term on July 1, 2024.
In 2023, Boston University Academy (BUA) had an enrollment of 234 students in grades 9-12 and a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The mean SAT score for the BUA class of 2023 was 1491, and the mean ACT was 34. 41% of the class of 2023 were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.
In 2023, the film adaptation of David Grann's 2017 novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, and Jesse Plemons, was released and won awards.
In fiscal year 2023, Boston University ranked 16th in the U.S. among private institutions for all research and development expenditures.
On May 11, 2024, the softball team won their fifth Patriot League Championship title in six seasons, defeating Lehigh 1–0.
In May 2024, Boston University removed Myles Standish's name from the building, and it is now referred to by its address, 610 Beacon Street.
In July 2024, Macklin Celebrini was drafted first overall to the San Jose Sharks of the NHL.
In December 2024, the Center for Computing & Data Sciences was renamed the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences.
In its 2024 list, the Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Boston University 39–50 in the United States and 101–150 in the world.
In the 2024–25 Global University Employability Rankings, Times Higher Education ranked Boston University 34th.
U.S. News & World Report's 2024 list ranked Boston University's online graduate information technology programs 8th in the U.S., the online graduate criminal justice programs tied for 3rd, and the online graduate business programs (excluding MBAs) tied for 6th.
For 2025, Times Higher Education ranked Boston University 75th in the world.
For 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked Boston University tied for 41st among national universities and tied for 73rd among global universities. It also ranked BU 25th in "Best Value Schools", tied for 63rd in "Most Innovative Schools", and tied for 49th in "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs".
In 2025, Boston University was ranked No. 171 nationally in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse U.S. colleges and universities ranking.
In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, Boston University was ranked 108th overall in the world.
Boston University aims to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2040.
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