Boston University (BU) is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1839 by Boston Methodists in Newbury, Vermont, it was chartered in Boston in 1869. BU is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium for Higher Education.
In 1905, the building now known as the BU Castle was commissioned by William Lindsay for his personal use.
In 1918, former President William Howard Taft began lecturing on Legal Ethics at Boston University's law school.
In 1920, Boston University began acquiring land along the Charles River to unify its geographically scattered school and participate in the city's development.
In 1921, former President William Howard Taft concluded lecturing on Legal Ethics at Boston University's law school.
By 1928, Boston University had acquired 15 acres of land reclaimed from the Charles River by the Riverfront Improvement Association.
In the spring of 1936, Boston University's student body consisted of 10,384 men and women.
In 1939, Boston University acquired the BU Castle through an agreement with the city to repay back taxes, funded by donations.
In 1939, Boston University organized formal centennial observances to celebrate its history.
In 1949, Harold Russell, while a student at BU, earned his BFA after winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "The Best Years of Our Lives."
In 1951, Harold C. Case became the fifth president of Boston University and initiated significant changes to transform the school into a national research university.
Eugene O'Neill died in a hospital on November 27, 1953. His ghost is rumored to haunt Kilachand Hall, formerly Shelton Hall, specifically room 419 (originally 401), where he once lived.
In 1961, construction began on the BU Law Tower, the George Sherman Union, and the Mugar Memorial Library in the Brutalist style.
In 1962, Faye Dunaway, a future emblem of New Hollywood, earned her BFA from Boston University.
In 1962, Timothy Leary conducted his Marsh Chapel Experiment, also known as the "Good Friday Experiment," at Boston University's Marsh Chapel, investigating the effects of psilocybin on religiously predisposed subjects.
In the spring of 1964, Boston University took over radio station WBUR-FM, firing student managers and clamping down on programming and editorial policy due to a dispute over editorial policy.
In 1965, construction began on Warren Towers, located at 700 Commonwealth Avenue, designed to house 1800 students.
In 1966, construction of the BU Law Tower, the George Sherman Union, and the Mugar Memorial Library, which started in 1961, was completed.
In 1967, Harold C. Case retired after significantly expanding the campus.
In 1967, President Christ-Janer found the BU Castle too large for a residence and repurposed it for other uses; it is now a conference space.
On April 25, 1968, African-American students conducted a sit-in to protest the poor condition of Boston University's African-American curriculum, locking BU president Arland F. Christ-Janer out of his office for 12 hours.
In 1968, David Hemery, who was a student at BU in the 1960s, won a gold medal in the 400 m hurdles at the Olympics.
In 1969, Boston University organized formal centennial observances to celebrate its history.
Since 1970, The Daily Free Press, the campus student newspaper, has provided students with campus, city, and state news, as well as sports coverage, editorials, arts and entertainment, and special feature stories.
On March 27, 1972, 50 police officers in riot gear defused a demonstration of 150 protesters at the BU Placement Office, where Marine recruiters were holding student interviews. Several protesters were arrested and some sustained minor injuries.
On December 5, 1972, fifteen Boston University Student Government officers started a three-day hunger strike at Marsh Chapel, demanding 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, facing opposition from the Student Democratic Society.
In 1974, Alfre Woodard graduated from Boston University with a BFA.
In 1976, Saul Bellow, a literary figure recruited by John Silber, won the Nobel Prize in Literature while on the faculty at Boston University.
On March 16, 1978, approximately 900 Boston University students gathered at the George Sherman Union to protest against the $400 rise in tuition and $150 rise in housing charges, declared by the trustees on March 7. The protest resulted in one arrest and injuries to a student and two BUPD officers.
On April 5, 1979, faculty members, clerical workers, and librarians went on strike seeking a labor contract and union recognition. The strike ended by mid-April under terms favorable to the employees.
On November 27, 1979, the Committee to Defend Iranian Students held a demonstration at the George Sherman Union against the deposed Shah of Iran and the deportation of Iranian students from the US. The demonstration was met with opposition, but no arrests were made.
In 1979, Geena Davis, who later starred in Beetlejuice, received her BFA from Boston University.
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, Julianne Moore, later regarded as one of the most accomplished actresses of her generation, earned her BFA from Boston University.
In 1983, the Metcalf Science Center for Science and Engineering was constructed at Boston University, showcasing Structural Expressionism in its design.
In 1986, Christopher Ricks joined the Boston University faculty and founded the Editorial Institute with Geoffrey Hill.
In 1986, Elie Wiesel, a literary figure recruited by John Silber, won the Nobel Peace Prize while on the faculty at Boston University.
In 1989, the Paris Internship Program was initiated, becoming the largest program run by the Paris Center. Students take courses with French faculty at the BU Paris Center and intern with French businesses and organizations.
In 1991, Boston University's women's rowing team won a national championship.
In 1992, Boston University's women's rowing team won another national championship.
In 1992, Derek Walcott, who was in the English Department, won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In 1992, bestselling author Casey Sherman graduated from Boston University.
In 1993, Boston University Academy (BUA), a private high school operated by Boston University, was founded, offering university courses to its students.
In 1995, Travis Roy was paralyzed just 11 seconds into his first hockey game for Boston University after colliding with the boards, becoming quadriplegic.
In 1996, Travis Roy established the Travis Roy Foundation to fund research and provide support for spinal cord injury survivors.
In 1997, Boston University disbanded its football team, reallocating the program's funds to build the John Hancock Student Village and athletic complex and increase funding to women's athletic programs.
In 1998, Daniel Tsui, a Boston University scientist, won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
In 1998, the literary magazine Clarion began publication with its first issue titled "?", sponsored by the Department of English.
In 1999, the Boston University Sailing Team won a National Championship.
In 2000, Rick DiPietro was drafted first overall to the New York Islanders, becoming the first Terrier to be drafted first overall.
In 2012, Boston University was invited to join the Association of American Universities, comprising 66 leading research universities in the United States and Canada, one of four universities to be invited to join the group since 2000.
In the fall of 2000, the dormitory of apartment suites at 10 Buick Street (StuVi) opened to juniors and seniors. This was part of the new Student Village complex.
In 2002, John Hancock Insurance announced its sponsorship of the multimillion-dollar Student Village project at Boston University.
On November 1, 2003, Daniel S. Goldin was set to take over as president of Boston University, however, 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, known as the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL).
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. It can house 6,224 spectators for hockey games, replacing the Walter Brown Arena.
In March 2005, the Fitness and Recreation (FitRec) Center, the final element of phase II of the Student Village complex, 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 of Boston University.
On April 27, 2006, Robert A. Brown was inaugurated as the 10th president of Boston University.
In September 2007, Boston University implemented a new visitor policy, allowing students to swipe into any on-campus dormitory between 7 am and 2 am using their Terrier cards. Student residents can also sign in guests with photo identification at any time. Overnight visitors of the opposite sex are no longer required to seek a same-sex "co-host".
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.
Since 2009, the Boston University Figure Skating Team has consistently finished within the top three at the Intercollegiate National Figure Skating Championships.
In 2010, Boston University won a game against Boston College at Fenway Park by 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 of a new, multistory residence in Washington, D.C. to house students in the program. It featured touch-less entry cards for security and suites with communal kitchens.
In 2011, the honors college was renamed the Arvind and Chandan Nandlal Kilachand Honors College after receiving a $25 million donation from alumnus Rajen Kilachand.
In 2012, Boston University was invited to join the Association of American Universities, comprising 66 leading research universities in the United States and Canada, becoming the 62nd member.
In 2012, John Mollicone, a member of the Boston University Sailing Team, was nominated for the US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award.
On April 1, 2013, Boston University announced it would cut its wrestling program following the 2013-14 season.
As of July 2013, a majority of Boston University's athletic teams began competing in the Patriot League.
In 2013, Boston University alumni Roy Conli and Peter Del Vecho had a win in the Best Animated Feature category for "Frozen".
In 2013, Christopher Chen, an interdisciplinary researcher specializing in engineering, medicine, and biology, 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 the renovation of Kilachand Hall, which houses first-year students in the honors college.
In 2014, Boston University established the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies as its newest school.
In 2014, Julianne Moore won the Best Actress award for her role in "Still Alice".
In 2014, Roy Conli and Peter Del Vecho, BU alumni, secured another win for "Big Hero 6" in the Best Animated Feature category. Additionally, alumna Bonnie Arnold received a nomination for Best Animated Feature for the "How to Train Your Dragon" series.
In 2014, The Hollywood Reporter acknowledged the significant number of female Boston University graduates working in Hollywood, estimating over 5,000 alums, with 54 percent being women, employed in the entertainment industry.
In 2014, former Boston mayor Thomas Menino became a professor of the practice of political science at Boston University until his death later that year.
In 2014, the average GPA of a Boston University undergraduate was 3.16.
In February 2015, the faculty at Boston University adopted an open-access policy. This policy aimed to make the university's scholarly work publicly accessible online.
In 2015, Julianne Moore was named to Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
In Fall 2015, the demographic distribution of Boston University students was: 50.6% white, 14% Asian, 11.6% international, 8.6% Hispanic, and 3.2% black. Among international students, 43% were Chinese, 9% Indian, 5% Korean, 5% Saudi Arabian, 4% Canadian, 4% Taiwanese, 2% Turkish, and 1% from various other countries. Also, BU had the largest number of Jewish students out of all private schools in the U.S.
In 2016, Boston University put the BU Theatre property, previously associated with the Huntington Theatre Company on Huntington Avenue, up for sale, casting a shadow over the future of the organization. BU replaced the old Huntington Theatre facilities 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 and College of Fine Arts Production Center.
In 2016, Boston University's $1 billion fundraising campaign goal was reached.
In 2016, Boston University's campuses were featured in the movie "Ghostbusters".
In 2016, Sherwin Gatchalian, a Boston University alumnus, was elected as a Philippine senator.
In 2016, the Boston University Men's Club Volleyball team won the NCVF 1AA National Championship.
In 2016, the Chronicle of Higher Education placed 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 Boston University School of Law to lead a $350 million trans-Atlantic public-private partnership called CARB-X to foster the preclinical development of new antibiotics and antimicrobial rapid diagnostics and vaccines.
In May 2017, renovations began on the BU Castle to create the Dahod Family Alumni Center. The renovation was completed in fall 2018.
In May 2017, Boston University withdrew its support from the Photographic Resource Center, which was then located at 832 Commonwealth Avenue. The center then became a resident partner with the College of Art and Design at Lesley University.
In 2017, Boston University created the Travis M. Roy Professorship in Rehabilitation Sciences after receiving $2.5 million in donations.
In 2017, Boston University received a $20 million grant over five years from the NSF to establish an Engineering Research Center (ERC) with the goal of bioengineering functional heart tissue.
In 2017, David Grann, a Boston University alumnus, 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 Boston University to support research at the intersection of life sciences and engineering, creating 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, featuring glass and steel construction on Commonwealth Avenue.
In 2018, Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development was renamed following the merger with Wheelock College.
In 2018, Boston University purchased the former Wheelock College after negotiations in the preceding year. The acquired institution is now referred to as the Boston University Fenway Campus.
In 2018, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, formerly Wheelock College, merged with Boston University, and the Fenway campus now houses the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development.
In September 2019, Boston University's fundraising campaign concluded, raising a total of $1.85 billion over seven years.
As of 2019, Boston University sold or leased several building sites it owned in Kenmore Square to real estate developers. Large multistory buildings are being constructed there.
In 2019, Boston University created the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, an interdisciplinary academic unit.
In 2019, Boston University expanded its financial aid program to meet the full financial needs of all domestic students who qualify for financial aid, starting in fall 2020.
In 2019, Geena Davis was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Academy for her humanitarian efforts that brought credit to the film industry.
In 2019, the Boston University Women's ice hockey team won a Beanpot title again.
On March 11, 2020, Boston University closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shifted 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 began administering its own COVID-19 testing for faculty, staff, and students. The BU Clinical Testing Laboratory was established to accelerate testing, and a contact tracing team was formed to manage infections on campus. The university also launched the "Back2BU" website to provide reopening information, and test results were published on a public COVID-19 Testing Data Dashboard.
In August 2020, Boston University filed a service mark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase "F*ck It Won't Cut It" to be used as a slogan for a student-led COVID-19 safety program on campus. The slogan aimed to promote safe behaviors in a COVID-19 environment.
On October 29, 2020, Travis Roy, a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and former BU ice hockey player, passed away.
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, although the NCAA tournament was canceled.
In July 2021, Boston University announced that faculty and staff would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall 2022 semester. This followed a previous announcement requiring all students to be vaccinated.
In September 2021, Boston University completed a $115 million project to renovate and expand the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. The project expanded clinical spaces, added a simulation learning center, and improved collaborative spaces for students.
In 2021, Boston University launched the Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID), which focuses on public health and policy research addressing infectious disease preparedness and response.
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. The institute advances cross-disciplinary research on sustainability with a focus on justice and equity.
In September 2022, Robert A. Brown announced that he would step down as president of Boston University at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, despite his contract running through 2025. He planned to resume teaching at the university.
In October 2022, Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) conducted research modifying the original COVID-19 virus strain with Omicron variant spike proteins. The resulting virus was more lethal to lab mice than Omicron but less lethal than the original strain. The research faced criticism as potentially dangerous "gain of function" research, with debates over whether it met the technical definition. Despite internal approvals, the US Government's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a funder of the lab, was not notified.
On December 8, 2022, the ceremonial opening of a new building was held, and was covered by publications including Bloomberg, The Boston Globe, and CBS News. The building was praised for being the largest carbon-neutral building in Boston and for its unusual design. The ribbon cutting ceremony was performed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, President Robert A. Brown, and other important figures.
In 2022, BU's medical school was renamed the Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, following a $100 million gift from Edward Avedisian.
In 2022, Hong Chau, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "The Whale".
In 2022, the 19-story Center for Computing and Data Sciences opened at Boston University, featuring glass and steel construction on Commonwealth Avenue.
In May 2023, CARB-X secured renewed funding from the UK government (£24M over four years) and 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 began serving as president ad interim of Boston University.
In October 2023, Melissa Gilliam was named the incoming president of Boston University, with her term starting on July 1, 2024.
In 2023, Boston University Academy (BUA) had an enrollment of 234 students in grades 9-12 with 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 were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.
In 2023, David Grann's 2017 novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI was adapted into a film directed by Martin Scorsese.
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 Boston University 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 Myles Standish Hall. The building 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, making him the second Terrier to be drafted first overall.
On October 16, 2024, the 2024 Boston University strikes ended.
In December 2024, the Center for Computing & Data Sciences was renamed the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences.
In 2024, Boston University reported in $579.5M million in total research awards.
In 2024, Times Higher Education ranked Boston University 34th in the Global University Employability Rankings.
On March 2, 2025, the Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) telescope landed on the moon aboard NASA's Blue Ghost lunar lander. This marked a first for BU.
In April 2025, CEID debuted its flagship program, the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON), an open access, informal biothreats surveillance and program in partnership with the Hariri Institute for Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University and HealthMap at Boston Children’s Hospital.
In 2025, Boston University was ranked No. 171 nationally in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse U.S. colleges and universities ranking.
In 2025, Boston University was selected for the Emerging Group's Global Employability University Ranking and Survey (GEURS), ranking 34th in the world and 12th in the U.S.
In 2025, the Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Boston University 38–48 in the United States, and 101–150 in the world.
In 2025, the Boston University women's tennis team won the post-season conference tournament, defeating Navy and Army, and holding 28 conference titles.
U.S. News & World Report's 2025 list ranked Boston University's online graduate information technology programs 10th in the U.S., the online graduate criminal justice programs tied for 6th, and the online graduate business programs (excluding MBAs) tied for 10th.
In 2026, QS World University Rankings ranked Boston University 88th overall in the world.
In 2026, Times Higher Education ranked Boston University 76th in the world.
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