Worcester State University (WSU) is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

. The fourth largest of the Commonwealth’s nine Universities, WSU enrolls over 4800 undergraduates and nearly 900 graduate students in more than 80 undergraduate majors and minors and 32 graduate programs. WSU was one of several Massachusetts State Universities that was founded as a normal school in the 19th century before evolving into a state college in the 1960s and achieving university status in 2012. WSU is administered by the

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) is a state agency of Massachusetts overseeing tertiary education. Its headquarters is in One Ashburton Place in Boston. Its Office of Student Financial Assistance is in Malden, Massachusetts, Malde ...

which oversees 29 campuses including community colleges, state universities, and research universities across the Commonwealth.

History

Founded in 1874 as the Massachusetts State Normal School at Worcester, WSU was the fifth of nine teacher training colleges in the state. Spurred by the success of a city-run normal school founded two years earlier, its

school committee A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

successfully petitioned the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...

for a state-sponsored institution in

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

. The original campus was located in a Second Empire-style stone building on St. Ann's Hill, near the city's downtown. By 1900, the campus included a president's house, the "Stoddard Terrace" residence hall, and a turreted gymnasium annex. This site would serve WSU for nearly sixty years until the current Chandler Street campus opened in 1932. The first "principal" of WSU, Elias Harlow Russell (1874–1909), shaped the school's early curriculum. A pioneer in the Child Study Movement that emphasized childhood development and educational reform efforts, Russell partnered with colleague

G. Stanley Hall Granville Stanley Hall (February 1, 1844 – April 24, 1924) was an American psychologist and educator who earned the first doctorate in psychology awarded in the United States of America at Harvard University in the nineteenth century. His ...

, who later became President of

Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research uni ...

, to develop a program that placed normal school students in city schools. Russell was later succeeded by Francis Randsom Lane (1909–1912). In the 1920s, WSU followed national trends in teacher education by introducing a broader array of college courses and a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1921 culminating in a new designation of Worcester State Teachers College in 1932. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

threatened the College as the state proposed cost-cutting measures that would eliminate many schools. Presidents William B. Aspinwall (1912–1940) and Clinton E. Carpenter (1940–1946) led the college through this crisis and set the stage for post-war development under the presidency of Eugene A. Sullivan (1947–1970). President Sullivan oversaw the expansion of the WSU curriculum. In 1952, the college introduced a Master of Science in Education, and in 1963, a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1960 the school was designated Worcester State College. Sullivan also oversaw the development of a collegiate athletic system, introducing varsity sports in 1950 and constructing a new gymnasium building in 1958. President Robert E. Leestamper (1970–1975), further expanded graduate programs and introduced professional programs such as nursing and business. In 1973, Chandler Village was created as the first residence halls on the Chandler Street campus. The tenure of presidents Joseph J. Orze (1975–1982) and Phillip D. Vario (1982–1992) expanded the campus with the addition of a student center and a new residence hall, named Dowden Hall, as well as continued support of varsity sports and degree offerings in speech and occupational therapy. Under the tenure of President Vario, the school joined the

Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) is an international membership organization of colleges and universities located in urban and metropolitan areas that share common understandings of their institutional missions and val ...

. The Worcester State Foundation was created in 1994, during the presidency of Kaylan K. Ghosh (1992–2002), to support school fundraising efforts. During the following decade, the campus grew to include the new Ghosh Science and Technology Center, as well as an additional residence hall and parking structure, which was built during the tenure of President Janelle C. Ashley (2002–2011). In 2010, WSU reorganized into two schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Education, Health, and Natural Sciences. That same year, the state granted Massachusetts State Colleges

university status A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

and the college became the Worcester State University. In 2011, Worcester State installed its eleventh president, Barry M. Maloney. That same year, students and faculty relaunched the ''

Worcester Spy The ''Worcester Spy'', originally known as the ''Massachusetts Spy'', was a newspaper founded in 1770 in Boston, Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas, dedicated to supporting the Revolutionary cause against the British. In the 19th century, it became ...

'', a newspaper originally founded in 1775. At the end of the 2020–2021 academic year, nearby

Becker College Becker College was a private college in Worcester and Leicester, Massachusetts. Becker College traced its history from the union of two Massachusetts educational institutions—one founded in 1784 and the other in 1887. The college closed at th ...

closed, and transferred custody of their academic records to WSU.

Campus

WSU is located on Chandler Street in the Tatnuck neighborhood of Worcester. The 58-acre campus includes woods and wetlands, and features several buildings constructed on a steep, east-facing slope. In the late nineteenth century, the campus was the site of "Willow Farm", home of William Sever Lincoln (1811–1889), who led the

34th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 34th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 34th Massachusetts Infantry was organized at Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and was

brevetted In military terminology, a brevet ( or ) is a warrant which gives commissioned officers a higher military rank as a reward without necessarily conferring the authority and privileges granted by that rank. The promotion would be noted in the of ...

Brigadier General in 1865. He was the son of

Levi Lincoln Jr. Levi Lincoln Jr. (October 25, 1782 – May 29, 1868) was an American lawyer and politician from Worcester, Massachusetts. He was the 13th governor of Massachusetts (1825–1834) and represented the state in the U.S. Congress (1834–1841). Lin ...

, former

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

. The property was later purchased by Worcester industrialist George I. Rockwood for whom Worcester's Rockwood Field, adjacent to WSU's campus, is named. In 1930, the farm was acquired for WSU's new campus and, in 1942, an additional thirty-five acres were added, forming the campus's current boundaries . Today, about thirty-percent of full-time students reside on campus.

Buildings

*Ghosh Science and Technology Center (2000): The center is named after former President Ghosh and features offices, laboratories, and classrooms for Biology, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Computer Science, Earth, Environment, and Physics, Health Sciences, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy programs. *Learning Resource Center (1971): The center includes the university library, along with classrooms and academic departments, namely the Communication, Criminal Justice, and Visual and Performing Arts, and Information Technology Services and Multicultural Affairs offices. The building also includes campus mail services. In 2010 building was re-clad in its distinctive metallic siding during renovations. *May Street Building (1949): Built as the home of Temple Emanuel Sinai, WSU purchased the multipurpose building in 2015 to house classrooms, auditoriums, the Department of Sociology, and offices for the Center for Business and Industry. *Sagamore Studios: The studios hold visual arts classes within the Worcester Center for Crafts, located at 25 Sagamore Road. *Shaughnessy Administration Building (1932): Named for Helen G. Shaughnessy ('43) who served as a long-time educator and administrator, the building houses administrative offices including the offices of the President and the Provost, and offices for Admissions, Alumni, Development, Financial Aid, Graduate and Continuing Education, Marketing, and the Registrar. The building includes the Fuller Theater, a 166-seat venue created within the original campus auditorium. *Student Center (1978): The center includes student organization offices, meeting spaces, lounges, and dining areas. Included are offices for Career Services, Commuter Services, International Programs, Military Affairs and Veterans Services, and Student Involvement and Leadership Development. *Sullivan Academic Center (1966): The center houses classrooms and offices for multiple academic departments. Included are Business and Economics, Education, English, History and Political Science, Mathematics, philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, and Urban Studies. The center also includes the Sullivan and Eager Auditoriums. Originally the science building, the facility was renamed the Dr. Eugene A. Sullivan Building in 1980 in honor of the fifth university president. *Wellness Center (2016): The newest campus building, the center features multipurpose gymnasiums, exercise areas and classrooms. Included are offices for the Department of Athletics

Residence halls

*Chandler Village (1973): The village is an apartment-style complex that accommodates 420 students. It was the first student housing built on the Chandler Street campus. *Dowden Hall (1990): Named after Vera M. Dowden, a former education faculty member, the building was expanded in 2010 to include space for 177 students. *Sheehan Hall (2014): Named in honor of James F. Sheehan ('55), a

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

Lieutenant Colonel, the hall houses 400 students. It also houses the main campus dining hall, as well as Health Services, the Office of Residence Life and Housing, and recreational facilities. *Wasylean Hall (2004): Named after Phillip M. Wasylean II ('63), the hall accommodates 350 students. The university police station is located on the ground floor. In 2005, the building received an Honor Award for Design Excellence from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

of Central Massachusetts.

Athletics

Worcester State Lancers wordmark Worcester State athletics teams are nicknamed the ''Lancers''. The university is a

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...

member of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) in the

Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Full member institutions are all located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with affiliate mem ...

(MASCAC), of which it is a charter member. The field hockey and women's tennis teams also used to compete within the

Little East Conference The Little East Conference (LEC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. The member institutions are located in all six states of New England. History Chro ...

(LEC), before Field Hockey was incorporated as a sponsored sport by the MASCAC. Worcester State claimed the first MASCAC Field Hockey title in 2023. Formerly, the men's football team played in the

Commonwealth Coast Football Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) was a single-sport athletic conference that competed in football in the NCAA's Division III. It began play as CCC Football in 2017 after the New England Football Conference (NEFC) was renamed following ...

(CCC) between 1985 and 2013. WSU Fields

Their main venue is the John F. Coughlin Memorial Field, a two-thousand seat capacity venue that is located on Chandler Street. Teams also use the Wellness Center, Rockwood Park, and the Worcester Ice Center for games. Coughlin Field was the home soccer field of the

Worcester Kings Worcester Kings were an American soccer team, founded in 2002, who were members of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2003, after which the team left the league and t ...

of the

Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...

for their only two seasons before dissolving. In 2016, WSU unveiled a new mascot, named Chandler H. Lancer, at the

Worcester Art Museum The Worcester Art Museum houses over 38,000 works of art dating from antiquity to the present day and representing cultures from all over the world. The museum opened in 1898 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Its holdings include Roman mosaics, Europe ...

Rankings

In 2024, Worcester State University was ranked 96th out of 181 "Regional Universities" in North by U.S. News & World Report and 450th in the nation by

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Notable faculty

* Gerard T. Indelicato (dean) * Jacob Hen-Tov (history) * Julie E. Wollman (academic affairs)

Notable alumni

* Bill Adamaitis (1951), professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player *

Agnes Ballard Agnes Ballard (September 14, 1877 – November 24, 1969) was an American architect and educator. She was the first female registered architect in Florida, the sixth woman admitted to the American Institute of Architects and the first from Florida ...

(1905), architect * John Binienda (1970), member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

Tyler Boudreau Tyler E. Boudreau is an American military veteran. After serving in the Iraq War, he wrote a book about his experiences in the Marine Corps and continues to be active in areas regarding the military, the war, and veterans issues. Life and caree ...

(1997),

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

veteran * David W. Breneman (honorary), educator and economist * Mario J. Bruno (2000), regional chief executive officer of the

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

* Kevin Campbell (1973),

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

veteran *

Mark Carron Mark J. Carron (born July 8, 1962, in Springfield, Massachusetts) is an American politician who represented the 6th Worcester District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 and was a member of the Southbridge, Massachus ...

, member of the

Brien Cullen } Brien A. Cullen (born November 30, 1955) is an American former college football coach. Cullen served as the head coach for the Worcester State Lancers from 1983 to 2019. Career Cullen graduated from Worcester State College with a Bachelor o ...

(1977),

coach for Worcester State Lancers *

John Dufresne John Dufresne (born January 30, 1948) is an American author of French Canadian descent born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester State College in 1970 and the University of Arkansas in 1984. He is a professor in the Master of ...

(1970), professor at the

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

Mary Fell Mary Fell (born September 22, 1947 Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American poet and academic. Life She graduated from Worcester State College majoring in English and it was here that she first became interested in poetry. Fell and fellow poet F ...

(1969), poet *

Kimberly Ferguson Kimberly N. Ferguson is an American politician from Massachusetts. Ferguson is a Republican member of Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 1st Worcester district. Education Ferguson earned a certificate in Education ...

, member of the

Daniel Garvey Daniel Garvey is an American academic and administrator. He is the former president of Prescott College in Arizona. Prior to becoming president of Prescott College, Garvey was a professor at the University of New Hampshire. He works at Prescott Co ...

(1973), President Emeritus of

Prescott College Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona, United States. History Prescott College was founded in 1966 after a conference titled "Emergence of a Concept". Conveners Charles Parker and the Ford Foundation brought together leade ...

Bob Haas Robert D. Haas (born April 3, 1942) is the chairman emeritus of Levi Strauss & Co., son of Walter A. Haas Jr., and the great-great-grandnephew of the company's founder, Levi Strauss. Haas served as the company's president and CEO (1984-1999 ...

, professional football player * Jimmy Kang (2006), music entrepreneur * Paul King,

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

referee * Todd Leach (1983), Chancellor of the

University System of New Hampshire The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is a system of public colleges and universities in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It was established in 1963 and is responsible for overseeing the University of New Hampshire - Durham, the Universi ...

* Raymond Mariano (1973), former

Mayor of Worcester The Mayor of Worcester is the civic head of Worcester City Council. Every May one of the city Councillors is elected to serve as Mayor for a year. Another is elected as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor chairs meetings of the Full Council, represents the c ...

* Mary McNally (1978), member of the

Montana Senate The Montana State Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Half of the Senate is up for election every two years. ...

Joe Morrone Joseph John Morrone Jr (October 20, 1935 – September 16, 2015) was an American head men's collegiate soccer coach. He is the father of former soccer midfielder Joseph "Joe" M. Morrone He coached soccer at the University of Connecticut from ...

(1963), soccer coach for the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

Huskies Husky is a general term for a type of dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies ...

* David Muradian (2005), member of the

Don Nardo Don Nardo (born February 22, 1947) is an American historian, composer, and writer. With more than five hundred and forty published books, he is one of the most prolific authors in the United States, and one of the country's foremost writers of his ...

(1974), historian and writer *

DJ Obi Obinna Levi Ajuonuma (born 29 April 1985), professionally known as DJ Obi, is a Nigerian disc jockey, Syndik8 Record's official DJ and founder Obi's House. He won Best World DJ at the 2011 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. He was nominated for 2016 ...

, disc jockey * Jim O'Day (1983), member of the

Steve Palermo Stephen Michael Palermo (October 9, 1949 – May 14, 2017) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1977 to 1991. His field career ended when he was shot in the back following his decision to interv ...

(1971),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

umpire * Lorine Pruette,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

Tony Reno Tony Peter Niemistö (born 10 February 1963) is a semi-retired Swedish musician, best known as Tony Reno, the original drummer in the rock band Europe. He played on Europe's first two albums, ''Europe'' and '' Wings of Tomorrow''. He was fired ...

(1997),

coach for

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

Brian Skerry Brian Skerry is an American photojournalist and film producer specializing in marine life and ocean environments. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine with more than 30 stories to his credit, includ ...

(1985), photographer *

Aron Stevens Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American retired professional wrestler working as a manager in the National Wrestling Alliance under the name Aron Stevens. He is best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow ...

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

wrestler, billed as "Damien Sandow" *

Sarah Ella Wilson Sarah Ella Wilson (April 7, 1874 – November 1, 1955) was an African American educator and clubwoman based in Massachusetts. Early life Sarah Ella Wilson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of George M. and Elizabeth Allen Wilson. ...

(1894), educator *

Geoffrey Zakarian Geoffrey Zakarian (born July 25, 1959) is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is the executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City, and Miami. Gillespie, Nick and Amanda Winkler (2013-11 ...

(1981), chef

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control Public universities and colleges in Massachusetts Universities and colleges in Worcester, Massachusetts Universities and colleges established in 1874 1874 establishments in Massachusetts