53-642: Commonwealth Avenue Historic District may refer to: Commonwealth Avenue Historic District (Newton, Massachusetts) , on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Commonwealth Avenue Historic District (North Attleborough, Massachusetts) , on the NRHP See also [ edit ] Commonwealth (disambiguation) Commonwealth Avenue (disambiguation) Commonwealth Club Historic District , Richmond, Virginia [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
106-487: A " city upon a hill ", he re-imagined Boston College as a beacon of Jesuit scholarship. Less than a year after taking office, he purchased Amos Adams Lawrence 's farm on Chestnut Hill , six miles (10 km) west of downtown. He organized an international competition for the design of a campus master plan and set about raising funds for the construction of the "new" university. Construction began in 1909. By 1913, construction costs had surpassed available funds, and, as
159-567: A more sophisticated financial strategy. BC merged with Newton College of the Sacred Heart in that same year, acquiring its 40-acre campus just 1.5 miles away, which allowed the Boston College Law School to relocate and provided much-needed housing for an increasingly residential student body. In April 1976, BC launched a capital campaign with a goal of raising $ 21 million but ultimately secured $ 25 million. By 1982,
212-515: A play on the "bald" head of the American bald eagle and the word "win," embodies the spirit of the Eagles. "For Boston" is claimed to be America's oldest college fight song , composed by T. J. Hurley in 1885. It has two verses but the most commonly sung one is the first verse. Boston-based band Dropkick Murphys covered this song on their album Sing Loud, Sing Proud! . Changes have been made to
265-409: A residential model, small class sizes, and mentorship, preparing graduates for workforce entry or transfer to four-year institutions. Its annual operating budget is approximately $ 1.02 billion. The most recent and ongoing fundraising campaign, dubbed "Soaring Higher", was announced on September 28, 2023. The campaign aims to raise $ 3 billion, double the last campaign's goal. Of this goal, $ 1.1 billion
318-403: A result, Gasson Hall , "New BC's" main building, stood alone on Chestnut Hill for its first three years. While Maginnis's ambitious plans were never fully realized, BC's first "capital campaign"—which included a large replica of Gasson Hall's clock tower set up on Boston Common to measure the fundraising progress—ensured that President Gasson's vision survived. By the 1920s, BC began to fill out
371-535: A similarly broad range of sports, including ACC competitions in basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Beyond the ACC, they also compete in fencing, ice hockey, sailing, and skiing. The main venue for football is Alumni Stadium , which accommodates 44,500 spectators. It stands as the centerpiece of Boston College’s athletic facilities. Conte Forum , housing Kelley Rink , serves as
424-621: Is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education . The Order of the Cross and Crown, founded in 1939, is the College of Arts and Sciences honor society for seniors who have achieved an average of at least A−, as well as established records of unusual service and leadership on the campus. The selections committee, composed of the deans, faculty members, and administration, appoints specially distinguished members of
477-710: Is 175 acres and features over 120 buildings set atop a hill overlooking the Chestnut Hill Reservoir . The campus is accessible via the Boston College station , situated at St. Ignatius Gate. This station serves as the western terminus of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line 's B branch (also known as the "Boston College" line), connecting the university to downtown Boston and other destinations. In 2017, Boston College acquired
530-714: Is a historic district and features some of the earliest examples of collegiate gothic architecture in North America . The campus is 6 miles west of downtown Boston . Boston College athletic teams are the Eagles . Their colors are maroon and gold and their mascot is Baldwin the Eagle . The Eagles compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports offered by
583-416: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Commonwealth Avenue Historic District (Newton, Massachusetts) The Commonwealth Avenue Historic District of Newton, Massachusetts , encompasses roughly the eastern half of Commonwealth Avenue , extending from Waban Hill Road, near the city line with Boston , westward to Walnut Street. The roadway
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#1732791423190636-621: Is earmarked for student financial aid, $ 750 million is for student life initiatives, and $ 1.15 billion is for academic programs. As of 2005, there were 112 Jesuits living on the Boston College campus, including members of the faculty and administration, graduate students, and visiting international scholars. The chapel for the university is located in St. Mary's Hall, the Jesuit residential facility. Additional BC chapels are Trinity Chapel on
689-740: Is substituted for "Hispanic"), has become common on a number of other American university campuses. Boston College, which has registered the term AHANA as a trademark , has granted official permission for its use to over 50 institutions and organizations in the United States . Many more use the term unofficially. Other institutions that use the AHANA acronym include Suffolk University , Cleveland State University , Eastern Mennonite University , Saint Martin's University , Le Moyne College , and Salem State University . There have been cases of racist graffiti and vandalism on dorm walls. "Alma Mater"
742-560: The Forbes 2023 edition of "America's Top Colleges". In 2016, the undergraduate school of business, the Carroll School of Management , placed 3rd in an annual ranking of U.S. undergraduate business schools by Bloomberg Businessweek . A 2007 Princeton Review survey of parents that asked "What 'dream college' would you most like to see your child attend were prospects of acceptance or cost not issues?" placed BC 6th. Boston College
795-836: The Archdiocese of Boston . This included the archdiocese's former headquarters, sold to the university in 2004 for $ 107,400,000. This land holds a variety of buildings for the school of theology, along with facilities for the men's baseball and women's softball team. The Brookline campus is home to Messina College (formerly Pine Manor College), which includes several residence halls and other academic and athletic facilities. Messina College opened in July 2024 for over 100 first-generation college students. It offers associate degrees in applied data science, health sciences, general business, and applied psychology and human development. The college emphasizes support for underprivileged students through
848-558: The Big East Conference from 1979–80 to 2004–05. Notably, Boston College was the only Catholic institution that played football in the Big East. The men’s teams participate in several ACC sports, such as baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field. Additionally, the Eagles compete in non-ACC sports like fencing, ice hockey, sailing, and skiing. The women’s teams have
901-500: The Yawkey Athletics Center , opened in 2005, further enhances the university's athletic infrastructure. The official school colors, maroon and gold, are displayed at all athletic events. Eagle mascot – Baldwin: The Eagle serves as the iconic mascot for Boston College, with the character Baldwin the Eagle representing this symbol of pride and tradition at football, hockey, and basketball games. Baldwin, named as
954-602: The 24-acre Mishkan Tefila Synagogue property in Chestnut Hill, which was previously used for administrative services and event parking. The synagogue's 806-seat auditorium has since been transformed into the university's largest theater venue for the Robsham Theater Arts Center, alongside a ballroom-style multi-purpose room and a hexagon-shaped meeting room for various events. An outdoor quad is also available for performances and gatherings. In 2019,
1007-504: The ACC. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East . Boston College's men's ice hockey team has won five national championships. Alumni and affiliates of the university include governors, ambassadors, members of Congress, scholars, writers, medical researchers, Hollywood actors, and professional athletes. Boston College alumni include three Rhodes , 22 Truman , and 171 Fulbright scholars. Boston College
1060-553: The Baroque Image," which helped establish the museum's reputation. Before the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Library opened in 1984, Bapst Library had served as BC’s main research facility since 1925. During Monan's tenure, the university transformed from a small college into a national institution. Monan played a key role in planning O’Neill Library to meet the needs of this transformation. In a 1992 interview, Monan expressed pride in
1113-567: The Boston College Master Plan was approved by city authorities, allowing the university to enter the design and planning phases for its ambitious development projects. Through these initiatives, Boston College has continued to adapt and evolve as a prominent institution in higher education. The Boston College campus is known generally as the "Heights" and to some as the "Crowned Hilltop" due largely to its location and presence of buildings featuring gothic towers reaching into
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#17327914231901166-483: The City of Newton took approximately 17 wooded acres of the property through eminent domain. In 2020, Boston College further expanded its mission by acquiring Pine Manor College , a financially struggling liberal arts institution in Chestnut Hill that served a significant number of first-generation and inner-city students. In 1975, Boston College merged with Newton College of the Sacred Heart . The Centre Street campus of
1219-623: The Hudson neighborhood of South End, Boston, Massachusetts , in 1857. On April 1, 1863, the College was granted a university charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , allowing the Board of Trustees to confer degrees typically awarded by colleges in the state. Reverend John Bapst , S.J., served as the first President of BC and launched the collegiate instruction program on September 5, 1864. The average age of students in its early years
1272-872: The Newton Campus, St. Joseph's Chapel in the Basement of Gonzaga Hall on Upper Campus, Simboli Hall Chapel on the Brighton Campus, and St. Catherine of Sienna Chapel in Cushing Hall. Over 70 Catholic Masses are celebrated on Campus each week during the Academic Year. The college also maintains close relations with the nearby Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. St. Columbkille Parish is a Catholic Church and elementary school in Brighton , Massachusetts , that has an alliance with BC. Under
1325-485: The Newton College has since become housing for freshman of Boston College and the current location of the Boston College Law School . Athletic fields for some of Boston College's teams have also been constructed on Newton Campus. The campus is located 1 mile west of the main campus and is serviced by the university bus system. Between 2004 and 2007, Boston College acquired 65 acres (260,000 m ) of land from
1378-507: The Order to be its officers as Chief Marshal and Marshals. Induction into the Cross and Crown Honor Society is one of the highest and most prestigious honors that BC students can receive. For the Class of 2028, Boston College received 35,475 applications, of which it admitted 15.9%, approximately the same as for the previous year's class. The interquartile (middle 50%) of admitted students of
1431-595: The agreement, the parish school is to be governed by a board of members and a board of trustees comprising representatives from the Archdiocese of Boston , Boston College, St. Columbkille Parish and the greater Boston community. Boston College is made up of a total of nine constituent colleges and schools: Boston College tied for 39th among national universities and tied for 625th among global universities in U.S. News & World Report 's "America's Best Colleges 2023-2024" rankings and 88th in
1484-532: The city's aversion to multiunit apartment blocks. A significant number of houses lining Commonwealth Avenue were designed by architects. The most prolific was Harry Morton Ramsay, who is documented to have designed at least 17 of them. Ramsay's work was in a variety of styles, with the Colonial Revival predominating in his work along this road. Most of these houses were built for well-to-do Boston businessmen and professionals. There are two areas along
1537-618: The class of 2025 who submitted test scores under Boston College's test-optional policy possessed scores between 1450 and 1520 on the SAT and 33–34 on the ACT . The accepted class includes students from all 50 states and 75 foreign countries. The college is need-blind for domestic applicants. Boston College's eight research libraries contain over two million printed volumes. Including manuscripts, journals, government documents and microform items, ranging from ancient papyrus scrolls to digital databases,
1590-504: The collections have some twelve million items. Together with the university's museums, they include original manuscripts and prints by Galileo , Ignatius of Loyola , and Francis Xavier as well as collections in Jesuitana , Irish literature, sixteenth-century Flemish tapestries, ancient Greek pottery, Caribbean folk art and literature, Japanese prints , U.S. government documents, Congressional Archives , and paintings that span
1643-934: The dimensions of its university charter, establishing the Boston College Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Boston College Law School , and the Woods College of Advancing Studies , followed successively by the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work , the Carroll School of Management , the Connell School of Nursing , and the Lynch School of Education and Human Development . In 1926, Boston College conferred its first degrees on women (though it did not become fully coeducational until 1970). On April 20, 1963, an address by President John F. Kennedy ,
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1696-643: The history of art from Europe , Asia , and the Americas . Libraries include: O'Neill, Bapst, Burns Library , Educational Resource Center of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development , BC Law Library, O'Connor Library at Weston Observatory (Boston College) , Social Work Library at the Boston College School of Social Work , and the Theology and Ministry Library. The McMullen Museum of Art , located on Boston College's Brighton campus,
1749-513: The home for basketball and ice hockey, with seating capacities of 8,606 and 7,884, respectively. The university also offers other key facilities, such as Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at John Shea Field, which is the home field for baseball with a capacity of 1,000, and the Newton Soccer Complex , which seats 1,000 fans. The Margot Connell Recreation Center provides additional support for athletic training and student recreation, while
1802-478: The library's impact, noting how it was often filled with students studying and contributing to the overall learning experience for both students and faculty. Opened in 1928, Bapst Library was named for the first president of Boston College ( Johannes Bapst , S.J., 1815 to 1887) and it was one of the few structures built according to Charles Donagh Maginnis' original "Oxford in America" master plan. Bapst served as
1855-481: The nation's first Catholic president who had received an honorary degree in 1956, was the highlight of a week-long centennial celebration. When J. Donald Monan , S.J. began his presidency on September 5, 1972, Boston College faced significant financial challenges, including a $ 30 million debt and a frozen salary structure for faculty and staff. During his tenure, the Boston College Board of Trustees
1908-620: The presidency of William P. Leahy , S.J., which began after Monan's tenure, Boston College experienced significant growth and development. In 2002, Leahy initiated the Church in the 21st Century program, addressing issues facing the Catholic Church in light of the clergy sexual abuse scandal , which positioned BC as a leader in advocating for Church reform. Plans to merge with the Weston Jesuit School of Theology furthered
1961-527: The revival styles popular in the early 20th century. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Commonwealth Avenue in Newton was built in 1895 as an extension of the boulevard of that name that ran through Boston, that would pass through the central part of the city, providing vehicular and street car service to an area not well served by its Circuit Railway. It
2014-647: The road where small commercial blocks were built: near the eastern end in the vicinity of Boston College , and at the corner of Centre Street. Boston College Boston College ( BC ) is a private Catholic Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts . Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus , the university has more than 15,000 total students. The university offers bachelor's degrees , master's degrees , and doctoral degrees through its eight colleges and schools. Its main campus
2067-455: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commonwealth_Avenue_Historic_District&oldid=1061011184 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2120-649: The sky. The main campus is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The University also encompasses the Connors Family Retreat and Conference Center in Dover, Massachusetts , the Weston Observatory in Weston, Massachusetts , and various other properties in the region. Boston College's main campus, located in Chestnut Hill, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown Boston,
2173-576: The song, including reworking the phrase "for here men are men" into "for here all are one" in the first verse. The Eagles annually wear red bandanna-themed uniforms in honor of fallen September 11, 2001 hero Welles Crowther , class of 1999. Crowther, who played on BC's lacrosse team, was an equity trader who died saving the lives of at least 10 people during the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. He used
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2226-420: The university had enjoyed a decade of financial stability, with an endowment of $ 36 million by the end of the 1981-82 academic year. Following an aggressive capital campaign in 1989 that raised $ 136 million, the endowment reached $ 250 million, surpassed $ 350 million in 1992, and exceeded $ 500 million by 1995. When Monan transitioned to University Chancellor in 1996, the endowment had grown to $ 590 million. Under
2279-469: The university's ambition to be a leading intellectual center for Catholic theology in the United States. In 2007, BC announced a $ 1.6 billion master plan for campus revitalization over ten years, aiming to enhance facilities and hire new faculty. While the plan received mixed reactions from city officials, it marked a significant step toward expanding the university's capabilities. By June 10, 2009,
2332-399: The university's main library until 1984. AHANA is the term Boston College uses to refer to persons of African-American , Hispanic , Asian , and Native American descent. The term was coined at Boston College in 1979 by two students, Alfred Feliciano and Valerie Lewis, who objected to the name "Office of Minority Programs" used by Boston College at the time. They cited the definition of
2385-459: The word minority as "less than" and proposed, instead, to use the term AHANA which they felt celebrated social cultural differences. After receiving overwhelming approval from the university's board of trustees , and UGBC president Dan Cotter, the Office of Minority Student Programs became the Office of AHANA Student Programs. The term, or one or its derivative forms, such as ALANA (where " Latino "
2438-800: Was based on the Jesuit Ratio Studiorum , emphasizing Latin , Greek , philosophy , and theology . Expansion of the South End buildings onto James Street enabled increased separation between the high school and college divisions, though Boston College High School remained a constituent part of Boston College until 1927, when it was separately incorporated . In 1907, newly installed President Thomas I. Gasson , S.J., determined that BC's cramped, urban quarters in Boston's South End were inadequate and unsuited for significant expansion. Inspired by John Winthrop 's early vision of Boston as
2491-539: Was established in 1993 and named in 1996 to honor John J. McMullen's parents. In 2016, it moved to a new facility with nearly double the exhibition space and enhanced features. The museum is recognized for its multidisciplinary exhibitions that contextualize art within broader political and cultural narratives, with notable collections including works by prominent artists such as Winslow Homer and Pablo Picasso. Significant exhibitions have included "Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement" and "Saints and Sinners: Caravaggio and
2544-565: Was founded through the efforts of the first Jesuit community in New England , which was established at St. Mary's Church in Boston in 1849. Jesuit priest John McElroy maintained the vision for what became BC, recognizing the need for an educational institution for the Irish Catholic immigrant population. With the approval of his Jesuit superiors, McElroy raised funds and purchased land for "The Boston College" on Harrison Avenue in
2597-430: Was fourteen, indicating a strong presence of high schoolers, which aligned with the Society of Jesuits 's preparatory tradition from Europe. The student body consisted mainly of local boys from greater Boston parishes, some of whom received scholarships, while campus life focused heavily on religious activities, requiring Catholic students to attend Mass, partake in confession, and join devotional societies. The curriculum
2650-509: Was laid out in 1894 and completed in 1895. Its design was influenced in part by the local residents, who were willing to give land for some of the route, and the design of Boston portions of the road, in which Frederick Law Olmsted was involved. Construction of the roadway was followed by the construction of fashionably large residences along its route, which took place mostly between the road's construction and about 1920. The district includes 188 residential properties, which are mainly built in
2703-610: Was modeled to some degree on that road and Beacon Street in Brookline , as a wide right of way with space for a street car line. (The Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway connected with the Boston Elevated Railway streetcars near the Newton-Boston boundary at Boston College ). It differs from those roads, in that the terrain is much hillier, requiring the road to wind in a more picturesque manner, and in
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#17327914231902756-423: Was restructured to include lay alumni and business leaders, moving away from its traditional composition of Society of Jesus members. In 1973, Monan appointed Frank B. Campanella as BC’s first executive vice president, focusing on fiscal matters and university administration. Campanella held this position until 1991. In 1974, BC adopted depreciation accounting, a novel approach at the time for universities, reflecting
2809-570: Was written by T. J. Hurley, who also wrote " For Boston " (the Boston College fight song ) and was a member of the Class of 1885. Boston College's athletic teams, known as the Eagles, compete at the NCAA Division I level across various sports, including football in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). They have been members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since the 2005–06 season after previously competing in
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