The story
Endicott College was founded as Endicott Junior College in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe. Originally a two-year women's college, its mission was educating women for greater independence and an enhanced position in the workplace. The school was named for John Endicott, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that same year. It graduated its first class, 20 students, in 1941. In 1944, the school was approved by the state for the granting of associate degrees, and in 1952, Endicott was accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In 1975, the college dropped the "Junior" from its name, becoming just Endicott College. In 1994, Endicott became co-educational.
George Bierkoe served as Endicott's first president from its opening until 1971. Eleanor Tupper then served as president until 1980. She subsequently wrote Endicott and I, published in 1985, which details the founding and history of the college. Carol Hawkes became the third president of Endicott College in 1980, and during her tenure the college transitioned from a two-year to a four-year institution. Francis Gamelin served as Endicott's fourth president as the college searched for Hawkes' successor. In 1988, Richard E. Wylie became Endicott's fifth president. Wylie's 30-year tenure was marked by major growth; the college built more than 20 new buildings and expanded its footprint to 235 acres of land alongside Beverly's scenic coast. In 2018, Kathleen Hildreth Barnes stepped in as interim president while Endicott's board engaged in a search for the college's next president. On March 27, 2019, Endicott announced that Steven R. DiSalvo would become its seventh president. DiSalvo was inaugurated on September 27, 2019, and stepped down from his post on October 20, 2025, due to health issues. Prior to DiSalvo stepping down, Bryan Cain was named Acting President on March 24, 2025, and Interim President following DiSalvo's departure. On March 2, 2026, after a comprehensive process, Cain was appointed Endicott College's eighth president.
Endicott's campus includes many historic buildings. On June 6, 1939, Endicott College purchased its first building, an estate known today as Reynolds Hall, which has served as a residence hall since the college opened on September 17, 1939. In 1940, Endicott College purchased two more buildings: Alhambra and College Hall. Both structures were a part of the William Amory Gardner estates. Built in 1750 by Thomas Woodbury, Alhambra is the oldest building on Endicott's campus, and prior to its purchase, was used as a summer home by Isabella Stewart Gardner (until 1906). Since its purchase by the college, it has been used as student housing. College Hall, built in 1916, was designed as a summer home by Henry Richards and subsequently purchased by Endicott in 1940. The building currently houses multiple administrative offices, including the Office of the President.In 1943 Endicott purchased the 1904 home of Bryce and Anna Allan, designed and built by architect Guy Lowell, and later named it Tupper Manor after the second president of the college. Today, the property is a part of the Wylie Inn and Conference Center. Winthrop Hall, built in 1845, was purchased by Endicott in 1944. In the 19th century, Winthrop's hidden stairway aided slaves en route to Canada via the Underground Railroad, and during World War II, the property was used by the United States Coast Guard as a coastline security facility. After it was purchased by the college, Winthrop became home to Endicott's first president. Today, the building is used as student housing.
In 2014, there were nearly 3,000 undergraduate students, over 2,500 students enrolled in the School of Graduate & Professional Studies, hundreds of students studying abroad, and more than 25,000 alumni worldwide.
From Wikipedia’s article on Endicott College, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5