Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater State University
Mid-August Report: When the academic year opens in September, the report will resume publishing on a weekly basis.
A Most Significant Milestone: Bridgewater State University About to Begin its 185th Academic Year
Ms. Abigail Morton was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1821 and entered Bridgewater Normal School on September 9, 1840, one of the 21 women and seven men in the first class.
Nicholas Tillinghast, a West Point graduate and war-tested veteran, was the principal and, in that first year, its sole instructor.
The classroom was in the basement of Bridgewater's old Town Hall.
Miss Morton's picture, taken in later life, is the only image of a student in that first class which has survived.
As Bridgewater State University prepares to open its 185th academic year on September 3rd, we recall Miss Morton, who devoted her life to promoting women's rights, later achieved significant national recognition as a leader of the Women's Industrial Union in Boston (she has a lengthy biography in Wikipedia).
Special calendar event: "Founders Fest," one of a series of events planned to celebrate the opening of the new academic year, will be held on Tuesday, September 9, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in University Park on East Campus. There will be food, fun, and games for all to enjoy.
BSU Celebrates Fourth Annual Juneteenth Flag Raising
Ms. Jenise Campbell-Means, pictured above, was the host at the Juneteenth Flag Raising held at BSU in June.
This, the fourth annual celebration at Bridgewater State, "honors freedom, unity, and the ongoing pursuit of justice. Hear from community leaders, students, and special guests as they reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth, share personal stories, and call for continued progress."
The program was recorded by the university's video team and the event may be viewed by clicking on the link below:
Bridgewater State Honors Memory of Lt. Raymond Wise
We're grateful to Mr. Brian Benson, G '23, of BSU's Office of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications for his article about the naming this month of a major road on East Campus in honor of the late Lt. Raymond Wise of the Bridgewater State University Police Department.
"Lieutenant Wise was for 13 years a member of the department until his sudden passing in 2004," wrote Mr. Benson.
President Fred Clark, Police Chief Glen Anderson, former Police Chief David Tillinghast and members of Lt. Wise's family were among those present for the naming ceremony.
The full story, with photos, may be accessed at this web address:
BSU Undergraduates Present Research at
National Conference
We're grateful to Ms. Heather Harris Michonski of BSU's Office of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications for sharing with us the following story:
"Rising Bridgewater State University seniors Anna Connor and Haiden Powers traveled to Philadelphia last semester to present their undergraduate research at the College English Association Conference. According to Dr. Ann Brunjes, professor of English and department chairperson, this was "sort of a unique situation," she said.
“It’s unusual for undergrads to present at professional conferences in our field,” Dr. Brunjes said.
Encouraged by English Professor Benjamin Carson, Anna and Haiden decided to participate and found it to be less intimidating than they initially worried.
Ms. Michonski's article may be read in full at the following web address:
https://www.bridgew.edu/stories/2025/novel-research
Memory Lane: Provost Emeritus Dr. Howard London
Recently Dr. Howard London, Provost Emeritus at Bridgewater State University, agreed to be interviewed about his life and his long career at BSU and that conversation was videotaped.
In a future edition of Generations of Service, the interview will be published.
Dr. London joined the faculty of the Department of Sociology in 1980, later became Bridgewater's second Dean of Arts and Sciences and ultimately was elevated to be the Provost of the university.
He retired in 2014.
We share, in this report, one segment of that interview . . . Dr. London recalls a BSU student, now alumna, Ms. Elizabeth Boca, and shares highlights of her inspiring story.
Click on the link below to watch the interview:
Memory Lane: Professor of Art Emeritus Stephen Smalley
Professor of Art Emeritus Dr. Stephen Smalley, who joined the faculty in 1972 as chairman of the Department of Art - and who three years later led the effort to move the department from cramped quarters in Boyden Hall to its present-day home on West Campus - recently was interviewed for a profile in a future edition of Generations of Service.
Dr. Smalley, who spent more than thirty years on the BSU faculty, and has lectured and exhibited both nationally and internationally, shared in the video an explanation about his most recent work - still in progress - which features one of his favorite themes: King Henry VIII of England.
To see the video, please click on then link below:
This concludes the report for August 18, 2025