Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History
Sauer, Anne
Branco, Jessica
Bennett, John
Crowley, Zachary
2000
Jean Mayer U.S.D.A Human Nutrition Research Center, 1979
The Jean Mayer U.S.D.A. Human Nutrition Research Center, designed by architects Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, and Abbott, opened in 1982. The building, a joint project of Tufts and the United States Department of Agriculture, was constructed to house facilities for a variety of programs dedicated to research in nutrition, health, and aging. It was named in honor of Tufts president and renowned nutritionist, Jean Mayer. | |
The groundbreaking for the $32 million project took place in December 1979, after the Department of Agriculture granted Tufts funding to begin construction. At the time, the building was the first and largest nutritional research center in the country. The building was constructed to house research facilities to determine what role nutrition plays in the aging process, and what nutrient requirements are optimal for a healthy and vigorous lifespan. | |
Completed in 1982, the fifteen-story building contains clinical research facilities, special kitchen and dining facilities, outpatient facilities for local community studies, a 230-seat auditorium, offices, seminar rooms, and a large library. The third and fourth floors of the building contain animal quarters with advanced environmental control systems. These quarters are capable of holding up to 15,000 small animals. The center also contains living facilities for up to twenty-eight volunteers participating in long term studies. | |
As of 2001, the Jean Mayer U.S.D.A. Human Nutrition Research Center, located at the corner of Washington and Stuart Streets in Boston, continues to house the facilities of the joint research projects. It provides research facilities for up to fifty scientists and over one hundred and fifty staff members. | |
Source: TC1982 | |
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