Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History
Sauer, Anne
Branco, Jessica
Bennett, John
Crowley, Zachary
2000
Tufts Administration Building, 1988
In 1988, Tufts purchased the Somerville Western Junior High School building for $1.65 million, planning on converting it into office space to make room for academics on the Tufts campus. Located on Holland Street in Somerville, about three blocks from the main campus, the Tufts Administration Building, as it was renamed, houses computer services, human resources, personnel, finance, and community relations offices. It also houses day care facilities for children of Tufts employees. | |
After purchasing the building from the City of Somerville, Tufts began a series of renovations that totaled about seven million dollars. Somerville kept a presence in the completed building, however, setting up human services and services for the elderly offices among others. | |
Generally a quiet building because of its separation from campus, TAB, as it came to be known, did experience one of the larger campus protests of the late eighties. On September 26, 1988, during the grand opening ceremonies for the building, about forty Tufts students marched through the front door, protesting the recent switching of some Buildings and Grounds workers to a night shift. Calling the switch unfair to the workers, the student protestors disrupted the festivities and confronted President Jean Mayer. The protest remained peaceful, and after talking with Mayer and other Tufts officials, the students left the building. | |
As of 2000, the Tufts Administration Building continues to serve as home to many important Tufts facilities, including the server from which all Tufts campus computers gain internet access. | |
Source: TD, TJ, OBS | |
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