Preserving Tufts' history

There are times when Tufts uses its history to connect with alumni, students, and the community. It is an institution proud of its past, a trait especially evident in the last year, as we celebrated 150 years of Tufts.

Under the auspices of the University, we created time capsules, held reunions, recorded oral histories, exhibited images of college life, and began to author a new volume of Tufts history. We now also intend to tear down the closest thing we have to a "Tufts home."

Charles Tufts never lived here, but Hosea Ballou II did. He was the first Tufts president and played an invaluable role in the founding of the college. Even a century ago, administrators and students considered his home to be part of the historic landscape of Tufts.

When the construction of Packard Ave called for its demolition, the house was moved to 20 Professors Row, and currently is the location of the Tufts Music Department. Its relocation cleared the way for the best interests of the university, but also maintained an important connection with its past identity. Why not move this house again?

I do not object to the construction of a new dormitory or music building. In fact having had classes in Aidekman, and been shut out of on-campus housing, I fully support new construction. I'm not advocating for a different location for either building, as I have a full understanding that Tufts needs to look to the future and continue its growth. Expansion, I realize, will make it necessary to part with much of our past, but not all of it.

The house at 20 Professors Row is on the cusp of its own 150th birthday. The house, like Ballou Hall, is a physical embodiment of this university. It harkens back to the days of a young, struggling college and an earlier New England.

Ballou's home has stood proudly by as other buildings were built, torn down, burned, and replaced. Numerous Tufts people have lived and worked in the structure, adding to its historical importance.

Birthday party plans to mark this notable occasion currently include tearing it down and hauling it away from Tufts. I am deeply saddened that we are all invited to witness this "celebration."

Many alumni have taken on the task of preserving Tufts history. Some have even made professional commitments to Tufts as well. Unfortunately, we have no Tufts Museum to showcase our collective memory. There is no place to experience this educational community's extensive history that is not hindered by boxes and locked doors.

Alumni Relations, the Digital Collections and Archives, and the Tufts Art Gallery have made several efforts to bring Tufts history out of storage and into the hands, minds, and hearts of the Tufts community. However, the easiest way to experience Tufts' past is by walking around the Medford campus.

Students, faculty and administrators live, work, and study in buildings named for, and often built by men and women who once lived on this hill. We've already lost many of their homes. Out of necessity, we will probably lose many more in the near future. Let's not lose this one. It is Tufts first home, and it deserves something better than a dumpster.

Jessica Branco graduated from Tufts in 2000. She now works as the project coordinator for the Digital Collections and Archives.