Brief History
American International College was founded in 1885 by the Reverend Mr. Calvin E. Amaron, who persuaded other enlightened clergy like himself to assist in the establishment of a college that would provide the youth of his ethnic group, French Canadian, with access to higher education. The founders understood that a college education was an effective means toward economic and social success in American society. They wanted to establish a college that would provide an excellent educational preparation to enable its graduates to attain lifelong satisfaction and success.
The first president of the new College, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the Reverend Mr. John Morton Greene, was a leader who was fully prepared and committed to the foundation on which American International College was to be built. It was he who led the efforts for a Charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the College to "grant such honorary testimonials and confer such honors, degrees and diplomas as are granted or conferred by any university, college or seminary of learning in this Commonwealth." The College possesses what is considered to be the ideal charter of any institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
It was, however, the second president and visionary founder, the Reverend Mr. Amaron, who asserted that women should be given the same opportunity as men to pursue higher education. The Board of Trustees discussed the question and agreed. Women were admitted to the College for the first time in 1892. President Amaron is honored for his leadership with his name on the central academic building on campus: Amaron Hall.
American International College sought to educate the newcomers to the United States and their children for citizenship and success. The College is both American and International. Students learned English, United States history, mathematics and science to become effective citizens and community leaders. The student body before World War I consisted of people from forty-two nations, reflecting a rich diverse student body from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North, Central, and South America.
With the onset of World War I and the subsequent adoption by the United States of immigration quota laws, there came an inevitable decrease of immigrant students. During the mid nineteen twenties, the chief goal of the College shifted from the education of immigrant students to providing quality education to transform the lives of a diverse body of students. With its new direction, the College survived the economic depression of the nineteen thirties and the world war of the early nineteen forties.
The growth of American International College since the end of World War II has been notable. The establishment of the Evening College and the Summer School provided a springboard for what was to be the rapidly escalating enrollment that started in 1946. Returning veterans swelled classes and the College added many new faculty and staff members.
In the following two decades the progressive development of the curriculum required enlarged physical facilities that the campus continues to enjoy. The College, with fully developed curricula in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Teacher Education, reflected the intimacy of a small college and the curriculum of a university.
The early nineteen fifties witnessed educational innovation with the creation of a training program for a group of skilled artisans from Marshall Aid countries in Europe. Part of the special curriculum included a period for the trainees to work in local industries to learn American production methods. More than 100 persons, representing eleven nations, were involved in the program.
In 1953, after conferring with business executives in the area, the College began an evening offering known as the Executive Development Program. This graduate study program was for people with executive responsibility and for those who anticipated taking positions in management. Accepted candidates were able to earn the Master of Business Administration degree entirely through evening classes. This program was a first of its kind in the region.
The Schools of Arts and Sciences and Business Administration were established in 1960 and the School of Psychology and Education in 1970.
During the period of the nineteen sixties, American International College experienced substantial growth; eleven new buildings were erected.
The 1970's witnessed the addition of the Curtis Blake Child Development Center, improvements to existing facilities, and the acquisition and beautification of a substantial amount of property on the immediate periphery of the main Campus.
The James J. Shea, Sr. Memorial Library was completed in 1980, and The Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center and The Esther B. Griswold Theatre for the Performing Arts followed in 1984. An 11,958 square foot addition to the existing Schwartz Campus Center was opened in September 1992. This addition houses the campus store, student lounge, meeting rooms for use by student clubs and organizations, seminar rooms for multi-campus use and an elevator to make the entire Campus Center handicapped accessible. The Tower portion of the building, which houses the clock tower, carillons, and the Great Hall, was formally dedicated on April 22, 1994, and named in honor of Joseph and Anna Sokolowski by their daughter Sylvia Falconer Lissa '29. The addition of the 30,000 square foot Courniotes Hall that houses the Divisions of Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy was the last physical addition to the College in the 20th century. A unique feature of the complex is the 1800 square foot Human Anatomical Laboratory.
The last thirty years of the twentieth century were notable for curricular and program development. During this period, the Division of Nursing, the graduate and undergraduate programs in Criminal Justice Studies and in Special Education, the graduate programs in Business, Clinical Psychology, Public Administration, and Human Resource Development, and the undergraduate programs in Management Information Systems, International Business, and Communications were developed.
A notable highlight was the introduction of the College's first doctoral degree. The doctoral program in Educational Psychology with a specialty in Learning Disabilities has floursihed since its inception.
A new major in undergraduate Physical Therapy was introduced in February 1993, augmenting the College's already strong programs in the sciences and in nursing. The graduate professional program in Physical Therapy, leading to a Master of Physical Therapy degree began in September 1996, and leading to a doctoral degree began in 2005. A baccalaureate degree program in Occupational Therapy was begun in September 1995 and the Master of Occupational Therapy in September 2000.
In 1988, the E. Russell Sprague Endowed Chair for International Business and Economics was established to give further impetus to the International Business program and aid in the development of global awareness. Economic Education was promoted by the sponsorship of the Earle A. Griswold Endowed Chair of Free Enterprise, and in 1989, on the occasion of Dr. Harry J. Courniotes' twentieth year of service as President, and in recognition of his prior twenty-three years, 1946-1969, of outstanding service as Professor, Dean in the School of Business Administration and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of an Endowed Chair in the School of Business Administration to be named in his honor.
Other notable programs in this period were developed by the Curtis Blake Child Development Center in the field of Learning Disabilities; an area in which the College has attained national recognition.
The opening of the Edgewood Gardens Residence Suites in September 2004 provided students with apartment living.
President Harry Courniotes retired in June 2005 after serving the College for fifty-nine years, 35 of which as president.
Dr. Vincent M. Maniaci became president on July 1, 2005.
The 2005-2006 Academic Year witnessed the 120th anniversary of the founding of the College. Celebrations started during the summer of 2005 with a Founder's Day (July 18) College Community Picnic and 'AIC Day the the Big "E" on Charter Day, September 18, 2005. Celebratory Events continued throughout the Academic Year.
American International College
1000 State Street
Springfield MA 01109
(800) 242-3142
inquiry@acad.aic.edu