The Academy Era

Dean Academy History (1865-1899)

1783: Oliver Dean born: On February 18, 1783, Oliver Dean was born in Franklin, Massachusetts. He was the eldest child of Seth and Edna (Pond) Dean. He would later be taught by Dr. James Mann to be a medical doctor and later quit medical practice to manage manufacturing companies. most notable Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester, N.H. 

1860: Elected as president of Tufts College: In 1852, Oliver Dean, who was working alongside the Universalist Church, was elected president of Tufts College in Medford in 1852. He later became involved with the Franklin Public Library. 

1865: In 1865, Oliver Dean founded the co-educational Dean Academy. It's first academy building, Dean Hall, was finished in 1868 at a cost of over $125,000. Timothy G. Senter was chosen to be Dean Academy’s first principal. His tenure lasted from 1866 to 1871 when he retired due to poor health. Rev. J.R. Weston was chosen as his successor. Weston’s tenure lasted from 1872 to 1878. 

1871: Oliver Dean passed away: On December 5, 1871, Oliver Dean passed away. In his will, Dean divided his entire fortune ($600,000) between several different organizations (such as the Library of Manchester and the Universalist Church), associates, close friends, and family. 

1872: Dean Hall burned down: In the summer of 1872, Dean Hall caught fire via unknown circumstances and burned to the ground. This unfortunate incident caused Dean students to continue their studies in various locations such as nearby inns, houses, and the adjacent Universalist church. Some students even went back home and completed their studies at their parent’s homes. 

1874: Dean Hall rebuilt: On June 7, 1874, Dean Hall was reopened. Students were able to return and live and study once more within its walls. This version of Dean Hall still stands to this day. 

1878-80: Dean Academy goes to single-sex education: During the leadership of Miss H.M. Parkhurst, Dean Academy became a female-only institution. This continued until Lester L. Burrington became principal. Burrington reversed the decision and returned Dean Academy to coeducation. 

1879-96: Lester L. Burrington becomes principal: In 1879, Lester L. Burrington became principal. He would play a vital part in stabilizing and organizing Dean Academy, such as establishing a more developed curriculum. He also had the original gymnasium built. Burrington continued his tenure as principal of Dean until 1896, when he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

Dean students (1886)

1897: Arthur W. Peirce became principal: After Burrington left, Arthur W. Peirce became the principal of Dean Academy. He would become one of Dean's most celebrated and influential leaders due to his warm personality and his efforts in building new facilities for Dean (such as the Ray Science Building). Many students saw him as a father figure and gave him the nickname “Awpie.”  

Dean Academy AND College Principals

Oliver Dean

Oliver Dean was born on February 18, 1783, the eldest of three children. He was known for his impeccable memory for details. Dean studied Latin at Framingham Academy, and Greek under Rev. Dr. Crane of Northbridge. He received his medical training under the tutelage of Dr. James Mann and Dr. W. M. Ingalls. In 1865, Dean Academy opened for academy students whom he would care for, especially after his first wife passed away in 1866. He would spend the rest of his days looking after Dean Academy and his students, who he considered his children, until the morning of December 5, 1871, when he sadly passed away. 

Arthur W. PeIrce

Arthur W. Peirce was principal of Dean Academy. He was well known for his caring behavior towards his students. Many students considered him to be a father figure and gave him the nickname “Awpie.” This nickname would eventually be used to name Dean College yearbooks. He and his wife lived right next to Dean Academy in his Peirce House, one of the original Ray family mansions. This house was later converted into a student residence hall but unfortunately burned down in 1997. 

Buildings Built

First Dean Hall

Designed by notable architect Thomas Silloway (creator of the Vermont State Capitol) and completed in 1868 with the support of investors and the Universalist Church, the first Dean Hall was the main teaching and housing facility for students and teachers. It burned down in 1872. 

Second Dean Hall

The second Dean Hall was built in 1874 after the first one burned down in 1872. The main footprint was maintained but the design was now neo-gothic and the new building featured a chapel at rear--now Marvin Chapel.

Gymnasium

In 1894 the original gymnasium was built. It was a coed gym, open to students and staff. Construction was aided by Dean Academy and local donations. 

CAMPUS ChurchES

In 1873, the original Universalist Church (pictured below) was sold to the Baptist congregation and moved to School Street where, in 1938, it was severely damaged by the Hurricane of '38. 

Two more Universalist churches were built alongside Dean Hall. The second of these (pictured below) was demolished in 1967 to make way for the construction of the E. Ross Anderson Library at Dean Junior College (today's Green Family Library Learning Commons). 

Dean academy History (1900-1941)

April 25, 1903: Ray Building officially opened 

On April 25, 1903, the Ray Building was officially opened. Having started construction in October of 1901, the building was donated by Lydia P. Ray and Annie Ray Thayer, the two daughters of Joseph Gordon Ray, a friend of Oliver Dean and a trustee of Dean Academy. The building originally hosted science classes, which would later be relocated to the Arthur W. Peirce Center for Technology & Science in the 1960s. 

1904: Dean seal is created 

In 1904, Dean Academy adopted the seal that it still uses to this day. The seal is based on the Dean family crest and includes the date the college was established as well as the traditional Dean family motto: Forti et fideli nihil dificile--"to the strong and faithful nothing is difficult." While there is no evidence that Oliver Dean ever used the Dean family crest himself, the academy still thought it appropriate to use the crest. 

1904: Franklin Public Library creates its current building, donated by the Ray family 

In 1904, the modern building for the Franklin Public Library was completed. It was a gift from Lydia Ray Peirce and Annie Ray Thayer in memory of their father Joseph Gordon Ray, a friend of Oliver Dean and a trustee of Dean.

1913: Awpie Way gate  

In 1913, the gate to Awpie Way, which still stands today along Main Street, was constructed. The iron fence it connects to (replacing the older wooden picket fence) took longer to complete, only being finished in 1916. The gate was gifted by the graduating class of 1913, and the subsequent sections of the fence were donated by future graduating classes. 

1914: Alumni Hall dedicated 

In 1914, Alumni Hall (now called Alumni Memorial Hall) was dedicated. It was outfitted with dorm rooms, an infirmary, a swimming pool, a game room, and areas for visiting alumni to stay.  

1916: 50th anniversary celebration, attended by former President Taft 

From June 11th to June 15th, 1916, Dean celebrated its 50th anniversary of operation. Perhaps the most notable attendant of the festivities was former US president William Howard Taft, who gave a speech on July 15th on “The Duties of Citizenship.” Also in attendance was Reverend E.C. Bolles, the chaplain of Tufts College, who delivered the address at the dedication of the original Dean Hall. The event also featured a pageant depicting the history of Dean Academy up to that point. 

1917-1918: The Great War (World War I)

In 1914, the First World War erupted in Europe, plunging the continent into conflict. The United Sates would join the war in 1917, which resulted in the mass drafting of young Americans. Dean Academy was no exception to this, having many of its male students drafted, and many of the female students signing up to become nurses. 

1917-1920: part of campus turned into liberty garden, grew potatoes, corn, and beans 

During WWI, a part of the main field of Dean was turned into a “liberty garden.” Liberty gardens were mini-farms used by civilians to grow their own food in response to the ongoing rationing. Here, students would grow potatoes, corn, and beans to provide themselves with food. 

1917: First flagpole erected 

The first flagpole on campus was erected in 1917 as a gift from the class of 1917. The original flagpole was made of pine wood and rose eighty-five feet into the air. In the late 1940s, the pole snapped at the base due to rot and had to be shortened. Eventually, it was replaced by one made of aluminum in 1960. 

1918-1920: "Spanish Flu" 

In 1918, a deadly strain of influenza, known as the "Spanish Flu," broke out across America and Europe, quickly evolving into a full-scale pandemic. This pandemic is thought to have killed 25-50 million people between 1918 and 1920. A war bond rally held at Dean Academy in 1918 turned into a super spreader event, and several Dean alumni were killed by the disease. Former Dean alumni George T. Angell, who was serving in the army at Camp Devens, wrote in a series of letters to his family about the pandemic, giving us a remarkable eyewitness perspective on the horrors of the Spanish Flu.  

1920s-1930s: Interwar Period - Roaring Twenties and Great Depression 

The timespan between 1919 and 1939 is known as the Interwar Period, named so because it was the time between the two World Wars. This period can be further broken up into two distinct periods. The first period, known as the Roaring Twenties, was marked by unprecedented financial growth in the economy. The period that followed, known as the Great Depression, came following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and saw the world go through economic turmoil. 

1928: Awpie Way officially paved and lined with trees 

In 1928, Awpie Way was officially paved, stretching from the Main Street gate all the way to the entrance of Dean Hall. The walkway was based on the path that Arthur “Awpie” Peirce traveled every day for work and was thus named in his honor. The pathway was originally lined with blue spruce trees, though these have since been removed after hurricane damage and age took their toll on the trees. 

1927: War Memorial dedicated 

In 1927, the war memorial in front of Dean Hall was officially dedicated. This memorial honors the students from Dean who faithfully served their country during World War I, along with those who tragically died during the fighting.  

1930s: Great Depression, Dean experiences a drop in enrollment and finances 

In 1929, the stock market suffered a catastrophic crash, sending the country into the throes of the Great Depression, which lasted well into the 1930s. Dean College was not spared from the financial woes of this period. The academy experienced a fifty percent drop in attendance, and teachers had their wages frozen and later cut by ten percent in 1932. 

December 1934: Awpie suffers a heart attack on the 17th, dies on the 20th, Earl Sessions Wallace replaces him 

In December of 1934, Arthur W. “Awpie” Peirce suffered a heart attack in his office. His doctors said that it would be best to keep him in his office, believing that moving him would put his health at risk. It is here that Awpie laid from December 17th to December 20th, when he finally passed away before dawn at the age of 74. He would be replaced by Earl Sessions Wallace as Headmaster the following year. Read the Dean Megaphone in honor of Awpie.

1937: Ray House donated to Dean 

In 1937, Lydia Ray Peirce had recently died and her home was bequeathed to Dean Academy. The academy named the building the Lydia Ray Peirce House and turned it into the third student housing unit for the college. Originally identical to the still-standing Ray House, Peirce House was destroyed by fire in 1997. 

1938: Hurricane takes out tower from Dean Hall 

In September 1938, a category 5 hurricane struck New England, which was one of the deadliest in US history. Dean was not spared from the destruction, as the tower which adorned Dean Hall was destroyed in the hurricane. The tower was never rebuilt, and today only a radio tower marks the top of Dean Hall. 

1940: Dean celebrates 75th anniversary 

In 1940, Dean celebrated its 75th anniversary. A pageant was hosted for the event, comprising of a series of one-act plays showing the history of Dean. 

May 1941: Dean becomes Dean Junior College 

In May 1941, Dean Academy transitioned to a junior college and was thus renamed Dean Junior College. The idea of becoming a junior college had been proposed years earlier by Headmaster Wallace, but it was only in May 1941 when the Massachusetts legislature approved the decision. As part of this arrangement, Dean had to formally separate itself from Tufts College and the Universalist Church. Headmaster Wallace then became President Wallace, the first president of Dean Junior College. Dean Academy would remain in operation alongside the junior college until 1957.