[History of New Hampshire College]

Author's Note New Hampshire College will always be a place that is special to me. It is my hope that I am able to convey to the reader some of its singular qualities. In talking to different people, it was soon apparent that each person has his or her version of the past. So although I have included facts and figures, the major emphasis in this history is on people's reflections of what they saw and felt. It is in this manner that New Hampshire College can be best depicted, because New Hampshire College is the story of people and how their dreams were realized. Dr. Everitt Sackett (d.o.b. and d.o.d.), was a member of New Hampshire College's Board of Trustees at his death. He was the Executive Secretary of the Coordinating Board of Higher Education and was also the Dean of the School of Liberal writingsArts anda t the University of New Hampshire. I am indebted to him for his extremely extensive research into the papers and archives of New Hampshire College. Without his valuable work, I could not have undertaken this book. My Mother's recall and recollections are an essential part of this account. She was remarkable in the how much she remembered and in the detail in which she remembered it. Whenever I had a question, I turned to her. Mostly, she remembered. On the occasions that she did not, she graciously did the research. I also thank my brother for his time and extremely valuable contributions. He was able to synthesize and make connections to seemly disparate events were extremely important in helping to unify this book. I want to express my grateful appreciation to everyone who gave of their time. They were members of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff and alumni. I deeply regret that I was not able to speak to every person connected with the School. Ann R. Shapiro 1/20/86 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I: 1932-1952 1 H . A . B . Shapiro 2 As founder, teacher, headmaster. 2 Personal 4 Opening Days . 5 The Early Years . 8 Academic Services - Curriculum . .... 8 Academic Services - Faculty. .11 Support Services - Enrollment. 14 Graduation 15 Finance and Administration - Name of School..... 18 Facilities 19 Chapter II: Academic Services: Undergraduate School of Business Curriculum. 1 Introduction and Philosophy.... 1 Fifties and Sixties 1 Seventies 6 Special Programs 12 Faculty . 14 The Spirit 14 1952-82 17 Nellie Young 17 Secretarial Science 18 Accounting 20 Management Information Science 22 Faculty Attitudes and Organization 23 Billie Rae and Louis Leotta 29 Academic Deans. 32 Chapter III: Academic Services - The Other Divisions.... 1 Continuing Education 1 Introduction. .. 1 Evening Schools - Early Days....... 2 Evening School - 1982 4 Off Campus Programs 5 San Juan Center 13 Special Programs. 20 Franchise Courses 20 Upstart .22 Educational Training and Resource Center.......... 23 Summer Programs 24 Seminars and Training Programs 26 English as a Second Language. 27 School of Human Services 29 Graduate School of Business.... 39 Chapter IV: Student Services............................ 1 Philosophy 1 Student Activities 3 Student Government, Clubs and Organizations 3 Newspapers 11 Dances, Functions and other Activities 19 Fraternities 21 Drinking on Campus 25 Discipline . .32 Program and Speaker Series 36 Sports and Athletics 39 Chapter V: Additional Student Services. 1 Vietnam. 1 Jaywalking 6 Library 8 Until 1965. 8 1965 to the New Campus .....12 New Campus 17 Admissions and Financial Aid 21 1932 - 1957 .................21 Public Relations to 1957.. 27 1957 to 1971 29 1971 - 1982 33 Admissions Overview 35 Financial Aid 37 Housing .41 Epilog Placement and Internships 47 Placement. .47 Internships. .51 Graduation 54 Alumni. 56 Placement 56 Organization 58 Chapter VI: Administration 1 Institutional Style and Purpose 1 Growth 4 Gertrude Crockett Shapiro 11 Early years 11 Retirement as President 18 Gertrude Shapiro and Edward Shapiro 19 Edward Shapiro 20 Hanover Street 26 Incorporation, Name Changes and Approvals..... .34 Business School Accreditation and Degree Granting Author.37 Regional Accreditation. 43 Chapter VII: Administration - Continued.................. 1 "The Decision" - Becoming a Nonprofit College 1 Board of Trustees 10 New Campus...............................................15 J'accuse 39 CHAPTER ONE: 1932 - 1952 Founding H.A.B. Shapiro As founder, teacher, headmaster In 1932, at the age of 28, H. A. B. Shapiro founded a Business School. Why does a person start a school in the middle of the "Great Depression"? Since he was a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.), passing his exam the first time he took it, he had a profession. Since he had come to Manchester, New Hampshire to be Office Manager and Accountant for a distant relative, E. M. Chase, of the E. M. Chase Furniture Company, he had a job, a position which he later left to form his own accounting firm, Moran and Shapiro. Ail who knew him consistently say the same thing about him. He was a born teacher. In that case why didn't he get a job teaching at an already existing institution? The answers are both simple and complex. He didn't like the way accounting was taught at other institutions: students were taught the facts, but were not taught to understand what they were doing. One of Mr. Shapiro's early auditing jobs was with a Boston finance company. One day the Treasurer called him aside so that the other employees couldn't hear and asked, "Mr. Shapiro, I understand why an asset has a debit balance, but can you tell me why an expense account has the same kind of balance as an asset?" 1 I then realized that he and a great many others, while they may be good bookkeepers, actually do not understand the basic theory of bookkeeping. To get bookkeepers to really understand the theory of debit and credit was my basic drive to start teaching (Radio interview, 1951). According to his wife, He preferred teaching the beginning students over the more advanced students, because he felt that that was where they needed the background. The first chapters were taught by him in his office - each student had private instruction in elementary accounting. Also, he was most anxious to develop an electronic device to be able to show his method of teaching. It was something that he always wanted to do". According to George Teloian, currently Chair of the Accounting Department, I hear, from old alumni, they still praise Mr. Shapiro very highly. They say that he was the best accounting teacher they ever had. He was a very good teacher. He devoted a lot of time to the individual, which is difficult and tough. As can be seen, one of the central tenets surrounding the founding of New Hampshire College was the central focus on the importance of teaching. Closely allied to that is the value placed on understanding, in that it imbues confidence which in turn leads to empowerment. This notion addressed the importance of the individual. 2 According to J. Mara now Den of the Graduate School of Business, My interest in NHC goes back to when Mr. Shapiro was alive. I knew him quite well. He was very good to me when I was a high school junior and senior. I did not know what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to be an accountant. The idea of being a C.P.A. kind of fascinated me. I had thought of going to NHC, but I really didn't know what I wanted to do. Dr. Mara continued. My father had an office in that building and when I used to go there to visit, I would stop by to chat with Mr. Shapiro. I'm sure I was a pest to him, but I would sit down and talk to him about college and things of that sort. I decided when I was a senior to apply. He turned me down and told me that I should go to a four year college - that I should get a degree and then come back to NHC at some point and pursue my C.P.A. Who ever heard of a school of business, particularly a proprietary school, turning away a good student? It happens when the importance of the individual is paramount - when in the occasional situation that there is a conflict between business and education, there is a recognition of the fundamental purpose for which one is in business - to educate. 3 Personal H.A.B. Shapiro was born in Lithuania in 1904 and moved to Maiden, Massachusetts with his parents and older sister in 1907. In a manner typical of many oldest male Jewish immigrants of that time, he sought the most direct way of having a profession. For him, it was to study for his Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree which he received cum laude from Boston University in 1927. His graduation did not mark the start of his accounting practice, for while he was a student, he had obtained several jobs in the field through instructors who had accounting practices. One of his biggest thrills during his student days was being picked out of a class to proofread and critique a text that had been written by one of his professors. That man was James V. Toner and the book was Mathematics of Finance and Accounting. These experiences perhaps were the beginning of two important concepts: instructors, when possible, should have a practical as well as a theoretical background and working to assist in financing one's college education was not only an acceptable practice, but understood as part of the regimen of many students.

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