History

Beginnings
Newbury Biblical Institute, 1840-1847
Methodist General Biblical Institute, 1847-1867
Boston, Beacon Hill, 1867-1949
Boston, Commonwealth Avenue, 1949-

Boston, Commonwealth Avenue, 1949

Commonwealth Avenue Campus
During the 1930's, University President Daniel L. Marsh began to consolidate the various schools that were scattered over the city onto one campus on Commonwealth Avenue. Dean Knudson resigned rather than lead the Century of Service campaign that was to begin in 1939. He was succeeded by Earl Marlatt (1937-1945), but the building project was halted during the World War; only the Stone Science Building, College of Business Administration, and College of Liberal Arts were constructed.

Dean Walter G. Muelder
In 1945, Walter Muelder was appointed Dean and immediately resurrected the building program that lead to the construction of the present school at 745 Commonwealth Avenue, which was occuppied in 1949. Muelder was a personalist philosopher, socialist and pacifist, but also a social activist and ecumenist. He hired S. Paul Schilling (his classmate and scholar of contemporary European theologies, 1953-1969), and Peter Bertocci (successor to Bowne-Brightman, 1952-1975), to joing L. Harold DeWolf (systematics and ethics, 1943-1965). The school took a more academic stance, leading to the four-volume study "Methodism and Society" (1960-1962).

Ecumenics
Muelder had connections with the World Council of Churches and strengthened the ecumenical program with Nils Ehrenstrom (1955-1969), Eddy Asirvatham (1946-1953), Amiya Chakravarty (1953-1966) and J. Robert Nelson (1965-1984). Nelson was chair of the World Council's Commission on Faith and Order.

Ethics
Sociology and Ethics were taught by Paul K. Deats (1953-1986) and Herbert Stotts (1955-1975), Religious Education by Donald Maynard (1948-1965), Walter Holcomb (1948-1979) and Clifton Moore (1952-1976). Prof. Houghton's successor in church music was Max Miler (1964-1996), while E. Kent Brown succeeded Dr. Booth in Church History (1964-1986). Harry Oliver (1965-1996) was hired in New Testament but graduated into philosophical theology. Carter Lindberg (1972-2002) was the last faculty hire of Dean Muelder, in church history with a concentration in Reformation history, in which area he is an acknowledged leader. Biblical studies were taught by Donald Rowlingson (New Testament,1961-1972), Harrell F. Beck (Old Testament, 1954-1987), and H. Neil Richardson (Old Testament, 1958-1988).

Pastoral Counseling
Muelder encouraged Paul Johnson (1942-1963), a philosopher/minister who started the program in Pastoral Counseling after his experience as a hospital chaplain during the Cocoanut Grove fire disaster of 1942. Securing funding from Albert V. Danielsen in 1952, he established the Danielsen Pastoral Counseling Center and was the first Danielsen Professor of Pastoral Counseling. The department grew to include Homer Jernigan (1957-1991), William G. T. Douglas (1957-196-), Judson D. Howard (1962-1976), and Orlo Strunk (1968-1985). The Center became an independent Institute in 1982 under the leadership of John Maes. Homer Jernigan followed Dr. Johnson as Danielsen Professor, and was in turn followed by Merle Jordan (1970-1996).

The Library
For all the years on Beacon Hill, students had use of the General Theological Library across the street, Congregational Library two blocks away on Beacon Street, and the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, on the same block as the College of Liberal Arts. But the move to Commonwealth Avenue made those facilities more distant, so the Library was enhanced. Muelder hired its first professionally-trained librarian, Jannette Newhall, from Harvard Divinity School where she was libarian of the Andover-Harvard Theological Library. She was a graduate of Boston University, having earned a Ph.D. under Dr. Brightman. She was an early member and President of the American Theological Library Association, and secured a Sealantic Grant in the 1950's to enhance the collection following Raymond Morris's bibliography prepared at Yale Divinity School. The library became self-sufficient in meeting the needs of the students and faculty.

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