In 1971, John Silber became president and began to transform Boston University by raising academic standards, attracting world-renowned faculty, and creating a sound financial base. Nobel, Pulitzer, and MacArthur prizewinners and other distinguished scholars joined to teach an increasingly competitive student body. Silber eliminated a crippling deficit and, for 25 consecutive years under his leadership, the University balanced its budget. Because the University did not have a substantial endowment, Silber established the Community Technology Foundation and, by investing $4 million in venture capital, developed holdings now worth over $30 million. The Arthur G. B. Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering, the new Center for Photonics Research, and the construction of the Rafik B. Hariri School of Management Building demonstrate the University's commitment to provide the best possible facilities for research and teaching. Silber took an interest in every aspect of the University, from curricular changes to new programs and centers, from further international expansion to the beautification of the campus and its environs.

The University also took on more civic responsibilities, both in education and in medical services. The unprecedented 10-year contract to manage the public schools of Chelsea, Massachusetts, is a social and educational experiment which will serve as a model for rescuing other troubled school systems. The recent merger of the Boston University Medical Center Hospital and Boston City Hospital preserved jobs and will ensure the provision of high quality medical care to Boston's citizens regardless of their ability to pay. Students are active in social causes and community service; they are seen in the heart and service of the city in countless ways, aiding the homeless, tutoring youngsters, and helping the elderly.

Throughout all of these changes, the University has never lost sight of its original mission of providing the best education possible and thereby shaping the character and values of its students. Boston University has an international reputation for excellence. Its graduates, whether world leaders or ordinary citizens, contribute to their societies everywhere and are evidence of the University's continuing service to the city, to the United States, and to the world.

Vivat Universitas!

• Introduction
• History
• Beginnings
• The First 50 Years
• Between the World Wars
• WII and its Aftermath
• University Life
• A Vision for a World University
• Facts
• City

John Silber

Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering

Center for Photonics Research