History & Traditions

“History has demonstrated that the great leaders of every age were, almost without exception, born in poverty, denied educational advantages in boyhood, and obliged to educate themselves at odd moments while doing a man’s work in the world. The same immutable principle is in operation today — the earnest souls who now toil in the evening schools to fit themselves for life will be found in the front ranks of our civilization of tomorrow.”
— Gleason L. Archer (1923)

Suffolk University Founded in 1906

Suffolk University grew from humble beginnings in the Roxbury parlor of Gleason L. Archer, a young lawyer who had worked his way through high school and college. A chance meeting brought the young graduate together with a benefactor who loaned him money to pursue the study of law, asking only that Archer pass along the favor.

In 1906, Archer opened the Suffolk School of Law, a night school established to “serve ambitious young men who are obliged to work for a living while studying law.” He believed that the growing waves of immigrants who came to America’s shores should be given the same opportunities that had been the privilege of the wealthy few.

Archer soon moved the school into his downtown law offices, and in 1908 machinist and Archer student Roland E. Brown passed the bar. News of Brown’s achievement led to a boost in registration, so Archer gave up his law practice to devote himself full-time to the Suffolk School of Law.

By 1930, Archer had built Suffolk into one of the largest law schools in the country.

‘A Great Evening University’

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — later renamed the College of Arts and Sciences — was founded in 1934 in response to the recommended standard that law students possess a college degree, and because Archer wanted to create “a great evening university” that working people could afford.

Three years later, in 1937, the College of Business Administration, now the Sawyer Business School, was established. It offered the possibility of the extension of intellectual analysis into the field of business.

The three academic units were incorporated as Suffolk University in 1937, and, over the years, the University expanded from its night-school format to incorporate a range of full- and part-time programs.

The University Today

The College of Arts and Sciences now consists of 17 academic departments, including the New England School of Art and Design. The college offers more than 50 programs of specialized study, at the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral levels.

Suffolk University Sawyer Business School’s undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize global business practice. Nine undergraduate majors are offered, and graduate programs lead to more than a dozen advanced degrees, including joint degree programs with the Law School. Suffolk Business School also offers an online MBA program.

The Law School offers Juris Doctor and Master of Laws degrees. Its expansive curriculum combines a strong academic foundation with expertise in an array of specialty areas. Nationally known faculty and a range of practical experiences provide superior preparation for law practice in the 21st century.

International Campuses

Suffolk students today hail from across the nation and around the world. The onetime commuter school now has two residence halls, allowing resident students to fully realize the academic and cultural promise of their Beacon Hill surroundings. Suffolk’s classrooms, libraries and offices are housed in 16 buildings in downtown Boston.

In 1995, the University’s first international campus was opened in Madrid. A second international campus, in Dakar, Senegal, opened in 1999.

Satellite campuses also have been established in Massachusetts at Cape Cod Community College, Merrimack College, and Dean College.

Traditions

• Academic Convocation – The academic year begins with a solemn welcome to the intellectual life of the University.  
• Family Weekend – Students, faculty and staff honor student families and friends, offering a weekend schedule of activities showcasing Suffolk and Boston.
• Holiday Party and Spring Ball – Annual formal dinner-dance events held off campus.
• Tree Lighting/Holiday Celebration – Campus organizations join together in an outdoor celebration of the winter holidays of light.
• S.O.U.L.S. Service Day – Members of the Suffolk community fan out to work two-hour shifts at non-profit agencies in and around Boston. A celebratory dinner and awarding of the annual Good Person Award top off the day.
• Leadership Awards Banquet – Recognizes those who have worked to improve the quality of campus life.
• Recognition Day – Honors outstanding undergraduate scholars and contributors to co-curricular groups within the university.
• Temple Street Fair – A day of live entertainment, carnival booths, food, and prizes.
• Unity Week – Suffolk’s annual celebration of diversity and community affirms the value and vitality that pluralism brings to the individual and collective University experience.