John A. Cousens
President, 1919 - 1937
“when the announcement was made in Chapel that John Albert Cousens was to be permanent President ... each undergraduate ‘Spelt it out for Prexy' in one of the heartiest and most sincere cheers which has been heard on the Hill for many seasons.”
– editorial, Tufts Weekly, June 23, 1920
John Albert Cousens was installed as acting president of Tufts after President Bumpus’ sudden resignation in 1918. He was not formally inaugurated until 1920, and while he did not receive a traditional inauguration ceremony as his predecessors had, his installation created much fanfare. In his two years as acting president, Cousens endeared himself to the students of Tufts, sitting for regular “Ten Minutes with Prexy” interviews with the Tufts Weekly and taking an active role in alumni activities.
While Cousens earned the support of the student body, his vision of Tufts was not open to all. Correspondence between him and Dean Frank Wren shows that Tufts restricted enrollment of Jewish students to 20% or lower by 1926.
Cousens was considered by the Trustees of the College to be the perfect candidate to fit their needs; a Tufts alumnus, a Trustee, a Universalist, and a businessman with a head for finance. During the Great Depression, Cousens instituted policies removing restrictions relating to room and board and financial aid, allowing students of lower income to attend Tufts. Cousens also worked to strengthen Tufts’ relationship with its alumni, calling for the creation of an Alumni Directory and overhauling the existing alumni agency, resulting in higher college revenue despite the spare economic times. He had been an enthusiastic alumnus after receiving his degree in 1903, spearheading the endowment of the class of 1898 Scholarship and later donating Goddard Chapel’s bell in 1908.
New funds gathered from alumni under Cousens went straight to construction; Cousens Gymnasium, Pearson Chemical building, Braker Hall, Fletcher Hall, and Stratton Hall were among the buildings erected during his term. The Braker School of Business Administration and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy were also founded during his presidency.