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Introduction of Paul Rudolph Projects at SMTI/UMDPaul Rudolph began the design of the UMass Dartmouth campus in 1963. At the time it was called Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute or SMTI. SMTI was the result of a merger of two textile schools that were located in Fall River (Bradford Durfee Tech) and New Bedford (New Bedford Tech). The civic and community leaders of the local region, spearheaded by educator Joseph Driscoll, had lobbied tirelessly for years to secure a regional public institution of higher education in southeastern Massachusetts. The firm of Desmond and Lord of Boston was selected as the architect of record for the SMTI project. They hired Paul Rudolph to design the campus. At the time, Rudolph was one of the most respected architects in the country in addition to being the Chairman of the Architecture Department at Yale University. He was already working with Desmond and Lord on the Government Service Center in downtown Boston and readily accepted the assignment. According to Grattan Gill, job captain for the SMTI project, Rudolph’s agreement with the firm was by handshake.
Rudolph created a master plan for the campus and work began on Group 1. Budget concerns upon the completion of Group 1 (1964-1966) escalated during the planning and construction of Group 2 (1966-1969). Pressure from the State resulted in Desmond and Lord removing Rudolph from the project in June of 1966. Joseph Driscoll, now President of SMTI was a loyal and determined supporter of Rudolph. With the support of the Trustees and the design team at Desmond and Lord, the project was kept on track, on budget and faithful to the original design. Although off the project, Rudolph remained an active advisor to the architects working for the firm. The administration, auditorium, textile and library buildings as well as the campanile were constructed almost simultaneously from 1967 to 1972 under this unusual arrangement. The Research/Violette Building (1969) and the gymnasium (1971) were the only buildings built during this initial phase that were assigned to other architects. In 1964, SMTI had formed its own building authority to construct auxiliary buildings such as dormitories. It hired Rudolph back in April of 1968 to design the student union which is now the Campus Center. Group 6 was constructed in the mid 1970s with Desmond and Lord as architects. However, Rudolph had no direct involvement in the construction of this building. When the architects for the Dion Building were selected in the 1980s (Whitney Atwood Norcross Associates), they asked Rudolph to work on the project. He willingly came back to create the last building constructed on campus in his hand.
In addition to the unique character of the buildings on the UMass Dartmouth campus, one of Rudolph’s major achievements was the master plan. On over 600 acres of undeveloped land, he had the opportunity to incorporate his longstanding theories and ideas about large scale construction and human habitation. All of the elements of the campus design had a particular interest and meaning to him, whether it be the function of Ring Road to the relationship of classrooms and stairways. No detail escaped his consideration. That much of his work at UMass Dartmouth and his other similar projects are enigmatic at best to those who encounter them is the great paradox of his legacy. Critics acknowledge him as a great designer whose buildings are often difficult to appreciate or understand but are permeated with an extraordinary creative skill. SMTI / UMass Dartmouth, then known as Southeastern Massachusetts University, bestowed an honorary degree in Fine Arts to the architect in 1970.
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