In 1942, the University of Connecticut was invited to Waterbury at the request of a group of citizens, headed by the Waterbury YMCA. Named the Waterbury Extension Center, it offered primarily certificate-granting technical courses taught at the YMCA for 253 students comprised mostly of returning veterans looking for an affordable and easily accessible means of earning and education. Gradually, as the demand for courses grew, and enrollment increased, certain facilities at Leavenworth High School were used. Each semester about a dozen undergraduate courses were offered and a sizeable non-credit program was added. Four years later in the fall of 1946, the local Advisory Committee, working with the local Board of Education, secured the Begnal School on Charles Street to address the growing need for space created by the increased demands for higher education. Acute shortages of books and supplies after the War made it difficult for the early students and many who attended took courses without the advantage of a textbook. In addition to the facilities on Charles Street, the Central YMCA allocated some space in their building for evening classes. The enrollment during this period increased to 662 students in the fall of 1947 and the establishment of an accredited, full time undergraduate program, at the newly designated Waterbury Branch of the University of Connecticut. Students were able to take the comprehensive Freshman and Sophomore programs in Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Engineering as well as Continuing Education for adults. Classes continued to be held at the Begnal School until 1955. At that time, due in large part to local citizen groups, the City of Waterbury and the State of Connecticut, a new four-acre campus at 32 Hillside Avenue was provided. At first, classes and administration were housed together in the Benedict-Miller House at the center of the property. As the need for more space continued to strain the existing facilities, more buildings were added to the site, including a sixteen room classroom building, a library, as well as a building housing the science and engineering curriculum, bookstore and cafeteria. In 1971, a garrison colonial on Buckingham Street was purchased and became the new home of the campus administration. In August 2003, the Waterbury campus moved to a new 95,000 square foot downtown campus. The U shaped, three story building at the intersection of East Main Street and Phoenix Avenue was designed to serve more than 1,200 students, faculty and staff, replacing the collection of buildings and houses that has served the Waterbury campus for decades. The new facility was dedicated on October 9, 2003.
From the description of University of Connecticut, Waterbury campus records, undated, 1946-2003. (University of Connecticut). WorldCat record id: 730450235
