Lowell: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Lowell Public School system, administered by the Lowell School Committee, offers a strong commitment to literacy, technology, and multiculturalism. Its 23 elementary and middle schools stream into Lowell High, a progressive facility organized around the concept of "small learning communities." Lowell High's eight "academies" range in focus from fine arts to engineering; qualifying students may also enroll in the prestigious Latin Lyceum which offers a four-year classical college entrance program. In 2000 Lowell Public Schools was selected for the Teacher Career Advancement Program, a pilot grant program aimed at attracting and retaining highly qualified educators. In 2003 Lowell committed more than a million dollars to professional development and updated classroom materials as part of a new mathematics initiative. Lowell also offers alternative education and adult education.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Lowell public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 14,708

Number of facilities elementary schools: 16

junior high/middle schools: 7

senior high schools: 1

other: 5

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1:1

Teacher salaries average: $55,140 (2003)

Funding per pupil: $8,407 (2003)

An extensive choice of charter and private schools, as well as the Greater Lowell Technical High School in nearby Tyngsboro, supplements the public system.

Public Schools Information: Lowell Public Schools, 155 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852; telephone (978)937-7604

Colleges and Universities

UMass Lowell, formerly Lowell University, dates back to the 1890s. The 1975 merger of Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute created the current campus; in 1991 it became part of the University of Massachusetts system. UMass Lowell offers a range of undergraduate, doctoral and professional degrees to its 12,000 students. Its colleges are closely allied with the local community as part of a commitment to public service.

Middlesex Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, offering 78 degree and certificate programs as well as non-credit courses and career training. Bachelor's degree completion is offered in partnership with Salem State College.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Samuel S. Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell's public library, is located in historic Memorial Hall. The newly reconstructed facility boasts elaborate interior and exterior architecture and includes a series of massive murals commemorating the Civil War. The library's collection includes 236,000 volumes as well as CDs, DVDs and microfilm; special collections focus on local history, genealogy and historic newspapers. As part of the Merrimack Library Consortium the Pollard Library has access to 1.5 million books at 35 locations.

Special interest libraries include the Lowell Law Library, located at the Superior Courthouse, and the libraries of the city's hospitals. UMass Lowell supports the Center for Atmospheric Research, which uses physics and other sciences to study the phenomenon of dynamism; Centers for Industrial Competitiveness and Sustainable Production; the Toxics Use Reduction Institute; and the Institute for Visualization and Perception Research. The University's Center for Lowell History holds a collection of historical photographs and other artifacts, and its Research Foundation explores many areas of physical science, communication and economics. A Research Library at the New England Quilt Museum is open by appointment to serious researchers on that subject.

Public Library Information: Samuel S. Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852; telephone (978)970-4120; fax (978)970-4117

Lowell: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1990: 280,578

2000: 301,686

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.5%

U.S. rank in 1990: 7th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 7th (CMSA)

City Residents

1980: 92,418

1990: 103,439

2000: 105,167

2003 estimate: 104,351

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.7%

U.S. rank in 1980: 188th

U.S. rank in 1990: 188th (State rank: 4th)

U.S. rank in 2000: 243rd

Density: 7,635.6 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 72,145

Black or African American: 4,423

American Indian and Alaska Native: 256

Asian: 17,371

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 38

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 14,734

Other: 6,813

Percent of residents born in state: 62.2% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 7,696

Population 5 to 9 years old: 8,261

Population 10 to 14 years old: 7,945

Population 15 to 19 years old: 8,111

Population 20 to 24 years old: 8,892

Population 25 to 34 years old: 18,025

Population 35 to 44 years old: 16,137

Population 45 to 54 years old: 11,588

Population 55 to 59 years old: 4,026

Population 60 to 64 years old: 3,173

Population 65 to 74 years old: 5,683

Population 75 to 84 years old: 4,173

Population 85 years and older: 1,457

Median age: 31.4 years

Births (2003)

Total number: 1,696

Deaths (2002)

Total number: 863 (of which, 18 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $17,557

Median household income: $39,192

Total households: 37,992

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 4,858

$10,000 to $14,999: 2,733

$15,000 to $24,999: 4,572

$25,000 to $34,999: 4,900

$35,000 to $49,999: 6,519

$50,000 to $74,999: 7,743

$75,000 to $99,999: 3,587

$100,000 to $149,999: 2,259

$150,000 to $199,999: 512

$200,000 or more: 309

Percent of families below poverty level: 13.6% (45.5% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 4,258

Lowell

The City in Brief

Founded: 1686 (incorporated 1836)

Head Official: City Manager John Cox (since 2000)

City Population

1980: 92,418

1990: 103,439

2000: 105,167

2003 estimate: 104,351

Percent change, 1990–2000: 1.7%

U.S. rank in 1980: 188th

U.S. rank in 1990: 188th

U.S. rank in 2000: 243rd

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1990: 280,578

2000: 301,686

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.5%

U.S. rank in 1990: 7th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 7th (CMSA)

Area: 14 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 110 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 51.6° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 42.8 inches of rain; 42.6 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Services, trade, manufacturing

Unemployment Rate: 5% (February 2005)

Per Capita Income: $17,557 (1999)

2004 ACCRA Median House Price: Not reported

2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 4,258

Major Colleges and Universities: University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Middlesex Community College

Daily Newspaper: The Lowell Sun

Lowell city (1990 pop. 103,439), a seat of Middlesex co., NE Mass., at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord rivers; settled 1653, set off from Chelmsford 1826, inc. as a city 1836. High-technology computer industries have developed there; other manufactures include electronic and electrical equipment, textiles, rubber products, chemicals, machine parts, foodstuffs, shoes, and plastics. The city grew after textile mills were built at Pawtucket Falls, and it became one of the major textile centers of the country. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum, several "mill girl" boardinghouses, and the town's historic canal system are preserved in the Lowell National Historical Park, which also traces 19th-century industrial development (see National Parks and Monuments (table)); the American Textile History Museum is adjacent. A campus of the Univ. of Massachusetts is in Lowell. The city has several fine parks, and James Whistler 's birthplace is preserved. Charles Dickens visited Lowell in 1842 and described it in American Notes.

Bibliography: See J. P. Coolidge, Mill and Mansion (1942, repr. 1967); T. Bender, Toward an Urban Vision (1982).

Lowell: Convention Facilities

The Lowell Memorial Auditorium seats up to 3,000 and can accommodate medium-sized trade shows with up to 90 exhibit booths. The auditorium also offers a variety of meeting rooms and lounges for media conferences and receptions. The nearby Doubletree Hotel Lowell has more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, a business center and catering services. The Paul E. Tsongas Arena is a full-service convention venue with function rooms overlooking the Merrimack River; it offers seating for 8,000 and 30,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Courtyard by Marriott, about 2.5 miles from downtown Lowell, is suitable for smaller meetings. Within the Greater Lowell area, approximately 4,000 guest rooms are available in a number of hotels.

Convention Information: Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, 9 Central Street, Suite 201, Lowell, MA 01852; telephone (978)459-6150; fax (978)459-4595

Lowell: Introduction

Lowell, once the textile capital of the world, grew in the shadow of the huge mills lining the Merrimack River. Its ancient canals earned the city the nickname "Venice of America." With the southward movement of the textile industry in the 1920s, Lowell sought to diversify its economy to include a variety of manufactured products. By 1984, however, the town's economy had become as dependent on the mini-computer as it had formerly been on cotton. The early mill days are commemorated in the city's splendidly preserved industrial architecture. Lowell, whose downtown has been designated an urban national historical park, exists today as a living reminder of the processes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution.

Lowell: Health Care

Two major acute care hospitals are located in the city. Saints Memorial Medical Center is the largest health care provider in the region; areas of specialty include comprehensive cancer care, dialysis, rehabilitative medicine, and pediatrics. Lowell General Hospital offers cancer care, a sleep lab and neurodiagnostic facility, pain management and wound healing centers, and a nationally recognized obstetric program. Both facilities also maintain 24-hour emergency departments.

Health Care Information: Lowell General Hospital, 295 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854; telephone (978)937-6000. Saints Memorial Medical Center, 1 Hospital Drive, Lowell, MA 01852; telephone (978)458-1411

Lowell: Municipal Government

Lowell operates with a council-manager form of government. The elected nine-person council serves a two-year term of office. The council appoints a salaried professional city manager, who serves for an unspecified term, and a ceremonial mayor.

Head Official: City Manager John Cox (since 2000)

Total Number of City Employees: 2,000 (2005)

City Information: Office of the City Manager, Lowell City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852; telephone (978)970-4000

Lowell, USA 1. Maine: named after Lowell Hayden, the first baby born within its precincts.2. Massachusetts: known originally in 1653 as the village of East Chelmsford, it was renamed after Francis Cabot Lowell (1775–1817), a textile industrialist, when it became a town in 1826.