Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater State University
Homecoming 2026 - This Weekend!
The Bridgewater State community, from near and far, will be assembling this coming weekend for the annual spectacular event.
A full schedule of events and activities is planned and you can see everything at these web addresses (first, the video above and, second, the full schedule):
To see a video on Homecoming produced by BSU, please click on link below:
To see a full schedule of Homecoming '26 activities, please click on link below:
Strengthening Ties to the Whaling City
We're pleased to include in this week's report an article authored by President Clark about BSU's close ties with the city of New Bedford. Above, he meets with BSU alumni Alexzander Krauzyk and Karissa Freitas, who operate a television studio in the city.
At Bridgewater State University, we pride ourselves on being an integral part of the region we are so privileged to serve.
That was especially apparent during my recent trip to New Bedford, where I saw how symbiotic the BSU-New Bedford connection truly is.
During stops at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Zeiterion Theater, I learned how our graduates are making tangible contributions to the Whaling City.
We also collaborate closely with the organizations on alumni and community programming.
The story is similar at New Bedford Cable Access, where I sat down for an interview with Jim Marshall to share the many great things happening on campus.
While there, I met BSU graduates Alexzander Krauzyk and Karissa Freitas, who are applying lessons from Bridgewater classes to help run a thriving tv studio.
Sharing the BSU story in gateway cities such as New Bedford is essential for the success of our university. While we already welcome hundreds of students from these economic and population centers, there are many more students who do not go to college.
At New Bedford High School, for example, only about 25 percent of graduates pursue higher education.
Through Early College and other partnerships, we are working tirelessly to improve that statistic because we know how transformative a BSU education is for students, their families and their communities.
I concluded the day with a productive conversation with Mayor Jon Mitchell about how our two organizations can continue supporting each other.
Mayor Mitchell emphasized the importance of BSU’s aviation program, which is based at New Bedford Regional Airport and was another stop on my trip.
The program is a major reason why the airport is the third busiest in Massachusetts.
I look forward to meeting with New Bedford Public Schools Superintendent Andrew O’Leary soon.
I also plan to spend days in our other gateway cities, where BSU is as relevant and impactful as it is in New Bedford.
Dr. Stephen Smalley, professor of art emeritus, hosts exhibition at Town of Bridgewater Library
Dr. Stephen Smalley, professor of art emeritus and long-time chairman of the Department of Art, hosted his latest exhibit - "60 Years and Counting," dedicated to his wife Clelia - at the Flora T. Little Gallery in the town of Bridgewater Library, and our camera was there at the exhibit's opening.
We are happy to share with you our video of the event and our conversation with Dr. Smalley:
As Homecoming Weekend approaches, we offer appreciation to the memory of Edward Swenson (above), who reintroduced football to Bridgewater State in 1960.
Coach Swenson was BSU's head football coach and he reinstated varsity football after a hiatus of more than three decades.
He remained as head coach until 1967.
"Swenson Field" at BSU was named in his honor in 1994.
He came to Bridgewater in 1949 as director of athletics and retired in 1977.
And related to that 33-year hiatus, we are reminded that football had been played at BSU since the early1890s before its last team donned uniforms in 1927.
But a quick look through the earliest BSU yearbooks - dating to 1899 - show that football was by no means the school's favorite sport:
An image above from the yearbook of the Class of 1899 at then Bridgewater State Normal School. It was a "rough and tumble game" with little protective gear.
"It is doubtful that the game will ever be revived again in the school"
From the Class of 1899 yearbook . . .full text below
But oh how wrong was that statement. Years did pass, then decades, but Coach Swenson, who was affectionately called "Swa" by his players, campaigned arduously to bring football back to Bridgewater State.
The above is from Dr. Thomas Turner's history of the university, published in 2010. More to come on that below.
We share below photos of Peter Flynn, '61, who was the captain of the 1960 football team and Nancy Hart Flynn, '61, G '64, who was a cheerleader.
Over the ensuing years, Peter and Nancy have been actively involved in their alma mater (example: Peter was a chairman of the university's Board of Trustees and Nancy has served for many years in key leadership roles for the Bridgewater Alumni Association).
The first game for BSU's new football team took place in October, 1960, and below is a campus newspaper's coverage of what was then then upcoming season (note: the team was outfitted in green and white jerseys):
The 1960 team had one win and three losses in its first season.
The 2026 team enters Homecoming Weekend with a perfect 3-0 record!
"Not to be Ministered Unto But to Minister"
Dr. Thomas Turner, professor emeritus of history
In Dr. Thomas Turner's comprehensive history of Bridgewater State College, 1840 to 2010, he wrote about the history of football at the university and specifically about Head Coach Ed Swenson:
"Football was always a more problematic sport because of the number of players it took to field a team. However, since most players played on both offense and defense, it was not necessary to carry as many players as in the modern age of specialization," wrote Dr. Turner.
"The game here dates back to the 19th century, and photographs of early teams have survived, the 1892 team being an example.
"Football was played with very little equipment and few rules, the object being to push and shove your opponent; the days of the forward pass and a sophisticated running offense were yet to come," he wrote.
"While Bridgewater normally had enough men to field a team, such was not the case in 1910 when the season had to be canceled.
"In 1911, a notice appeared for all men to report at noon to room 11. Sixteen men answered the call, and a teamwas formed. They actually won all five games they played with Plymouth, Weymouth and Brockton high schools, Durfee Textile and Salem State Normal School.
"The rivalry with Brockton, always a football powerhouse, and the local high school could be quite spirited," Dr. Turner explained.
"In 1922, concern again surfaced that a team could not be formed, but the Independent reported that the new four-year degree program had brought more men to campus. Twenty-two men, including three players from the previous year’s Bridgewater High School team, were available for the team.
"The rather informal nature of the program is apparent, as the paper added, 'A coach will be selected soon.'
'In 1927, the football program was terminated, giving way to soccer. Football was not reintroduced until 1960 when Ed Swenson, who also served as athletic director, assumed the position of coach.
"Coach Swenson had great success in reviving the sport, and the university’s football field is named after him," concluded Dr. Turner.
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A Homecoming Reminder: Honoring the Memory of Dan Darcy
To several generations of Bridgewater State students - now alumni - Dan Darcy, '88, G '90, was a walking legend.
And that's who Dan was to so many faculty, staff, alumni and a wide range of friends and associates throughout higher education.
When he became BSU's Director of Alumni and Student Engagement, he extended even further his legion of friends.
In every sense, Dan was a BSU Legend, and on Saturday, October 3, 2026, during Homecoming Weekend, a ceremony will take place in the Rondileau Student Union to honor his legacy.
The time is 8:30 a.m., in the room that will forever henceforth bear his name, The Daniel J. Darcy Council Chambers.
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This concludes the report for Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Next edition: Monday, October 4, 2026
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