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In the first decade of the 20th century, the state of Massachusetts established itself as a leader in the education of individuals with disabilities. The third state school for the feebleminded was built in rural Belchertown, in the western part of the state. Opened in 1915, Belchertown State School would eventually encompass almost 900 acres of land and would become the largest employer in town. For nearly 60 years, the state school educated individuals with disabilities who were otherwise excluded from public education, training the "residents" to become independent members of their families and of society. The model was a success until reports of abuse and neglect began to surface, culminating in the landmark 1972 Ricci v. Greenblatt case, which ultimately led to the state school's closure in 1992. The state school's rich history, maintained and curated by the late Donald LaBrecque, chronicles the rise of special education and developmental services and the ultimate collapse of the state school system.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell owes its origins to two institutions founded in the 1890s. In 1894, the state authorized the founding of the Lowell Normal School, an institution that trained teachers for the state’s public school system. In 1895, the state also authorized the founding of Lowell Textile School to encourage research in new technologies related to textile manufacture. Over the decades, the two schools on opposite sides of the Merrimack River grew. Lowell Normal became Lowell Teacher’s College in 1932 and then Lowell State College in 1960, and Lowell Textile became Lowell Technological Institute in 1953. In 1975, the state merged the two institutions to form the University of Lowell, which, in 1991, became part of the UMass system. University of Massachusetts Lowell: 125 Years draws from a rich array of historical images to honor the school’s past and present and preserve the memory of students, faculty, staff, buildings, and events.