First built in 1925 and acquired by Tufts in 1930, Halligan Hall has seen its fair share of changes over the decades. Now it has a fresh look and upgraded infrastructure as renovations made this summer refreshed the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s home of more than 80 years. 

When Tufts alum Harold Power, E1914, purchased land from the university on the Boston Avenue hillside, he constructed a 304-foot radio tower that became the nation’s first station to broadcast on a daily schedule. In 1925, Power’s American Radio and Research Corporation (AMRAD) built an accompanying manufacturing facility on the location. 

That building was acquired by Tufts when AMRAD closed, and in 1940, the former factory was named the Hooper Laboratories for Electrical Engineering, in honor of William Leslie Hooper, A1877, G1878, H1898, a former professor of electrical engineering and interim president of the university. In 1983, trustee emeritus William J. Halligan, E1923, H1937, and his wife Katherine Halligan made a generous gift that enabled essential infrastructure improvements to the building and the Hooper Laboratories were officially rededicated as Halligan Hall. 

Halligan Hall housed numerous groups over the years, including the university’s maintenance department and athletics department, but engineers were its longest-standing tenants. In addition to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s history with the building, the Department of Computer Science was also located there from 1994 to 2021. Engineering students took essential courses, worked in the building’s machine shop, learned in faculty labs, and built robots that visitors could find exploring the hallways. 

When it came time to envision the future of Halligan Hall as Tufts’ home for electrical and computer engineering in the 21st century, planners recognized the importance of making updates while honoring the generations of Tufts engineers who came before. 

“Halligan Hall is a center for engineering learning, research, and innovation at Tufts,” said Tom Vandervelde, professor and department chair of electrical and computer engineering. “Our students spend the vast majority of their time in Halligan, and the new renovations foster hands-on learning and bring everyone together.”

Previously, electrical and computer engineering research groups were spread across multiple locations on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus. With the recent renovation of more than 80% of Halligan Hall, the majority of electrical and computer engineering research is now centrally located under one roof.  

The building houses core support labs and shared equipment with potential uses that include welding and fabrication, lasers, multimedia, and 3D printing. “Co-locating the labs helps build a strong research community for faculty and students alike and creates exciting opportunities for collaboration,” said Kyongbum Lee, dean of the School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor. “The Halligan Hall renovation also allowed us to bring several labs back onto campus, providing more opportunities for our students to learn about and contribute to cutting edge research.”  

In addition to the renewed research facilities, Halligan Hall houses new and improved teaching resources. Students now work in new introductory teaching labs, electronics labs, and capstone labs that are optimized for hands-on learning and one-on-one mentorship in small groups. Outside of classes and research, the building is also home to refurbished faculty offices, areas where graduate students can work together, and a range of collaboration and meeting spaces for the entire Tufts community. 

Sustainability was another key consideration in the renovations. Work in the early 2000s addressed HVAC challenges and improvements to the building envelope—the outer shell that facilitates its climate control. The recent renovations built on that foundation with a full overhaul of Halligan Hall’s mechanical systems to operate with lower energy use and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Increased insulation and new windows improve the building envelope and help advance Tufts’ campus decarbonization goals. Improvements in ventilation and in heating and cooling are also making labs and classrooms more conducive to work and study. 

Most of all, Halligan Hall is ready for what lies ahead. Engineering disciplines continue to evolve to address important societal challenges. The flexibility in space use and the development of core support labs for shared use in Halligan Hall enable room for electrical and computer engineering to evolve and grow, said Vandervelde.