UMass Dartmouth, The Institute of Health and Long Life records

In 1974 local health care and social service administrators met with faculty and staff from Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU) to discuss the issue of training health care workers treating the elderly. In April 1974 a planning committee was formed. The committee organized a conference entitled “The Institute on Health and Long Life” held in October of that year. The purpose of the conference was to organize a continuous plan to coordinate resources for elderly care. Institute activities included programs and educational services for the elderly and health care workers serving the elderly.

In January 1976 the SMU Board of Trustees voted to recognize the Institute of Health and Long Life (IHLL) to work independently with in the Division of Continuing Studies (DCE). Early Programs offered by the IHLL included academic credit courses for the elderly. In 1976 the IHLL petitioned the Board of Trustees to allow elderly to enroll in IHLL sponsored academic courses tuition free. The Board of Trustees voted in favor of the petition. In 1979 the Board of Trustees voted to allow all people over the age of 59 to enroll in all DCE academic courses tuition free. Three main programs formed with in the IHLL; educational and cultural programs of the elderly, training programs for health care workers working with the elderly and academic programs for students studying gerontology. The IHLL stopped appearing in DCE catalogues after the summer of 1985.

From 1980 to 1985 SMU was part of the New England Long Term Care Gerontology Center (SENELTCGC) which also included Bristol Community College, Brown University, Rhode Island College and University of Rhode Island. SENELTCGC was based at Brown. In 1984 the Gerontology Certificate Program was proposed for SMU by SMU faculty involved with SENELTCGC and the Gerontology Center at Brown, which included Lynn Tondat-Carter, Ora DeJesus, Daniel Georgianna, Robert Piper and Ann Tischirch.

The IHLL consisted of two governing organizations. The first was the general membership which was open to anyone that was interested in the IHLL and included educators, students, senior citizens and health care employees. Members attended semi-annual membership meetings and voted for members of the Nominating and Executive Committees. The Executive Committee which made up the second governing body consisted of 15 members and met monthly to implement goals and objectives of the IHLL.