Daniel Webster College: A Legacy of Aviation and Education
Daniel Webster College (DWC) was a private college in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. It operated from 1965 through 2017 and had a strong aeronautics focus during much of its history. Though its doors are now closed, the college's legacy continues through its alumni and the impact it had on aviation education in the region.
Establishment and Early Years
The college was established in 1965 as the "New England Aeronautical Institute" and was associated with Boire Field, now Nashua Airport. This close proximity cemented its focus on aviation education. The institution was later renamed Daniel Webster College.
Academic Programs
Daniel Webster College educated men and women for professional entry, advancement, and advanced studies in the fields of aviation, computer science, management, engineering, and social sciences. Students prepared through residential, continuing, and distance education programs that emphasized the integration of theory and practice through interactive teaching and learning in professional and liberal studies.
The school offered 17 campus-based B.S. degree programs, and 9 online degree programs including the M.B.A. New undergraduate degrees included aeronautical and mechanical engineering, gaming, simulation and robotics, aeronautical and mechanical engineering, sports management and psychology. There were also master's degree programs in addition to an online master's program for aviation professionals.
Daniel Webster Colleges strived to provide students with degree programs that would further their careers. The school's specialty lay in aviation, in which students could earn a degree in aviation flight operations, air traffic management and aviation management.
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Distance Learning Programs
The Daniel Webster College distance education program was designed specifically to support the needs of adults who cannot attend a site-based program but still want a high-quality education from a respected institution. Courses were typically offered in eight-week terms and were transferable to other accredited institutions, or they can lead to certificates, associate, or bachelor's degrees in information systems, social science, business management, accounting, marketing, and much more.
All distance education courses were delivered using Blackboard Learning System software. Students interacted with faculty members and other students in this online version of a site-based classroom.
Daniel Webster College offered certificates and Associate of Science (A..S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees. The M.B.A. was not currently offered online. Certificates may be earned in .NET, PC networking, MS Windows programming, client-server application development, UNIX systems administration, C/UNIX programming, Webmaster technology, Web design, marketing, and accounting. The A.S. may be earned in business management or general studies. Students may also earn a B.S. in information systems, social science, or business management with concentrations in marketing, management, or information technology.
Certificate programs varied in length, but all A.S. degrees required the successful completion of 60 credit hours, and B.S. degrees required the successful completion of 120 credit hours. DWC courses were based on a credit-hour system, with a typical course awarding 3 credit hours.
The B.S. in business management prepared students for a successful career in management. Students achieved competence in the three essential functions of a business (finance, marketing, and operations) and learn to execute the four functions of a manager (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling). As part of this process, students developed the leadership and management skills necessary to be able to get results when working with and through others.
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The B.S. in management, information systems, and technology provided intensive knowledge of the development and application of communication technology, databases, computer networks and their management, computer programming, systems thinking and analysis, and the management of various computer-based applications. This intensive knowledge was appropriate to positions where information technology (IT) is widely used as a management tool as well as where IT is integral to a firm's operations.
The A.S. in business management was designed to meet the needs of those students who wish to seek immediate employment after graduation from high school as well as those who wish to continue on to a bachelor's degree program. The two-year associate degree in general studies offered students a flexible program of study that allows them to take basic courses in mathematics, English, social science, humanities, and computer studies-the traditional general education foundation required in most four-year colleges and universities.
Aviation Programs
Daniel Webster College had a long standing history with aviation education and is one of the few schools selected for affiliation with the FAA's CTI Program in training air traffic controllers. The Tamposi Aviation Center, next to the Nashua Airport, operated the flight program. Currently, the school flies four types of aircraft, while a precision flight control jet trainer helps with studying cockpit training.
Campus Life
With a population of more than 600 day and 600 evening, Daniel Webster College was a small yet dedicated mix of resident and commuter students. This atmosphere provided students with individual attention from faculty members. The school housed students in one of five residence halls and a townhouse complex.
The main campus was located on 54 acres (22 ha) next to Nashua Airport, comprising three academic buildings, a gymnasium, and an auditorium.
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Student Services
DWC was dedicated to providing distance education (DE) students with a full suite of facilities and support programs and services to ensure a fruitful educational experience. DE students had online access to student services, academic advising, instructional support, technical support, library services, online payment, online registration, and textbook ordering.
DWC had also implemented the Student Online Access to Records (SOAR) program. Using this program, students had direct access to all courses they have taken, the grade earned in each course, their semester and cumulative GPA, current class schedule, and their student account, including all charges, credits, and pending or verified financial aid.
Athletics
Initially, a limited athletics program competed in NEIA basketball. The college joined the NCAA as an independent in 1993. It became a charter member of both the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 1996 and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 2007. That year, Daniel Webster was declared the NECC's top overall athletics program, finishing first among all men's programs and second among women's programs.
At its height in the NECC, the Daniel Webster Eagles comprised 17 NCAA Division III varsity athletic teams. Programs for men included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. Women's programs included basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Indoor sports were played at the Mario Vagge Gymnasium, named in honor of the former Nashua mayor who served from 1958 to 1965 and was a college benefactor. The campus had fields for baseball, softball, and soccer/lacrosse.
The athletics programs had limited success during their time in the GNAC, winning just one championship (baseball in 1996). However, in the NECC with its smaller colleges, Daniel Webster won championships in baseball, men's cross country, field hockey, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's soccer.
Accreditation
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges accredited Daniel Webster College. It was also a member of the New Hampshire College and University Council. Additionally, the Council on Aviation Accreditation accredited the school. The flight training program has been approved for flight classes operated under Parts 141 and 61 of the FAA regulations.
Financial Difficulties and Closure
By the mid-2000s, the college was having financial problems and failing to meet "financial responsibility standards" of the United States Department of Education, a measure of economic viability.
In 2010, ITT Educational Services phased out the flight program and stopped accepting new flight students, while allowing students currently enrolled in the program to complete their education. Department of Education prohibited ITT Educational Services from enrolling new students who used federal financial aid, because accreditor ACICS threatened to revoke accreditation for the 130 other schools that it ran. The school suspended new enrollment, then on September 6, ceased operations.
The 2016-17 academic year at Daniel Webster was not threatened because it used a different accreditor, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). However, the NEASC said the Department of Education's "extraordinary demands" implied that the college did not meet its standards either, and required the college to show why its NEASC accreditation should not be withdrawn as well.
Southern New Hampshire University's Role
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), a non-profit college in Manchester, New Hampshire, hired 87 of DWC's faculty and staff to let the 2016-17 academic year proceed in Nashua. ITT/ESI agreed to a "Teach-Out and Program Articulation Agreement" to help Daniel Webster College (DWC) students continue their degree programs.
Department of Education to enable SNHU to provide degree completion opportunities to the students of Daniel Webster College. As part of the agreement, SNHU provided the faculty, facilities and student support necessary to deliver all DWC academic programs through the 2016-2017 academic year. All DWC classes continued in their current schedules, and residential students continued to reside on the Nashua campus.
Daniel Webster College students had access to their 2016-2017 federal financial aid and all institutional aid. SNHU honored the current rate of tuition and fees for all DWC students for the remaining academic year. Upon completion of the 2016-2017 school year, SNHU accepted all DWC students who met the minimum admission requirements for all subsequent coursework offered through SNHU.
Post-Closure and Future Prospects
After Xinhua Education Consulting Services acquired the remainder of the campus and buildings in 2018, the company petitioned the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission to continue using the Daniel Webster name, but the Commission rejected two petitions, citing dispute over the ownership of the name.
In September 2025, Nashua mayor Jim Donchess asked for state and federal support so that the city could buy the property for perhaps $20 million. In January 2026, legislators rejected the proposal.
Legacy and Remembrance
Starting in 1965, Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H. was founded to focus on training young people for careers in aviation as well as many other disciplines. Although the college closed in 2017 due to financial reasons, thousands of Daniel Webster graduates continue to take pride in the role their alma mater played in their education and in their lives.
Aviation Museum of N.H. Exhibit
Visit the Aviation Museum to see a display of Daniel Webster College memorabilia from our collection. The museum’s exhibit includes a tribute to James N. Tamposi, a co-founder of Daniel Webster College. Mr. Tamposi, a lifelong pilot, World War II veteran, and legend in New Hampshire aviation, passed away in 2024 at age 104.
Planned Book
In order to preserve the story of Daniel Webster College and its impact, the Aviation Museum of N.H. is planning to publish a book about the institution. The intention is to tell the college’s story, but also chronicle the impact it had on so many lives-an impact that will continue to be felt far into the future.
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