Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
David Chard served as the 14th and final president of Wheelock College, which closed and merged with Boston University in 2018. Today, the retired educator lives in a small Cape house in Provincetown, where he volunteers as a master gardener at local public schools.
“The garden is a lot of work,” he said. “But for me, it’s therapeutic, and when things work for you, it’s just a tremendous feeling of success.”
Lucy Wheelock founded the college in 1888 as a training school for kindergarten teachers. For decades, the independent college focused on education and social work. By December 2016, just months after taking the top job, Chard says he recognized that the college could no longer survive independently.
The decision to close and merge with Boston University in 2018 prompted angry calls from parents, professors and alumni. Chard had many sleepless nights and his mental health suffered. But he says he had no choice, since the college was not growing.
GBH News’ Kirk Carapezza reports.
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David Chard served as the 14th and final president of Wheelock College, which closed and merged with Boston University in 2018. Today, the retired educator lives in a small Cape house in Provincetown, where he volunteers as a master gardener at local public schools.
“The garden is a lot of work,” he said. “But for me, it’s therapeutic, and when things work for you, it’s just a tremendous feeling of success.”
Lucy Wheelock founded the college in 1888 as a training school for kindergarten teachers. For decades, the independent college focused on education and social work. By December 2016, just months after taking the top job, Chard says he recognized that the college could no longer survive independently.
The decision to close and merge with Boston University in 2018 prompted angry calls from parents, professors and alumni. Chard had many sleepless nights and his mental health suffered. But he says he had no choice, since the college was not growing.
GBH News’ Kirk Carapezza reports.
GBH News is a premier source for in-depth local news and original story telling based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Subscribe to the GBH News YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/gbhnews?sub_confirmation=1
Subscribe to our GBH Daily newsletter at wgbh.org/daily?utm_Newsletter=GBH_Daily_YouTube_CTA
Follow GBH News on Instagram: instagram.com/gbhnews
Like GBH News on Facebook: facebook.com/gbhnews
Visit our website: wgbh.org/news
Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT
