Lowell is a historic mill town dating back to the mid 1800s. An important center of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, Lowell has transformed into a new center of industry and innovation driven by UMass Lowell graduates of all disciplines. The Francis College of Engineering at the University is named after the renowned James B. Francis, an engineer who contributed greatly to the early development of Lowell’s mill economy and infrastructure, helping to shape the city into the one we know today.