Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy programs located in Boston, Phoenix and Seattle. It was founded in 1852 as
Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. Tufts remained a small liberal arts college until the 1970s, when it transformed into a large research university offering doctorates in several disciplines. The corporate name of the university is "Trustees of Tufts College".