Established in 1953, the Boston University African Studies Center was one of the first graduate programs in the country to offer a multidisciplinary African Studies program. Initially the African Research and Studies Program, the roots of the ASC were established by a group of young assistant professors with a shared interest in Africa. One of the program’s original specialties was the training of State Department officers. It became the African Studies Center in 1965 and moved into its present location at 270 Bay State Road in 1984.