Emerson College

Emerson College was founded in 1880 as a "school of oratory", in Boston, Massachusetts. Moving around to a number of places in its history, the college's main campus is now located near the Boston Common, at the gateway to the Theatre District. There are also campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands. The college claims to be "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts context."

History

Origins of the College

Dr. Charles Wesley Emerson founded the Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art in 1880 a year after Boston College closed the School of Oratory. Classes were held at 13 Pemberton Square in Boston. Ten students enrolled in the conservatory's first class. The following year, the conservatory changes its name to the "Monroe Conservatory of Oratory", in honor of Charles Emerson's teacher at Boston University's School of Oratory, Professor Lewis B. Monrore. In 1890, the name changed again to "Emerson College of Oratory" and was later shortened to Emerson College in 1939. http://www.emerson.edu/library/index.cfm?doc_id=1084

Related Topics:
Dr. Charles Wesley Emerson - 1880 - Boston College - Boston - Boston University - Lewis B. Monrore - 1890 - 1939

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Early Expansion & Growth

The college expands and rents space at 36 Bromfield Street, and moves to Odd Fellows Hall on Berkeley and Tremont Streets in the South End of Boston. With the new location, the college's first library is established in 1892. Henry Southwick, a faculty member and graduate, became a financial partner for the college with Emerson. This financial partnership leads to the purchase of the Boston School of Oratory from Moses T. Brown in 1894.

Related Topics:
Odd Fellows Hall - South End - Boston - 1892 - Henry Southwick - Boston School of Oratory - Moses T. Brown - 1894

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At the turn of the century, faculty members Henry and Jessie Southwick and William H. Kenney purchased the college from Dr. Emerson. Soon after, the college rented a new location in Chickering Hall.

Related Topics:
Henry - Jessie Southwick - William H. Kenney - Chickering Hall

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Dr. Emerson retires in 1903 and William J. Rolfe, a Shakespearean scholar and actor, is named the second President of Emerson College of Oratory. His service as president lasts until 1908 when he retires.

Related Topics:
1903 - William J. Rolfe - Shakespearean - Scholar - Actor - 1908

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As the Student Government Association of the college holds its first meeting in 1908, the third president of the college was inaugurated. Henry Lawrence Southwick introduced the study of acting and stagecraft into the college curriculum.

Related Topics:
1908 - Henry Lawrence Southwick

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During his tenure, the college rented from a new building at 30 Huntington Avenue. The college was also granted the right to award Bachelor of Literary Interpretation (B.L.I.) degrees. In addition, Emerson becomes the first with a collegiate level program in Children's Theatre. The school also held its first course in Journalism in 1924.

Related Topics:
Bachelor of Literary Interpretation - Children's Theatre - Journalism - 1924

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The college purchased its first piece of real estate with a new women's dormitory building at 373 Commonwealth Ave. and starts inter mural sports in 1931 with the organization of volleyball games.

Related Topics:
Inter mural sports - 1931 - Volleyball

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Administrative Restructuring

In 1930, full charge and control of the College was transfered to the Board of Trustees by William H. Kennedy, Henry Southwick, and Jessie Southwick.

Related Topics:
1930 - William H. Kennedy - Henry Southwick - Jessie Southwick

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When Harry Seymour Ross is appointed the fourth president of Emerson College in 1931, the first course in radio broadcasting is taught by the program director of WEEI, a Boston AM radio station.

Related Topics:
Harry Seymour Ross - 1931 - Radio broadcasting - Program director - WEEI - Boston

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Purchase of the buildings at 130 Beacon Street and 128 Beacon Street a year later start the first presence of Emerson College in the Back Bay of Boston. Emerson will keep ownership of these buildings until the summer of 2003.

Related Topics:
Back Bay - Boston - 2003

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In the following years, a professional training program in Speech Pathology (1935) and the first undergraduate program in broadcasting and broadcast journalism (1937), were offered for the first time in the United States.

Related Topics:
Speech Pathology - 1935 - 1937 - United States

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Also, construction of a theater behind 128-130 Beacon is started, and the institution is granted the right to award degrees in a Master of Arts.

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Post-war Era

Between the GI Bill and the Broadcasting curriculum, the student body moved from a primarily female population to an equally balanced population of men and women. With the appointment of Boylston Green, the first president with no prior association with college, Green put his background as a dean of students into extra-curricular activities, including the establishment of a student activities fee. These efforts lead to the first publication of Emerson's student newspaper, The Berkeley Beacon in 1947. It is still in production today.

Related Topics:
GI Bill - Boylston Green - The Berkeley Beacon - 1947

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Emerson also saw large development in its broadcasting program. A 1-year certificate of Broadcasting was offered via evening classes. The FCC awarded the college a 10 watt license in 1949. WERS, the first educational FM radio station in New England, is born. Three years later, the power will increase to 300 watts and 18,000 watts by 1953.

Related Topics:
FCC - 1949 - WERS - FM - Radio station - New England - 1953

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At the start of the decade, Emerson College becomes a member of the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, an accreditation association for schools and colleges in New England.

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President Boylston Green retired and was replaced by Godfrey Dewey as Acting President till 1951. Jonathon French was appointed as Acting President and became President in December of that year. However, French was never inaugurated.

Related Topics:
Boylston Green - Godfrey Dewey - 1951 - Jonathon French

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Emerson's Financial Crisis of 1952

The college suffers from a severe financial crisis in 1952 and seeks $50,000 in emergency funding. At the time, the Chairman of the Corporation states that with out these funds, the college has three alternatives: Go broke, sell out, or join up with another institution. Lead by the National Alumni Council, a grass roots campaign was launched to improve the financial situation of the college. The efforts lead to the Council of Trustees to resign and replaced by mostly alumni. The new board elects a former Emerson history professor, S. Justus McKinley, as the 5th President of Emerson College.

Related Topics:
1952 - National Alumni Council - S. Justus McKinley

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Rising from Financial Trouble

Pulling out of Financial crisis, the college starts to develop its programs with new facilities.

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Emerson opens The Robbins Speech and Hearing Clinic at 145 Beacon Street, furthering the Communication Sciences and Disorders program in 1953. A television studio is dedicated at 130 Beacon in 1954 with its first closed circuit TV program the following year as WERS-TV. The first annual spring musical Lady in the Dark by Moss Hart is presented.

Related Topics:
1953 - 1954 - Lady in the Dark - Moss Hart

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The school is authorized to grant Bachelors and Masters of Science in Speech, honorary degrees and Bachelor of Music in conjunction with the Longy School of Music.

Related Topics:
Bachelors - Masters - Bachelor of Music - Longy School of Music

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Back Bay as Emerson's Campus

As the 1960's start, the building at 373 Commonwealth Avenue is sold to purchase a dormitory at 100 Beacon Street and accommodate an enrollment of 609 undergraduate and 29 graduate students. A year later, a building at 150 Beacon Street is obtained for dorms, a dining hall, and administrative offices. With major gifts from Elisabeth Abbot Smith and J.F. Buzzard, the Library moves from the forth floor of 130 Beacon into its own building at 303 Berkeley. Finally in 1964, two buildings were purchased by the college. 96 Beacon Street became the student union building and 132-134 Beacon Street becomes a dormitory.

Related Topics:
1960's - Elisabeth Abbot Smith - J.F. Buzzard - 1964

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The campus stays mostly in the Back Bay (despite almost moving to Lawrence, Massachusetts in the 1980s) until the late 1990s.

Related Topics:
Lawrence, Massachusetts - 1980s - 1990s

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In 1967, Richard Chapin, former Dean of the Harvard Business School was inaugurated as the seventh president of Emerson College.

Related Topics:
1967 - Richard Chapin - Harvard Business School

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An Academic planning committee approves a new course of study for general education requirements. The first level of this program replaced the college-wide requirements with a two-year interdisciplinary course of study and electives. In order to accommodate this new program, the building at 67-69 Brimmer Street was purchased. The Institute of Interdisplainary Studies was born. A year later (1972), the college gains authorization to grant BS, BFA, and MFA degrees.

Related Topics:
1972 - BS - BFA - MFA

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Relocation of Emerson College

Though Emerson College has moved to various locations within the city of Boston, the appointment of Allen E. Koenig (the ninth president of Emerson College) almost took the college outside of Boston.

Related Topics:
Boston - Allen E. Koenig

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As soon as he was inaugurated, Koenig initiated talks with Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to relocate Emerson and merge the two schools. However, an agreement wasn't reached and the plan was dropped entirely.

Related Topics:
Pine Manor College - Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

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At the start of the 1980s, Koenig makes a proposal to the Board of Trustees for a major renovation of the college's facilities. The plan allows for: New performance spaces, classrooms, and faculty offices at Brimmer Street; Remodeling the Library and Learning Resources Center at 150 Beacon; remodeling the 303 Berkely building for the Humanities and Social Sciences Division; A new radio/audio complex at 126 Beacon; and construction for two new television studios behind 130 Beacon.

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In 1984, 335 Commonwealth Avenue is purchased for Administration and the Communication Studies department. The college also receives the authorization to grant MFA degrees in Creative Writing.

Related Topics:
1984 - MFA

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Even with the newly purchased buildings on Commonwealth, Lawrence, Massachusetts was chosen as a new location for Emerson College, about 44.5 km (27 mi) away from Boston. The mayor of Lawrence stated that the land would be taken by eminent domain and sold to Emerson with a token payment of $100. However, the five private landowners disagreed with this arrangement and took the case to court. Three years later in 1988, Judge John Forte ruled in favor of Emerson College and the City of Lawrence. The river-front site of Lawrence was proposed as the new campus. However, as real estate values in Boston dropped and the costs of constructing a new campus increased, the plans were put on hold and eventually abandoned when Koenig resigned as president in 1989.

Related Topics:
Lawrence, Massachusetts - Km - Mi - Boston - Eminent domain - 1988 - John Forte - 1989

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Regardless of the failed relocation attempt, the college buys a building at 0 Marlborough in 1988 for dormitories and a dining hall. Also, Kasteel Well in Holland is purchased and becomes the home of Emerson's overseas program (now called External Programs).

Related Topics:
1988 - Kasteel Well - Holland

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Rebirth of Emerson College

John Zacharis became the tenth president of Emerson College and faced college fractured by the failed move to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Over the course of two years, he moved to restore unity to the campus by purchasing a building at 180 Tremont, called the Ansin Building. This purchase started a transition from the Back Bay to the Boston Theatre district. Sadly, Zacharis went on medical leave in 1992 and died of leukemia shortly after.

Related Topics:
John Zacharis - Ansin Building - Back Bay - 1992

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During Zacharis' leave, Jacqueline Weis Liebergott was appointed as the Acting President. A year later, Liebergott is inaugurated and becomes the first female president of the college. Shortly after, she submits a 10-year master plan to the Boston Redevelopment Authority which involves moving the college to the Combat Zone.

Related Topics:
Jacqueline Weis Liebergott - Boston Redevelopment Authority - Combat Zone

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In 1994, a planning document of the college's future plans is drafted and met with public hearings. The college also extends health care benefits to domestic partners of gay and lesbian faculty, administration and staff. Under the plan, dental coverage and tuition waivers are also available.

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1994 is also the year when the college starts to go on-line with a $100,000 gift from Mrs. Mary E. Tufte. Under the contribution, The Tufte Lab is placed on the 4th floor of the Ansin Building and dedicated in Mrs. Tufte's honor. The lab starts an initiative for a telecommunications / fiber optic network installation and completes in October 1995.

Related Topics:
1994 - Mrs. Mary E. Tufte - Ansin Building - Fiber optic network - October 1995

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The college announces the purchase and restoration of The Little Building (Boston) (1994) across the street from the Ansin Building and next to Emerson's Majestic Theatre. Restoration is completed on the façades of the college's buildings at 126, 128, 130, 132-134, 168 Beacon Street, and 21 Commonwealth Avenue.

Related Topics:
The Little Building (Boston) - 1994 - Ansin Building - Majestic Theatre

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1996 - Present

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• Purchase of 120 Boylston, the Walker Building (Boston).
• Buildings in ?? Beacon are sold. Jornalism, Marketing, and Political Communication departments are moved to 120 Boylston.
• Construction of 10 Boylston Place, the Tufte Performance Production Center (PPC) starts and completes.
• The Cutler Majestic Theatre finishes renovations.
• Lease obtained for the Colonial Building (Boston).
• Construction of 140 Boylston Street building.
• Renovations of Paramount Theatre (Boston).
• Ongoing, unresolved labor dispute.