The school that almost moved to a different city

Art · Published 2 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1880 as a school of oratory, Emerson College has survived financial crises, near-mergers, and a dramatic proposal to relocate 44.5 kilometers away from Boston. Discover how this arts institution transformed from a small conservatory into a cornerstone of the historic Theater District.

Emerson College began in 1880 when Charles Wesley Emerson established the Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Orary, and Dramatic Art. The inaugural class was remarkably small, consisting of just ten students. Over the decades, the institution underwent several identity shifts, moving from the Monroe Conservatory of Oratory in 1881 to the Emerson College of Oratory in 1890, before finally adopting its current name in 1939.

The college's history is marked by significant geographic and structural instability. In the late 1970s, President Allen E. Koenig attempted to merge the college with Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill. More dramatically, in the 1980s, a plan emerged to move the entire campus to Lawrence, Massachusetts. The city of Lawrence even proposed a site via eminent domain for a symbolic payment of $100, but the plan was ultimately abandoned in 1990 due to rising construction costs and falling Boston real estate values.

Despite these upheavals, the college expanded its academic and physical footprint. It pioneered the first US undergraduate program in broadcast journalism in 1937 and established the first collegiate-level children's theater program in 1919. Under the leadership of President John Zacharis, the college began a strategic transition from the Back Bay to the Washington Street Theatre District, acquiring landmarks like the Ansin Building and eventually the historic Paramount Theatre in 2005.

Financial resilience has also been a recurring theme. In 1952, the college faced a severe crisis, needing $50,000 in emergency funds to avoid bankruptcy or a forced merger. This period of instability led to a grassroots campaign by the National Alumni Council, which eventually replaced the existing Board of Trustees with a board composed largely of alumni.

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