Emerson College facts for kids
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Former names
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Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art (1880) Monroe Conservatory of Oratory (1881–1889) Emerson College of Oratory (1890–1938) |
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| Motto | "Expression Necessary to Evolution" |
| Type | Private college |
| Established | 1880 |
| Founder | Charles Wesley Emerson |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
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Academic affiliation
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AICUM |
| Endowment | $259.6 million (2021) |
| President | Jay M. Bernhardt |
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Academic staff
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469 (2019) |
| Students | 5,900 (2022) |
| Undergraduates | 4,117 (2022) |
| Postgraduates | 1,783 (2022) |
| Location |
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United States
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| Campus | Large City, 8 acres (0.032 km2) |
| Newspaper | The Berkeley Beacon |
| Other campuses |
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| Colors | Purple Gold |
| Nickname | Lions |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Griff the Lion |
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Emerson College is a private college located in Boston, Massachusetts. It also has campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, and Well, Limburg, Netherlands. The college was started in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson. It began as a school for oratory, which means public speaking.
Today, Emerson College offers many programs. These programs focus on the arts and communication. They also include a strong foundation in liberal arts. Emerson is a founding member of the ProArts Consortium. This group includes six schools in Boston that teach arts. Emerson College is also known for its public opinion polls, called Emerson College Polling.
The college has moved several times within Boston. It is now in the Theater District. This area is next to the Boston Common. Emerson College owns and runs famous theaters like the Colonial, Paramount, and Cutler Majestic. It also has smaller places for performances.
Contents
History of Emerson College
How Emerson College Started
Charles Wesley Emerson started the school in 1880. It was first called the Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art. This happened a year after Boston University closed its own School of Oratory. The first classes were held in Pemberton Square in Boston. Ten students joined the first class.
The school's name changed in 1881. It became the Monroe Conservatory of Oratory. This was to honor Professor Lewis B. Monroe. He was Charles Emerson's teacher at Boston University. In 1890, the name changed again to Emerson College of Oratory. It was shortened to Emerson College in 1939.
Early Growth and Changes
The college grew and moved to bigger spaces. It rented rooms at 36 Bromfield Street. Then it moved to Odd Fellows Hall in the South End. In 1892, the college opened its first library.
Henry Lawrence Southwick, a teacher and former student, became a financial partner. This helped the college buy the Boston School of Oratory in 1894. Later, Henry and Jessie Eldridge Southwick, along with William H. Kenney, bought the college from Dr. Emerson. The college then rented a new place in Chickering Hall.
Dr. Emerson retired in 1903. William J. Rolfe became the second president. He was a Shakespearean scholar and actor. He served until 1908.
The Student Government Association had its first meeting in 1908. Henry Lawrence Southwick became the third president. He added acting and stagecraft to the school's classes. During his time, the college moved to 30 Huntington Avenue in Copley Square. Emerson also became the first school to offer a college-level program in children's theater in 1919. The school started its first Journalism course in 1924.
In 1931, the college bought its first building. It was a women's dormitory at 373 Commonwealth Avenue. This was in the Back Bay area. The college also started intramural sports like volleyball games.
New Leadership and Programs
In 1930, the college's control went to the Board of Trustees. Harry Seymour Ross became the fourth president in 1931. He started the first course in Radio Broadcasting. This was taught by the program director of WEEI, a Boston radio station.
Emerson College bought more buildings in the Back Bay in 1932. These were at 130 Beacon Street and 128 Beacon Street. Emerson owned these buildings until 2003.
In the next few years, new programs were added. These included Speech Pathology (1935) and the first college program in Broadcast Journalism (1937) in the United States. The college also started building a theater behind 128–130 Beacon. It was allowed to give out Master of Arts degrees.
After World War II
After World War II, more men started attending Emerson. This was partly due to the G.I. Bill of Rights and new broadcasting classes. Boylston Green became president in 1945. He helped improve student activities. This led to the first student newspaper, The Berkeley Beacon, in 1947. It is still published today.
Emerson's broadcasting program grew a lot. The FCC gave the college a license in 1949. This led to WERS, the first educational FM radio station in New England. The station's power increased over the years.
In 1950, Emerson College joined the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. This group checks the quality of schools in New England. President Green left in 1949. Jonathon French became president in 1951.
Financial Challenges and Recovery
In 1952, the college faced money problems. It needed emergency funding. A group of former students started a campaign to help. Their efforts led to a new Board of Trustees, mostly made up of alumni. This new board chose S. Justus McKinley as the fifth president.
The college recovered and added new facilities. In 1953, Emerson opened The Robbins Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic. This helped the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program. A television studio opened in 1954. The first annual spring musical, Lady in the Dark, was performed. The school was also allowed to give honorary degrees. It could also grant Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in speech.
Emerson's Campus in Back Bay
In the 1960s, Emerson bought more buildings for dorms and offices. The college library moved into its own building at 303 Berkeley Street. In 1964, two more buildings were bought. One became the student union, and the other became a dormitory. The campus stayed mostly in Back Bay until the late 1990s.
Richard Chapin became the seventh president in 1967. He introduced new general education requirements. The college bought a building at 67–69 Brimmer Street for this new program. In 1972, the college could grant BFA and MFA degrees.
Moving Plans and Changes
Allen E. Koenig became the ninth president in 1979. He tried to move Emerson College outside of Boston. He talked with Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts about merging. But they could not agree, and the plan was stopped.
In the early 1980s, Koenig proposed big renovations for the college. This included new performance spaces and classrooms. In 1984, 335 Commonwealth Avenue was bought for administration and Communication Studies. The college also started offering MFA degrees in Creative Writing.
Later, there were talks about moving the college to Lawrence, Massachusetts. The city offered land for a very low price. But private landowners fought this in court. A judge ruled in favor of the city in 1988. However, the plans were put on hold. Real estate prices in Boston dropped, and building a new campus became more expensive. The plans were finally stopped when Koenig resigned in 1989. In 1988, the college bought a building at Zero Marlborough Street for dorms and a dining hall.
New Start in the Historic Theater District
John Zacharis became the tenth president. He worked to bring unity back to the college. He bought a building at 180 Tremont Street, now called the Ansin Building. This began the move from Back Bay to the Boston Theater District. Zacharis passed away in 1992.
Jacqueline Weis Liebergott became the first female president. She proposed a 10-year plan to move the college to the Washington Street Theatre District.
In the mid-1990s, the college planned its future. It also started offering health care benefits to domestic partners of gay and lesbian staff. In 1995, the college got a $100,000 gift. This helped create The Tufte Lab and install a new fiber optic network.
The college bought and restored The Little Building in 1994. It is across from the Ansin Building. Restorations were also done on other college buildings. In 1998, Emerson bought the Walker Building at 120 Boylston. This building now holds many departments, the library, and classrooms.
Emerson in the 21st Century
The Tufte Performance Production Center (PPC) opened in 2003. This 11-story building has two theaters and two television studios. It also has labs for makeup and costumes. The Cutler Majestic Theatre also reopened after renovations. It became a main stage for Emerson Stage productions.
In 2004, Emerson's part-time teachers voted to form a union. They signed their first contract with the college.
In 2004, the college announced it would sell some buildings in Beacon Street. A new 14-story residence hall at 150 Boylston Street was built. It opened in 2006. This was Emerson's first completely new residence hall. It has dorms, athletic facilities, and dining areas.
The school bought Boston's historic Paramount Theatre in 2005. They planned to build a new complex there. This included a 565-seat theater and a 125-seat black box theater. It also has a film screening room, rehearsal studios, a sound stage, and a dormitory.
In 2006, the Campus Center was named the Max Mutchnick Campus Center. This was after a large gift from a former student. The school also bought the Colonial Theatre. They added 372 dorm rooms on top of it. This helped the school house more students on campus.
In 2007, Emerson added gender-neutral bathrooms. By 2016, all bathrooms on campus became gender-inclusive.
In 2009, President Liebergott announced she would step down. M. Lee Pelton became the next president in 2011.
The renovated Paramount Center officially opened in 2010. It has a 590-seat theater, a black box theater, and a screening room. It also includes rehearsal studios, a sound stage, and classrooms.
In 2019, Marlboro College merged with Emerson. Marlboro gave its money to Emerson. Emerson created the Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies. Marlboro students were guaranteed admission to Emerson.
In 2020, President Lee Pelton announced he would leave. Jay M. Bernhardt became the 13th president in June 2023. During his inauguration, students held a protest. In April 2024, students were involved in college protests against the Israel-Hamas War.
Emerson College Campus
Emerson College moved its main campus to the Boston Theater District. This move helped save and improve the historic buildings there. The campus is 8 acres large. It is located near the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. You can reach it by the MBTA Green Line and Orange Line.
Emerson College also has campuses outside Massachusetts. It owns a 14th-century castle in the Netherlands. It also has a large academic center in Hollywood.
Academic and Theater Buildings
Ansin Building (180 Tremont Street)
Emerson bought the Ansin Building in 1992. It is 14 stories tall. This building has all the Visual & Media Arts (VMA) labs and facilities. It also has offices for VMA and Writing, Literature & Publishing (WLP) departments. It is home to WERS, WECB, and ETIN (Emerson's Talk and Information Network). The registrar's office and computer labs are also here.
216 Tremont Street
This building used to be the Union Bank. It now holds the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. It also has The Robbins Speech, Language and Hearing Center. Student Financial Services, Health Services, and Career Services are also located here. The Bill Bordy Theater is used for lectures and performances.
Walker Building (120 Boylston Street)
The Walker Building has classrooms, study rooms, and offices. It also has five computer labs and the Iwasaki Library. The fifth and sixth floors connect to the Tufte building.
A famous set from the TV show Will & Grace was once displayed in the Iwasaki Library. It was Will and Grace's living room and kitchen. This set was donated by Emerson alumnus Max Mutchnick. It was moved to Emerson's Los Angeles campus in 2013.
Tufte Performance Production Center (10 Boylston Place)
This 11-story building has two television studios and two performing arts theaters. It also has set and costume studios, classrooms, and offices for the Performing Arts Department. The fifth and sixth floors connect to the Walker Building.
Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street)
The Cutler Majestic Theatre hosts Emerson Stage productions every year. It is also used for speaking events and the EVVY Awards. The EVVY Awards are Emerson's own award show. It is the largest student-run live TV production in the country.
Paramount Center (555 Washington Street)
The Paramount Center opened in 1932 as a movie theater. Emerson College bought it in 2005. They renovated it into a full performing arts facility. The renovated Paramount Center opened in 2010.
It has a 550-seat theater and a 120-seat Black Box Theatre. There is also a film screening room, rehearsal studios, and a sound stage. It includes a scene shop, classrooms, and offices.
Little Building (80 Boylston Street)
Emerson College bought the Little Building in 1994. It was turned into a 750-bed dormitory. In 2016, the college planned a full renovation. This added an extra floor and about 300 more beds. The renovated dorm opened in 2019 and now houses up to 1,035 students.
2 Boylston Place
This is the newest building on campus, opened in 2017. It is an 18-story residence hall. It houses about 375 students.
External Programs
ELA—Hollywood Center (Los Angeles)
The Emerson Los Angeles (ELA) building is in Hollywood. It is a permanent home for Emerson's Los Angeles program. The building has dorms, classrooms, and offices. It opened in 2014.
The center can hold 217 students. Students can spend a semester taking classes and doing internships in Hollywood. ELA also offers training for professionals in Los Angeles.
Kasteel Well in the Netherlands
Emerson College owns and runs Kasteel Well in the Limburg, Netherlands. This is a 14th-century castle. It provides living spaces, classrooms, and a resource center. About 85 Emerson students attend the program each semester. Dutch teachers teach the classes.
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The Max Mutchnick Campus Center and the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gymnasium are important buildings. The Campus Center has meeting and rehearsal spaces for students. It also has offices for student life. The gymnasium is Emerson College's first indoor athletic facility.
Academics at Emerson College
Emerson College has two main schools: the School of Communication and the School of the Arts. It also has eight departments. These departments offer 31 undergraduate majors and 19 minors. They also have 12 graduate degree programs.
The college focuses on communication and arts. But students also take classes in other subjects. This is part of a liberal arts and sciences approach. Students can also choose a minor outside their main major.
U.S. News & World Report ranks Emerson College. In 2021, it was ranked 8th among Regional Universities North. It was also ranked 3rd for Most Innovative Schools.
In 2018, Emerson accepted 36% of applicants. There were 3,871 undergraduate and 1,048 graduate students in 2019. About 76% of students receive financial help.
Film Programs
Emerson College has a large film program. It is one of the biggest in the United States. In 2008/2009, it gave out 368 degrees in film, radio, and television. In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter ranked Emerson's Visual and Media Arts program #6 in the nation.
Emerson also has a joint program with Paris College of Art in Paris, France. It is called the Global BFA in Film Art. This program started in 2019.
Marketing Programs
The college offers undergraduate programs in Marketing Communications and Business of Creative Enterprises. Emerson's Marketing Communication Department has graduate degrees in Integrated Marketing Communication and Global Marketing Communication & Advertising. It also has an online degree in Digital Marketing and Data Analytics.
In 2014, USA Today named Emerson #5 on its list of top U.S. colleges for a marketing degree.
Engagement Game Lab
The Engagement Game Lab is a research lab at Emerson College. It helps people get involved in their communities in new ways. It also studies how people use digital tools for citizenship. Professionals run the lab, but students also help.
Athletics at Emerson College
Emerson College is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division III). It is also in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
Emerson has men's and women's teams for lacrosse, tennis, basketball, cross country running, golf, volleyball, and soccer. It also has a women's softball team and a men's baseball team.
In 2007, the women's softball team won the GNAC championship. This was the department's first time in the NCAA tournament. In 2012, the women's volleyball team won the GNAC Champions title. In 2019, the men's basketball team won its first NEWMAC title. In 2022, the women's soccer team won the NEWMAC title.
Student Life at Emerson College
Student Organizations
Emerson College has many student organizations. They cover a wide range of activities. Some are based on classes, while others focus on social action. Student-led groups are supported by the Student Government Association. Other groups are managed by college staff.
The EVVY Awards
The EVVY Awards are Emerson College's yearly award show. It is the largest student-run TV production in the country. Industry professionals judge the awards. They recognize student achievements in their chosen fields. The show is broadcast live from the Cutler Majestic Theatre every May. Over 500 students are involved each year. The EVVY Awards have won the College Television Award for Alternative/Variety programming.
Emerson Channel
The Emerson Channel is Emerson College's TV station. It has won awards. It was created in 1999. A full-time staff member manages it, and students run it. Student works often win EVVY awards.
Emerson Independent Video
EIV was started in 1975. It is Emerson's largest student-run organization. EIV helps produce live news, TV shows, and short films. Students propose ideas, and a student board selects them. EIV is known for its award-winning show, EIV News at 9p.
Emertainment Monthly
Emertainment Monthly is Emerson College's official entertainment magazine. It is like professional entertainment magazines. It has been nominated for several EVVY Awards. It also covers major entertainment events as official press. In 2015, it won "Best in Show" for its website from the Associated Collegiate Press.
The Berkeley Beacon
The Berkeley Beacon is Emerson's student-run newspaper. It is published weekly. In 2012, it became the first college newspaper website with a responsive design. In 2015, it won "Best in Show" for its print and website from the Associated Collegiate Press.
Emerson Dance Company
Dance is a big part of student life at Emerson College. In 2007, Michael Lupacchino re-founded the Emerson Dance Company (EDC). It is an open group for students of all levels and majors. The company holds two showcases each year. These shows feature student dancers and choreographers.
EDC also offers master classes and workshops for all Emerson students. The group does community service in Boston. They also work with other dance groups and alumni. The company uses Emerson's theaters, including the Paramount Center Mainstage.
Student Radio
WECB is the student-run radio station on campus. It broadcasts online and on campus TV (channel 56). Students designed and built new studios for WECB in the 1980s.
ETIN (Emerson's Talk and Information Network) is an online talk radio service. Students also run it. It is located in the same space as WERS and WECB.
Comedy at Emerson
Emerson College has a strong tradition in comedy. Student groups specialize in sketch comedy, improvisation, and short films. There are twelve recognized comedy organizations.
The college offers several comedy classes. These include "Comedy Writing for Television" and "Comedy Writers' Room." In 2016, the college started offering a B.F.A. in Comedic Arts. They say it is the first degree of its kind in the country.
The Emerson College Comedy Scholarship is given each year. It goes to a senior student who shows leadership and talent in comedy. The college also has the American Comedy Archives. This group collects materials from famous comedy writers and performers.
Presidents of Emerson College
- Charles Wesley Emerson (1880–1903)
- William James Rolphe (1903–08)
- Henry Lawrence Southwick (1908–32)
- Harry S. Ross (1932–45)
- Boylston Green (1945–49)
- Samuel Justus McKinley (1949–67)
- Richard Chapin (1967–75)
- Gus Turbeville (1975–77)
- Oliver Woodruff (1977–79)
- Allen E. Koenig (1979–89)
- John Zacharis (1989–92)
- Jacqueline Liebergott (1992–2011)
- M. Lee Pelton (2011–2021)
- William Gilligan (Interim president, 2021–2023)
- Jay Bernhardt (2023–present)
Notable People from Emerson College
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Jay Leno,
comedian and former host of The Tonight Show -
Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan, writers and directors of the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once.
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Morton Dean,
journalist and former television anchor for CBS Evening News -
Norman Lear,
television producer known for All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times -
Paul Thomas Anderson,
filmmaker known for Boogie Nights, Magnolia and There Will Be Blood -
David Cross,
comedian and actor known for Mr. Show and Arrested Development -
Bill Burr,
comedian and actor known for Paper Tiger and Breaking Bad -
Henry Winkler,
actor known for Happy Days, Arrested Development, and Barry -
Erik Messerschmidt,
cinematographer known for Mank and Mindhunter -
Ben Collins,
reporter for NBC News and The Daily Beast -
Paul Dini,
screenwriter and co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series -
Doug Herzog,
former president of MTV Networks -
Vin Di Bona,
producer of MacGyver, Entertainment Tonight, and America's Funniest Home Videos -
Seth Grahame-Smith,
novelist known for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter -
Olen Steinhauer,
author of spy fiction including The Tourist -
Andrea Martin,
actress known for Pippin, SCTV, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding -
Bobbi Brown,
author and entrepreneur -
Denis Leary,
actor and co-creator of Rescue Me -
Suzan Johnson Cook,
advisor to President Bill Clinton -
David Foster Wallace,
author of Infinite Jest -
Maria Menounos,
journalist and media personality
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See also
In Spanish: Emerson College para niños
