The Lesley University Archives

History

• The Early Years, 1909 to 1939
• Becoming a College, 1940 to 1960
• Building the Graduate School, 1960-1990
• Becoming a University, 2000 to Present

The Early Years, 1909 to 1939 In 1909 Edith Lesley [Wolfard] opened "The Lesley Normal School" in her home on Everett Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts to train young women to become kindergarten and early elementary teachers. Influenced by the philosophy of German educator Friedrich Froebel, Lesley's two-year curriculum stressed the importance of physical activity (singing, dancing and gardening) and play, particularly with blocks and similar objects. Edith Lesley also stressed the values of treating students as individuals and the importance of 'gracious living.' Eleven students graduated in the first class in 1911.

"A Student Takes Charge of Her First Class" Lesley College Course Catalog 1949-1950 (enlarge photo)

In the following year, classes in household arts were added and in 1917, a department, known first as Domestic Science and later (1939-1940) as Home Economics, was established, offering a one- or two-year program that prepared students to work in various public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and settlement houses.

By the 1920s the school, now "The Lesley School," had twenty-two instructors, had acquired three buildings for dormitories, and had built Alumni Hall for assemblies and classes. Extra-curricular activities came to play an important role, with Wednesday afternoons reserved for musical or theatrical student performances. Later in the decade a three-year kindergarten and early elementary program was offered in addition to the two-year course of study.

During the 1930s Gertrude Malloch, who had joined the school as a teacher and administrator in its first decade, became the school's chief administrator, after Edith Lesley Wolfard's health began to fail. The late 1930s to early 1940s saw some changes at Lesley. Enrollment, which had been over 300 earlier in the decade, declined during the Depression, reaching a low of 63 at one point.

Becoming a College, 1940-1960
In 1939 the school, to that point privately owned, became a non-profit institution through incorporation, and during the academic year 1939-1940 it added a four-year teacher-training program. In 1943 this four-year program was recognized as meeting all the requirements of the B.S. in education and soon after the school began to award this degree. 1943 saw the school's name changed to Lesley College and the appointment of the College's first president, Marguerite Franklin, who led the school during the transition. Edith Lesley Wolfard retained the titles of Founder and Director Emeritus. In 1944 Trentwell Mason White became president. The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in June of 1945. In 1949, Lesley College acquired the Walter F. Dearborn School and the Lesley Ellis School, and in 1959 added a third, the Carroll Hall School, as laboratory schools, providing opportunities for study and observation by Lesley College students and faculty.

The next decade was one of growth for Lesley, with the addition of evening and summer classes, new buildings and an enrollment expanding to 380 undergraduate and 52 graduate students. Lesley achieved regional and national accreditation in 1952 and in 1954 was empowered to confer a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. The new graduate program was co-ed. The decade was also marked by loss, with Edith Lesley Wolfard's death in 1953 and President White's in 1959.

Don Orton succeed Dr. White in July 1960. As the 1960s progressed, enrollment continued to grow and the college continued to offer a variety of student activities and clubs. A building project was launched, transforming the college's landscape into an urban academic village. The quad was created, housing a new library, dorm spaces, and classrooms. The 1960s also saw the death of Gertrude Malloch, who donated her home to be used as a house for the Lesley College President.

Building the Graduate School, 1960-1990
Lesley College continued to grow in the 1970s and 1980s, both building and acquiring new properties. While retaining its preeminence in early childhood education, Lesley began branching out in new directions, starting four new Master's degree programs in Independent Studies, Expressive Therapies, Integrated Arts in Education (now Creative Arts in Learning), and Counseling and Psychology. Each program was the first of its kind in the country. By the end of the 1970s, Lesley offered 18 different master's degrees, including an extension program in Israel that offered expressive therapy training to Israeli professionals.

In 1980, the Audubon Expedition Institute (AEI) launched, enabling students to earn their Bachelor and Master's degrees by traveling across the country on a bus and learning about the environment by living in it. In 1981, Lesley initiated the School of Programs in Management for Business and Industry (PMBI), which later became the School of Management. By the mid-80s, the graduate school enrollment was over 3300, and, additionally, Lesley launched its first off-campus program, the National Outreach program in Denver, Colorado. In 1982, an academic and living skills program for young adults with learning disabilities was also founded, called the Threshold Program. In 1985, Lesley inaugurated Margaret McKenna as its president. Soon after, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges approved Lesley's first Ph.D. program. The first Ph.D. students were admitted in the fall of 1990.

In the 1990s, Lesley continued to increase the size of its campus by purchasing the Porter Exchange Building, which doubled its classroom space. The college also joined Division III of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), distinguishing itself as an institution that encourages both physical and intellectual prowess. International programs increased, being offered in Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. In 1996, the Graduate School of Education was officially established. In 1998, the college merged with the Art Institute of Boston.

Becoming a University, 2000 to Present
The new millennium has proven to be one of success and distinction for Lesley. In 2000, Lesley officially became a university, and its undergraduate program was renamed Lesley College. In 2003, Princeton Review named the university as one of the "Best Northeastern Colleges," and in 2004 Backpacker magazine named Lesley's Audubon Expedition Institute as one of the "Top 5 Outdoor Education" programs. The college went co-ed in 2005, admitting men for the first time. 2007 brought the end of President McKenna 22-year tenure. She was replaced by Dr. Joseph B. Moore in August 2007.