Grahm Junior College

Grahm Junior College was a non-profit junior college located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school opened in 1951 (4) under the name Cambridge School, as part of a private chain of schools from New York City. The school was originally located at 18 Tremont street. Other branches were later based in Chicago and Philadelphia. The Cambridge School became accredited as a Junior College of business in 1964(1) The curriculum was later expanded to include radio and TV broadcasting. In 1967 the school was renamed Grahm Junior College, after its first director, Milton Grahm (4). The college radio station was known as WCSB, as was a closed-circuit television station.

After its initial location at 18 Tremont Street the school moved to 120 Boylston Street (3), then to 687 Boylston Street and finally to Kenmore Square. The 687 Boylston street building, "The Kensington" (demolished) entrance was flanked by two lions, which gave way to the school's mascot. The same lions now flank the entrance to the Fairmont Copley Hotel.

At its peak enrollment of 1,300 students in 1968, the school occupied 4 buildings in Boston's Kenmore Square, the notable Hotel Kenmore (dormitories), Wadsworth Hall (dormitories) the present-day Hotel Buckminster (dormitories and classrooms) and 632 Beacon Street (offices, classrooms and broadcast studios). The Cambridge School purchased 632 Beacon Street in May, 1965 from the Hotel Corporation of America (1). It had been previously owned by the Lumber Mutual Insurance Company. Sale prices was purported to be under three million dollars. The Kenmore Hotel was purchased by the Cambridge School in 1965. (1) The Saint George Hotel (circa 1911) was purchased in 1966 (appraised at $300,000) and renamed Leavitt Hall.(5)

In 1968, the school was renamed Grahm Junior college, in recognition of its long term president, Milton L. Grahm. In September 1968, the school was restructured as a non-profit institution. (6) In 1969, the college announced a $6 million development program, including $500,000 of equipment. It included two television studios and radio studios. The library was expanded and 14 classrooms were added. A physical education facility, classrooms, offices and an endowment were envisioned, but never realized. In 1974, the school received New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation.

In 1974, a sustained decline in enrollment persisted(7), attributed by many to the end of the military draft and the rise of the community college system. During this period many two-year schools began to close or shed buildings or other assets.(8) The Boston Globe reported that 30 out of 40 two year and trade schools closed between 1970 and 1980. In 1977 it the school's financial distress was publicly disclosed (9) Enrollment had declined 12 percent in three years. Staff salaries were cut and others were laid off. Fuel bills and inability to refinance were cited by the college administration as primary causes.

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