Title:
Harry Seymour Ross portrait.
Title:
4th president (1932–1945).
Record Type:
portraits
Record Type:
photography (discipline)
Record Type:
photographs
Record Type:
black-and-white photographs
Date:
1932 - 1945
Description:
A formal photographic portrait of Harry Seymour Ross. Harry Seymour Ross was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, in 1868 and attended Oberlin College before transferring to and completing his degree at Emerson College of Oratory. After graduation, he was hired by Worcester Academy as an instructor in elocution, English, and history. In 1908, President Southwick chose Ross to become the academic dean at Emerson, and they spent the next 24 years working closely together. Immediately following the death of President Southwick, Ross was elected acting president for the remainder of the 1932–33 academic year. Despite the Depression, President Ross was able to purchase 130 Beacon Street for classroom and administrative offices, and the property became the flagship building of Emerson’s Back Bay campus. With the decline of Chautauqua circuits, courses and degrees related to oratory fell out of favor. To keep the College curriculum relevant, Ross expanded it beyond oratory and dramatic arts to include courses in radio broadcasting and speech pathology, while strengthening the liberal arts curriculum by adding history, modern languages, philosophy, and religion courses. In 1937, the College awarded its first Bachelor of Arts degree, and by 1939, “of Oratory” was dropped from the College’s name. Ross created the College’s first theater in the Carriage House, located behind 128 and 130 Beacon Street. He resigned in May 1945, citing age and poor health.
Extent:
10 x 6.61 in.
Subject:
College presidents
Subject:
College administrators
Collection:
RG 004.05 Office of Communication & Marketing Prints and Negatives Collection
Location:
Emerson College Archives and Special Collections
Rights Restrictions:
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) (http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/). For questions about rights statements, or access to the original document please contact the Emerson College Archives and Special Collections at www.emerson.edu/library/archives.
Access Restrictions:
No known access restrictions
Language:
English
Identifier:
batch3_004a.jpg
