1960s: Planning for a New Campus
The 1960s brought Lesley a new President, an established graduate program, as well as ideas for a new campus. Don Orton was appointed as the new President of Lesley College in 1960. Graduate training for special education teachers was offered in response to a growing interest in learning disabilities. In 1964, Lesley's graduate programs were accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The graduate programs were organized as the Lesley College Graduate School of Education. In 1962, the New England Kindergarten Conference was started by the Lesley Graduate School.
By 1965, Lesley College initiated a new building plan to create an “Urban Academic Village.” The campus was eventually renovated, creating a quadrangle, with a new library, dorm space, faculty and administrative offices, and classrooms.
In 1967, the School of Practical Art was renamed the Art Institute of Boston (AIB), establishing itself as a non-profit institution of higher education and preparing for future expansion and development.
A Graduate Center was opened in 9 Mellen Street, creating the Graduate School's first building on campus.
