Burdett College

Students at Burdett College, c. 1938

The college was founded on August 1, 1879,[1] by brothers Charles A. Burdett (1858–1922)[2] and Fred H. Burdett (1861–1935).[3] They each served as president of the college, followed by Fred's wife, Sadie.[4] Fred and Sadie's son, C. Fred Burdett (c.1905–1988), was then president from the mid-1930s until 1970.[5]

In 1938, the institution was described a junior college of business training, offering one- and two-year courses of study in the areas of business administration, accounting, executive secretarial, stenographic, and general business.[6]

Upon C. Fred Burdett's retirement in 1970, the college was sold to the Bradford School Corporation, a subsidiary of The Life Insurance Company of Virginia.[7] The website for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education lists the college as having closed in 1999.[8] Bay State College in Boston is the custodian of records for several closed institutions, including Burdett College.[9]

156 Stuart Street, now home to New England Law Boston

Locations of Burdett College included:

• 167 Tremont Street, Boston (1882–1885)[10][11]
• 592 Washington Street, Boston (1886–1891)[12][1]
• 694 Washington Street, Boston (1891–1904)[13][14]
• 18 Boylston Street, Boston (1905–1928)[15][16]
• 156 Stuart Street, Boston (1928–1954)[16]
• 160 Beacon Street, Boston (1954–1972)[16]
• 745 Boylston Street, Boston (c. 1998)[17]

• 74 Mt. Vernon Street, Lynn, Massachusetts (c. 1939)[18]
• 100 Front Street, Worcester, Massachusetts (c. 1999)[19]

Advertisement from The Boston Globe of October 1, 1905

Notable alumni of the college include:

• Garrett H. Byrne, District Attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts
• John F. Cotter, Commissioner of the Boston Fire Department
• Joseph N. Hermann, Massachusetts politician
• William E. Hurley, Massachusetts politician
• Clementina Poto Langone, Italian-American activist, politician, and philanthropist
• John Shea (New Hampshire politician)
• Hal Weafer, major league baseball umpire
• Grafton Kenyon, Rhode Island businessman and politician

The college fielded teams in several sports, including:[16]

• Baseball – c.1894–c.1902
• Basketball – c.1948–c.1962[20][21]
  • In 1957, the team won the Boston Small College title, with a 10–0 record.[22]
• Football – c.1895–c.1905
  • Opponents included Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, and MIT.[23]
• Ice polo – c.1896[24]
  • Note: a form of ice hockey played with a ball rather than a puck