Clark College: Erie Business Center

The birth of this institution came with the starting of a school in penmanship and bookkeeping by H. C. Clark, in 1883, which developed into the institution familiarly known as Clark’s Business College. For a number of years its work was carried on downtown, on State street, east side, near Eighth street, from which it was removed to rooms specially fitted up for the school in the Downing building. In 1890, the institution was incorporated and a number of leading citizens became interested in its welfare. H. C. Clark was elected President and A. E. Scheithe Secretary and Treasurer, with seven gentlemen as Directors. In January, 189-1, Prof. Clark resigned and F. Downing was elected President and S. M. Sweet Secretary and Treasurer.

In April, 1894, in response to the desire to co-operate more successfully in methods and objects, the management consolidated its work with the Erie Business College and Short-Hand School, which came into existence in 1888 in response to the demands for a shorthand training. The latter was first known as the Erie Short-Hand School, and was opened by the law-reporting firm of Briggs, Fish and Bochner. Shortly after it passed into the hands of M. D. Fletcher, who conducted it until 1891, when E. Coburn became principal. The training it gave students produced so favorable a reputation that it was developed into a fully-equipped business college. From Mr. Coburn’s control it passed into the hands of John M. Glazier, who conducted it until the consolidation with Clark’s Business College.

The consolidation of Clark Business College with the Erie Business College and Short-Hand School became known as the Erie Business College. In 1923, Charles P.. McGeary, Sr. became owner and president of the Erie Business College. He continued to direct the school until his death in 1953. Led afterwards by the McGeary Family, the school expanded and opened a campus in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The New Castle campus, formerly New Castle Business School, was located at 170 Cascade Galleria in New Castle.

In the City of Erie, the school had since relocated from its original location at the Downing Building on Peach Street to 246 West Ninth Street, which at some point in time the school’s name was changed to the Erie Business Center. The school continued its expansion and opened a Practical Nursing Program, which was located nearby, at the Metro Center on 252 West 11th Street in Erie.

The school offered a variety of programs, including two-year degrees in business management, accounting, information technology and medical assistant. The Erie campus employed 10 full-time and 22 part-time faculty, plus another 13 full-time staff members and three part-time staff.

There were 164 students enrolled at the Erie campus and 78 at the New Castle campus in 2014, but declining enrollment, increased competition and increasing government regulations made operating the school difficult. That same year the school wasn’t able to disburse federal student aid after the fall semester due to defaults on student loan payments. More than 30 percent of students who were scheduled to start repaying their loans between October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2011, defaulted on their loans. After losing the support of the federal government’s student loan program, the Erie Business Center, which had operated for 120 years closed its Erie and New Castle campuses on December 31, 2014.