Kinyon School founded in 1911, became Kinyon-Campbell after merger in 1969.

Who Remembers…..Kinyon Campbell?

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Here is another installment in our Who Remembers? series. You can browse previous articles by using the search bar on the right. These articles are strolls down memory lane. In some cases, the buildings may still exist, but new businesses have replaced them. In other instances, the buildings or even the properties have been razed. Either way, it can’t stop us from taking the Memory Lane stroll!

As always we would rather this be a discussion. No one knows this area better than those who grew up here! Please, leave constructive criticism, feedback, and corrections. We’d love to hear your anecdotes. Please share!

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Kinyon-Campbell Business School was a private school located at 59 Linden Street – at the corner of Linden and County Streets. It was founded in 1911 as Kinyon School and incorporated in 1912. In 1969 it merged with Campbell School and became Kinyon-Campbell.

They provided a variety of training like accounting, microcomputer repair technicians, paralegal studies, management, computer processing – and even real estate and tourism. They closed their doors in June 1999 after 88 years of operation and declining enrollment – but surely similar courses being offered at N.B. Vocational and BCC helped speed up the process. At the time of closing, it cost $4,200 for a two-year degree.

When I was a child, the parking lot of the school was a go-to destination. After it snowed, a snow-plow operator would push the snow into the corners piling it up to 10 feet high. These snowbanks were perfect for sliding down or providing quick get-a-aways after…ahem…someone else threw a snowball at a car at street level of County Street.

Once while sledding down a snowbank, I bounced a little. Upon investigation, I found a piece of plywood that hid an entrance to the inside of the bank revealing a snow cave! I felt like Indiana Jones!

Today the building is called Acushnet Commons which is a combination of apartments, offices, and a community meeting space.

Did you attend Kinyon-Campbell school while it was operating?


About Joe Silvia

When Joe isn't writing, he's coaching people to punch each other in the face. He enjoys ancient cultures, dead and living languages, cooking, benching 999#s, and saving the elderly, babies and puppies from burning buildings. While he enjoys long walks on the beach, he will not be your alarm clock, because he's no ding-a-ling.

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21 comments

  1. I studied at Kinyon School before the merger. Can’t find any info on just Kinyon School.

  2. 1971 grad when located across street from Post Office on Pleasant Street. I think original Kinyon School was on Union Street. I got a certification in Business and Data Processing. The Icon of the School was Gerry Sherman. Last Administrator was John Anjos. KC was the ticket for me to a Banking job at First National Bank(now the Webster Bank bldg.). Went on to Business Degree at UMD.

  3. I graduated from Kinyon-Campbell in 1981 from their Executive Secretarial program. I met some of the nicest people I ever knew there. I’m a little embarrassed that time and illness has made it so that I can’t remember a lot of the names – but I fondly remember the Dean of Students, Mr. Sherman. I don’t know what became of him, but he was one of the people who touched my life so much that I was very successful. He made me believe in myself. He gave me confidence and so did many of the teachers there too. God bless you all if you’re still out there! 🙂

    • @Lisa Fleck! I feel the same way — Mr. Sherman is fondly remembered. Such a kind, gentle, reassuring and encouraging soul. He, too spurred me on. God Bless Mr.Sherman.

  4. Eli (Ulland) Mannes

    Graduated in 1978 Accounting. Teachers I remember: Mr. Sherman, Sister Martha, Mr. Raposa, and a nice young English teacher whose name I can’t recall (sorry). Good memories:-)

  5. I remember…. When I attended grammar school in the building before it became Kinyon-Campbell when it was named Holy Name School. I attended the school when they merged with Holy Family School on North street. We moved and the new school on North Street was named Holy Family-Holy Name School.
    Holy Name School was operated by the Sisters of Mercy. As a child, we would walk up the hill on Linden Street up to the church for mass every Friday. The year we merged was around 1974-1975.

  6. I attended Kinyon Campbell Business School and I recall that time as the happiest time of my life. I surely remember Mr. Sherman, and I miss all of the teachers and colleagues I’ve met there.

  7. I worked at Kinyon-Campbell Business School from Sept. 1989 until the day the school closed its doors in 1999. It was one of the saddest days of my life. I was a teacher for 5 years, and from 1994 until 1999 was the Director of Career Services. I had the pleasure to work with some of the greatest people in the world, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and I can say without a doubt, it was the happiest time of my life. My daughter was born when I was working there, and KCBS was like a second family to us. Sadly, Mr. Sherman passed away last summer; Sister Martha passed away around the early or mid-90s. The young English teacher; could it have been Joanne Zych? If anyone is interested, I’d like to start a Kinyon-Campbell memories page on F/B.
    Joanne Maura

  8. I attended this school before it was Kinyon-Campbell back when it was Holy Name School. If you walked along County Street about 2-3 blocks down on the right was the Holy Name Parish Hall. We held our graduation dance there. We had a DJ playing 45 rpm records. Boy does this bring back some wonderful memories. I graduated from Holy Name in 1969 and still have my 8th grade class picture and remember all but 2 of my classmates names.

    • Hi Joe, Tom Bruce here. I remember you very well. I graduated in 1968. I remember the old parish hall and the convent which was further up County St. Do you remember Sr. Mary Nathan?

    • I went there from 1st grade all through the 8th grade when it was holy name school. I graduated in1972. My mother helped substitute once in awhile and she had taught a sewing class one year. Some had donated sewing machines.
      Those were the good days. Sister Mary Leucadia, Mrs Medeiros

  9. I attended Kinyon Campbell from 1989 to 1991. I graduated from the Executive Secretarial program. I met a lot of very nice people while there, including Mr. Sherman and Joanne Maura who I have previously worked with at New Bedford High School.

  10. Susan Canha Mendell

    I attended for one year, 1969-70 and graduated with a one year certificate. The skills I learned there helped me obtain a job with the Federal Government while living in Louisiana when my husband attended school. That led to a 25 year career with Social Security. I don’t think that would have been possible without the education and assistance I received from all the teachers and staff there.

  11. I graduated from there in 1981 with Diplomna in Executive Secretrial 12 month program. From there, I got a job working for the Better Business Bureau as a Trade Practice Consultant. After about a year, I ran the BBB out of our Dartmouth office for about six months until a new manager was hired to take the place of my manager who became the president of the BBB in El Paso, TX.

  12. I graduated in 1998. I have very fond memories of the staff and of the other students. We never got our graduation because the school closed other than that I have no complaints at all of Kinyon-Campbell.

  13. I graduated in August 1998. I went to the Brockton campus. I got a diploma in the Legal Assistant’s program.

  14. I graduated from Kinyon-Campbell when it was on Linden St. in 1978 with a Clerical diploma. The teachers there were fantastic. Right now i’m trying to locate a classmate that i graduated with so i thought i would try this in case she happends to read this. Her maiden name is Gail Mason. I know it’s been a long time ago so she could possible be married and i have no idea what her name could be now. If anyone should know or remember her from the class of 1978, could you please let me know or tell her i’ve been searching for her. I can be found on Facebook and my name is Jeanne Martin. My maiden name was Tatro. I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

  15. Eileen (Metcalfe) Couto

    I graduated from Kinyon-Campbell in 1978 with a Jr. Accounting degree. I only remember the name of one of my teachers unfortunately, Mr. Aaron Bor for business law. I remember what the tuition was for the 12 month program was $2250. Class began July 1st and finished the end of June. Wish I could get another copy of my diploma. The original was destroyed.

  16. Annette gagliardi

    I taught Business English, Shorthand, and Typing at the school in 1962, 1963, and 1964 ; it was a very pleasant experience ; the owners were very pleasant and understanding . The students whom I recall were polite and worked very hard and happy to bro there.

  17. Nancy Cunningham-Brown

    I graduated from Kinyon Business School, with an Executive Secretarial Diploma, in 1962, on a Friday, and began my 7 1/2 years employment at Reynolds-DeWalt Printing, Inc. the following Monday. I moved to San Diego. CA in April, 1970, worked at Honeywell for six months, then UCSD for 12 1/2 years for the Campus Architect, then ran a clothing shop for theee years, then back as an Executive Assistant for the #2 man at TRW, and after he retired, I moved to Qualcomm (ironically founded by Dr. Irwin Jacobs, also from New Bedford), where I worked for numerous executives and where I retired from in 2004! My education at Kinyon gave me the knowledge and opportunity to have some excellent and fulfilling jobs during my career. I owe them a lot of gratitude, along with my widowed Mother, who was able to somehow afford to send me there!

  18. My grand father, Hector J. Robitaille was the head instructor at the Campbell Business School located at 25 Morgan Street. It was the prior location of the Friends Academy.

    I was born on 29th January 1950. My father was Wilfred Robitaille, son of Hector J. Robitaille. My mother was the former Nora Agnes Marshall. We lived in a small 2nd floor apartment at the Campbell Business for a short time. My father was a maintenance man for his father’s school.

    I would greatly appreciate any photo of the Campbell Business School on Morgan Street. My address is below.

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