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American Conservatory of Music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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American Conservatory of Music |
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| Established | 1886 |
| Type | Private |
| Location | Hammond, Indiana, USA |
| Campus | urban, commuter |
The American Conservatory of Music was a conservatory university located in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in June 1886 by John J. Hattstaedt, it ranked among the oldest music schools in the U.S. The Conservatory is affiliated with the Orthodox Church in Belize and has two campuses; Santa Elena, Belize and Hammond, Indiana in the Chicago area.
In the late 1980s, the Conservatory encountered financial and management difficulties. Several friends of the Conservatory organized efforts to stop financial mismanagement and misappropriation of its endowment. This was done by transferring the Conservatory’s assets and accreditation to a new corporate entity in 1991. After the transfer, the old entity was placed into bankruptcy. The Conservatory continued normal operations throughout this period with the same Dean, faculty, and students. After the creditors of the old entity were satisfied, it was dissolved.
In late 1992, the Conservatory asked the Illinois Board of Higher Education about funding sources. In response, Illinois authorities attempted to assert licensing jurisdiction over the Conservatory that would have caused the Conservatory to lose control over its curricula, tuition policy, and governing structure. The Conservatory claimed exemption from the the Illinois Private College Act of 1945 and the Illinois Degree Act of 1961 as an existing institution from prior to when these laws were enacted. Discussions continued for four years when the Conservatory learned the Illinois Board of Higher Education was planning to close the Conservatory without notice. The Conservatory sued to prevent this.
In 1998, the Conservatory incorporated under the ecclesiastical charter of the Orthodox Church in Belize. Due to the Conservatory's ongoing problems in Illinois, the Conservatory decided to move the campus from Chicago to Hammond, Indiana in 1999, and thus have the Conservatory chartered in Indiana. The Conservatory officially moved to its new Hammond campus in 2000. The Conservatory is accredited through an agency in Switzerland.