LIM College History
More than eight decades ago, Maxwell F. Marcuse, an authority and pioneer in the fields of education and retailing, was asked by leading retailers to create an educational institution for the business of fashion and merchandising. In 1939, Mr. Marcuse founded the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM), which would officially become LIM College in 2009.
Mr. Marcuse brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to establishing LIM College. In addition to holding advertising positions with prominent retailers such as R.H. Macy’s, he lectured on retail advertising, sales promotion, and fashion merchandising and authored several books. Mr. Marcuse’s background was instrumental in incorporating hands-on training and practical work experience as the foundation of LIM College’s mission.
Maxwell F. Marcuse’s son, Adrian G. Marcuse, joined LIM College in 1962 and assumed the presidency 10 years later. In his 40 years at the College, he kept alive the vision created by his father and successfully took it from an institution that granted certificates for a one-year program to a Middle States-accredited, four-year college that granted baccalaureate degrees.
Elizabeth S. Marcuse became President of LIM College in 2002, after coming onboard as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer the previous year. Representing the third generation of dedicated Marcuse family leadership, President Marcuse spent nearly two decades building a successful career in fashion retailing and apparel manufacturing prior to joining LIM.
President Marcuse has led LIM College through a period of incredible strategic growth, including overseeing the College’s ascension to become a master’s degree-granting institution, adding several new academic programs (including the nation’s first Bachelor of Business Administration degree in The Business of Cannabis), expanding learning modalities, and ensuring that the student body is both geographically and ethnically diverse.
Today, embracing an era of increased globalization, technological advancement, prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion, and awareness of sustainability and social justice issues, LIM College continues to thrive while remaining true to its original mission to educate and prepare students for successful careers in fashion and its adjacent fields.
The LIM College Campus
LIM College is situated in two buildings in midtown Manhattan: 216 East 45th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) and 545 Fifth Avenue (at East 45th St.) - just steps from some of the world’s most famous company headquarters and retail flagships. Facilities include a comprehensive 5,000-square-foot library, Mac and PC computer labs, an academic resource center, visual and fashion merchandising studios, a color and materials research lab, a photography studio, student lounges, and a cafe.
|
