The story of American Academy McAllister Institute begins not in 1964 when the school officially formed, but decades earlier when funeral service was transforming from an informal trade into a respected profession across several New York City schools.
Back in 1895, New York City was bustling with innovation. The same year that moving pictures debuted and X-rays were discovered, Charles Renouard opened his Training School for Embalmers. Renouard saw something others missed – that people handling the deceased needed real training, not just on-the-job learning.
By the 1930s, five different institutions were teaching funeral service in Manhattan: Renouard’s original school, the McAllister School focused on science, the New York School emphasizing artistry, Collier’s operation, and the American Academy pursuing research. The subway was new, Times Square was glamorous, and learning in Manhattan meant being at the center of American innovation.
Dr. McAllister Changes Everything
In 1926, Dr. John McAllister brought real medical science to embalming education. After graduating from Albany Medical College in 1879, he spent years studying anatomy in London, Paris, and Vienna. When he returned to New York, he performed over 10,000 autopsies as the city’s Acting Coroner’s Physician.
McAllister believed that if doctors needed years of training to treat the living, then those caring for the dead deserved equally rigorous education. His school required serious study of anatomy, chemistry, and pathology. Students had to understand why preservation methods worked, not just how to perform them.
The Academy Takes a Different Path
Seven years after the stock market crash, the American Academy of Embalming and Mortuary Research opened in 1933. Where McAllister emphasized hands-on medical knowledge, the Academy focused on research and advancing theoretical understanding. Their first graduating class had only four students, but those four had completed six months of intensive coursework.
War and Reconstruction
When World War II began, Colonel John McAllister Jr. served with distinction, earning a Bronze Star while serving with the 3rd Infantry Regiment. When he returned from Europe, he didn’t just reopen the school – he transformed it to serve veterans and a changing American society.
The Great Merger
By the early 1960s, both schools faced similar challenges with accreditation requirements and student expectations. Dr. Otto Margolis and John McAllister realized they could accomplish more together. The 1964 merger created American Academy McAllister Institute, bringing together McAllister’s scientific rigor with the Academy’s research focus.
The Digital Revolution
The biggest transformation came in 1994 when Meg Dunn became president. Her biggest insight: many potential students wanted to enter funeral service but couldn’t relocate to New York for two years.
In 2005, when online education was still viewed with suspicion, Dunn convinced AAMI’s board to offer the complete degree online. Academic courses moved online while hands-on components remained in New York. The first online class in 2006 had fifteen students; within years, online enrollment grew to over 400 students per semester.
Life in Times Square
Throughout all these changes, AAMI’s location has remained constant. The school occupies the historic Paramount Building at 1501 Broadway, built in 1927 as headquarters for Paramount Pictures. Students often joke about studying embalming techniques while tourists snap photos of Broadway marquees outside.
The urban environment exposes future funeral directors to cultural differences they’ll encounter throughout their careers. Public transportation connects AAMI to five different states, bringing together students from diverse communities.
Modern Excellence
Today, AAMI serves students nationwide through both campus and online programs. The institution has earned a maximum seven-year accreditation and continues adapting its curriculum for evolving professional demands including cultural competency, environmental practices, and new technologies.
The same institution that pioneered scientific embalming education also led the way in online professional education. AAMI’s history reflects the larger American story of adaptation, growth, and service to community – preparing the next generation of funeral service professionals with more than 130 years of combined educational excellence.