History of The Belanger School of Nursing
Meeting the needs of students since 1906

The Belanger School of Nursing, formerly known as the Ellis School of Nursing, has a long history dating back to the first incoming class in 1903. The school was incorporated in 1906 and was one of the first schools in the state to receive a permanent charter in 1917. The charter was relinquished in 1958 when the governance of the school was transfered to the Ellis Hospital Board of Trustees. The changes made throughout the years reflect changes in society and philosophies of nursing education.
In 1986 the curriculum was shortened from the traditional three-year course of study to 21 months. The class of 1994 was the first class to graduate with an Associate in Science degree in Nursing.
In 2013, the school moved to its permanent location at 650 McClellan Street and its name was changed to The Belanger School of Nursing due to the generosity and support of the Belanger family.
In 2017 the New York State Education Department approved a dual degree program in collaboration with Siena College, the first class began in Fall 2017.
School of Nursing - On the Move
Over the course of its history, The Belanger School of Nursing has been housed in several different locations. The school was originally built in 1903 on the Ellis Hospital campus (Nott Street) and included dormitories for students.
In 1974, the school was demolished so that the hospital could build a parking garage and was moved to the site of the Schenectady YMCA on State Street.
The school was later moved to where Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital is today, which is adjacent to Ellis Hospital on Belmont Avenue. Then, the school moved to the Oneida School on Oneida Street, then to the former Big N Plaza at the corner of Nott Street and Maxon Road, then the Belanger Campus on Erie Blvd, and is now at its permanent location on McClellan Street in Schenectady.
The original School of Nursing was comprised of "The Annex," which held classrooms and the business office, and the Whitmore Home for Nurses, which was the student residence.
To learn more about the Belanger School of Nursing, please call 518.243.4471.