Champlain was founded in 1878 as Burlington Business School, opened by G.W. Thompson, to prepare young men for “the business cares and responsibilities of life.” In 1884, when E. George Evans acquired the school, it became coeducational and changed its name to Queen City Business College. In 1905 it moved to Bank Street, and in 1910 to moved again to Main Street. A. Gordon Tittemore acquired the college in 1920, and renamed it Burlington Business College. In 1958, the College took on its current name and moved to its present location in the Hill Section of Burlington. That year, it offered associate degree programs and enrolled about 60 students.