Gerald W Lynch Theater

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater sits inside the John Jay College of Criminal Justice on West 59th Street. While many theaters are grand, standalone structures, this one operates as a hidden cultural powerhouse tucked away within an academic building. It opened its doors in 1988 and earned a reputation as a vital resource for both the college and the wider city, often serving as a preferred space for arts organizations that want intimacy and excellent acoustics. The theater is named for Gerald W. Lynch, who served as the president of John Jay College for twenty-eight years. He is remembered as the savior of the institution because he led a successful campaign to preserve its independence during the severe fiscal crisis of 1976 when the city considered consolidating or closing the college. During his long tenure, he doubled the student population and oversaw the creation of the first doctoral program in criminal justice in the United States. His legacy remains attached to this space, which continues to host events that explore the concept of justice through the arts.