Since the closing of the house in 1995, ELS has maintained a presence at Hamilton, hosting social events and presenting public programs.
Six weeks before Ralph Waldo Emerson's death, a group of Hamilton students honored his life's work by founding a non-secretive society based on his American philosophy.
The profits from the sale of the house to the College were used to establish a board of trustees to manage the group's finances, as well as a yearly student scholarship and research grant.
In 2004, the Emerson Literary Society began its "Tell Us What You Know" lecture series, which brings diverse speakers and points of view to the campus.
In the past, NASA scientists, Hawaiian historians, graphic novelists, experts in Japanese tea ceremony, spoken word artists, and ultimate fighters have been speakers.