During the 1950s, the aging Henry Jacobs became more willing to leave the running of the school to his son, Eugene Gardner, Class of 1922, and Vice President of Bryant.

Gardner Jacobs said his vision was to build an institution that would endure. Emphasis was no longer on profitability but on building academic programs that would ensure the college's future. Gardner knew the college would inevitably need to gain accreditation and spent most of his career to achieve this. In 1964 Bryant College achieved the accreditation it sought from the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Bryant's graduates were now acceptable to graduate schools. The college could compete with other business colleges for the best students. Faculty benefited because the administration reduced the teaching load from twenty-one to fifteen hours. With these improvements the college could easily attract qualified faculty. Furthermore, an accredited college stood a better chance of receiving grants from foundations and government agencies.