History of Seton Hall
The following was compiled by Alan Delozier, University Archivist/Assistant Professor
William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center
Walsh Library - Seton Hall University
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| Campus, 1965 |
Religioni Ac Bonis Artibus Collegium Setoniense. Seton Hall, also known as The Catholic University of New Jersey, came into existence shortly after the Archdiocese of Newark was established in 1853. The school was named after Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint and the aunt of Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley. Bayley was the original Bishop of Newark (1853-1872) and founding Reverend of Seton Hall College.
This new school, located in Madison, New Jersey, opened on September 1, 1856. Reverend Bernard J. McQuaid served as the first college president (1856-1857, 1859-1868) and directed a staff of four diocesan clergy including Reverend Alfred Young, vice-president; Reverend Daniel Fisher (the second college president, 1857-1859) and five lay instructors. Initially, Seton Hall had only five students - Leo G. Thebaud, Louis and Alfred Boisaubin, Peter Meehan and John Moore. By the end of the first year, the student body had grown fivefold to 54.
Students were given a structured seven-year classical, liberal arts program (three-year preparatory and four-year college study) with heavy emphasis on theology, philosophy, Latin, Greek, and foreign language. Tuition was "$200 per annum" ($350 by 1886) and students were required to follow strict rules of conduct to advance to the next grade. The first commencement exercises took place in June 1857 and the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded to Louis Edward Firth in
In 1860, Bishop Bayley purchased a portion of the 125-acre Elphinstone Estate in South Orange on behalf of the Archdiocese of Newark for $35,000. In doing so, Seton Hall College not only attained a permanent site, but became an official enterprise when it was incorporated by act of the state legislature on March 8, 1861. Soon the first board of trustees was chosen and included such luminaries as Bishop Bayley, Reverend McQuaid and noted philosopher Orestes A. Brownson. The earliest corporate seal (see frontispiece) included the Seton Family crest and image of the Blessed Virgin Mary along with the enduring motto - Hazard Zit Forward ("No Matter What The Hazard, Yet Forward"). The seal was designed and formally adopted by the institution in May 1864.
The 60-acre parcel of land obtained by Seton Hall was transformed into a burgeoning collegiate setting that featured the main college building (including space for administrative offices, classrooms and dormitory rooms), recreational facilities (baseball and football fields) and agricultural facilities (a garden and a dairy) for on-site food production. The campus expanded when the first version of Bayley Hall, which served as the grammar school, was joined by an infirmary in 1863. That same year, the cornerstone for the Immaculate Conception Chapel was completed, but it would not be dedicated for another seven years. Presidents Hall, which was the primary hub for school operations for several decades, arose in 1867 just months after a fire destroyed the first college building. Alumni Hall was built in 1883 in large part through the efforts of the Seton Hall alumni organization organized in 1879 with a total of 110 charter members.
When Reverend McQuaid retired as college president in 1868, the position was filled first by Reverend Michael A. Corrigan (1868-1876) before his appointment as the third Bishop of Newark, followed by Reverend James H. Corrigan (1876-1888), who led Seton Hall into its silver anniversary celebration during the fall of 1881. The College grew rapidly during the 1886 academic year when Seton Hall boasted a campus-wide population of 83 students, 13 faculty and 18 seminarians.
The Seton Hall college experience was one of lofty ideals, as well as mental and personal development. These virtues were highlighted in the 1886 catalogue, which read, "The aim of Seton Hall is to impart a good education, in the highest sense of the word - to train the moral, intellectual and physical being. The health, manners and morals of the students, all of whom are required to live in the College, are objects of constant care. The system of government combines strict discipline with kind and gentle treatment." This perspective brought form and definition to the mission of Seton Hall College which would continue for the rest of the nineteenth century and beyond.
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| Celebrating at the Pub |
In the nineteenth century, Seton Hall College experienced steady growth as a Catholic institution of secondary and higher education, attracting students from nearby South Orange and as far away as Santo Domingo and Spain. The price of a college education included annual tuition, board, and a washing and mending fee of $330 for resident students and $60 for day scholars. Extra fees also were charged for specific courses and special necessities, such as attending a stenography class ($50), or having the luxury of a private room ($75).School catalogues from the 1880s also noted that textbooks and stationery were offered for "the lowest possible rates…" Many day scholars, who constituted a majority of the student body during the 1880s and 1890s, often commuted to campus on the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroads. The increased accessibility to campus attracted students from throughout northern New Jersey and New York City. They attended during the school year, which consisted of two five-month terms, featuring class lectures each day except Thursday and Sunday.
A fire destroyed the main college building on March 9, 1886, in the beginning of Seton Hall's third decade. The administration rallied quickly, just as it had in response to a similar fire 20 years earlier, by shifting all essential operations to Alumni Hall and making provisions for alternative classroom space during the 1887 school year. Despite this, the campus as a whole remained a scenic landscape that lent distinction to the Seton Hall experience as outlined in the school history of 1895: "Picturesque paths were formed through the woods, gas-light was introduced into the playgrounds, the ball alleys were solidly refloored, and the antique pump of many memories…set under a graceful pavilion."
Seton Hall launched a military science department (a forerunner to the modern day ROTC) during the summer of 1893, but this program was ultimately disbanded during the Spanish-American War. A more profound initiative, and perhaps the most pivotal event in the history of Seton Hall, came in 1897 when the preparatory (high school) and college (undergraduate) divisions were permanently separated. Despite this separation, the traditional Ratio Studiorum, which had served as the hallmark of Seton Hall, remained in vogue. Further improvements came in 1898 when Seton Hall built its first library, which housed 18,000 volumes, for $35,000. That same year, early accreditation agencies representing the New York and Rhode Island state departments of education recognized the validity of a Seton Hall diploma, based not only on the Catholic curricular model, but also in line with guidelines recommended by the New Jersey Department of Education.
From 1876 to 1888, the Reverend James H. Corrigan ascended to the presidency of Seton Hall and was succeeded by the Reverend William F. Marshall who simultaneously served as vice-president, treasurer and chief executive during the late 1880s. Reverend Marshall, also led the institution from 1888-97 before the tenure of Reverend Joseph J. Synnott, who passed away in 1899. The Golden Anniversary of Seton Hall College was celebrated in 1906, and then president Monsignor John A. Stafford presided over Commencement Exercises that featured over 1,200 attendants at the first indoor ceremony in school history, which took place at the Newark Theater. The leadership role at Seton Hall changed two years later, as former Seminary director Monsignor James F. Mooney ascended to the presidency in 1907 and retired in 1922, having enjoyed the longest reign of any president in Seton Hall history.
As the 20th century progressed, Seton Hall experienced a number of firsts. The College fielded its first basketball squad in 1903 and a permanent baseball diamond (on the present-day Owen-Carroll Field) was christened two years later. The physical plant on campus underwent more change as another structural fire destroyed a classroom and several dorm buildings in 1909. Mooney Hall was opened in 1910 and originally housed the high school division after serving for a short time as the main college administrative center. An infirmary and renovations to the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception were undertaken around this time along with the opening of Bayley Hall, which housed the short-lived Seton Hall Grammar School, three years later.
Seton Hall also enjoyed considerable academic success thanks to distinguished graduates such as James Augustus McFaul, former Bishop of Trenton, John Joseph O'Connor, the Bishop of Newark from 1901-1928, and Thomas McCran, Attorney-General of New Jersey.
On the eve of the nation's entry in World War I, Seton Hall remained a small liberal arts school, but the mission of the College held true to form in the writings of diocesan clergy. A 1916 catalogue read, "The training of the heart and the formation of character under the guiding influence of Christian principles, the development of the intellectual faculties, the encouragement and guidance of laudable ambition, the acquisition of habits of logical thought, correct methods of study, self-discipline and refinement, the realization, in a word, of the highest ideals of excellence in the cultured Christian gentleman - these are the ends that Seton Hall keeps steadily in view in the arduous and sacred office of educating youth."
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| Chapel, 1965 |
The era between the world wars was a time of dramatic growth for Seton Hall in terms of broadening its mission and enhancing its academic reputation. Enrollment increased after the World War I and the College's appearance changed after all college-owned acreage on the northern side of South Orange Avenue was sold in 1922. Student publications, including The Setonian and White & Blue (later Galleon), appeared for the first time two years later. Immaculate Conception Seminary moved its operations to Darlington, New Jersey in 1927, but retained close ties with the College as part of the Diocese of Newark family (which became an Archdiocese in 1937) by maintaining on campus the Aquinas House of Studies, a residential facility for student priests. Secular freshman and upperclassmen of the mid-1920s were subject to a very disciplined regimen. Monthly assemblies were standard, grades were read aloud, the college treasurer issued spending money and Thursday hiking excursions were mandatory. An entry from the 1927 catalog read, "Matches must be presented to all upper classmen upon request … No knickers … bow ties are to be worn …Corncob pipes only are to be used for smoking … Seton Hall is now your Alma Mater and letters from other schools are forbidden to be worn …"
Once in a classroom, students learned that the Seton Hall academic experience was key to promoting intellectual development. Bayley Hall hosted the grammar (elementary) school division until 1926. By 1935, degree offerings at the South Orange campus included a B.S. in Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Physical Education, Business Administration, Education (with a State Teacher's Certificate) along with the traditional B.A. in Science and Philosophy. Admissions standards during the 1930s included the following criteria: "… must show evidence of good character, intelligence, ambition and acceptable personality. In addition … they must meet certain academic standards …." Requirements for a diploma included four years of English, along with the standard fare of philosophy and theology, as well as various core curriculum standards and electives.
In 1931, Seton Hall celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. The Great Depression hurt the nation and campus financially, but Seton Hall endured. Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York, was one of the honored guests for the Commemoration Mass on June 4. That same year, the College adopted "Pirates" as the nickname for its athletic teams. The school attained Middle States Accreditation in 1932 and, a year later, attained affiliation with the Association of American Colleges and American Council on Higher Education. In 1937, the Newark and Jersey City Extension Schools (Urban Division) opened for the express purpose of educating both men and women unable to attend the day school in South Orange. Mary Grace Dougherty enrolled at the Newark campus as the college's first female student. Mary Powers was the first female faculty member in Jersey City. The Bayley Seton League, founded in 1938, gave financial support and helped with campus beautification projects and related endeavors for several years thereafter.
By 1940, Seton Hall opened Walsh Gymnasium and offered its first nursing courses. Student activities, including the Bayley Society (Catholic Action), Le Circle Français, Knights of Setonia (religious organization), Order of Cross and Crescent (student honor society) and the Students' Crusade for Americanism were especially popular during the pre-World War II era. During the mid-1940s, Seton Hall's enrollment dipped, due primarily to enlistment in the armed services or enrollment in the minor seminary. The College curtailed requirements for students in 1944 but prices such as the registration fee ($10), tuition per credit ($7), and board and private room ($600), stayed constant. After World War II, Seton Hall's 95 percent enrollment rate represented the highest enrollment increase in the nation. Seton Hall graduated seven students in 1922, 62 in 1933 and boasted an enrollment of 142 at one point in 1945 before reaching more than 3,000 by 1946. That decade also saw the first master's degree program in administrative supervision and guidance studies.
Presidents during this period included Monsignor James F. Mooney (1916-22), Right Reverend Thomas H. McLaughlin (1922-33) and Reverend Francis J. Monaghan (1933-36). Monsignor James F. Kelley (1936-49), at the time of his inaugural, became the youngest college president in the nation at 33 years old. As an administrator, Monsignor Kelley brought Seton Hall to the forefront of academics and athletics regionally and nationally. He also hired Seton Hall's first African-American faculty member, Francis Hammond, in 1946. Each of these chief executives worked closely with Seton Hall alumni and Bishop of Newark Joseph O'Connor (1901-27) or Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh (1928-52), who served as president of the Board of Trustees and helped the school move forward into mid-century.
The general catalogue expressed the following educational policy to its readers in 1937, which is still relevant today. "In spite of the diversity of courses … Seton Hall has consistently sought to preserve a general cultural education … For this she has rounded out a complete system of developing the entire individual, intellectually, physically and morally. Her education is not a storing of memory with facts, but a training of mind in habits and principles of right thinking; it supplies not only information, but character, developing the will as well as the intellect."
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| Fraternity Brothers, 1965 |
After World War II, Seton Hall became more than merely a regional institution during the Cold War-era. The institution had the highest national attendance rate immediately after World War II when traditional high school graduates and veterans took advantage of the living and learning facilities at the school. Heralding this development, radio station WSOU (the first college-operated FM station in New Jersey) went on the air in 1948 and the faculty grew to 150 under the direction of Monsignor James Kelley, then president.
Monsignor James McNulty (1949-59) succeeded Monsignor Kelley and led the school in attaining Middle States Association accreditation. Another pivotal moment in school history came on June 2, 1950, when Seton Hall College became Seton Hall University by act of the New Jersey state legislature. The university also established four separate academic divisions: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Business and School of Nursing. Throughout the 1950s, Seton Hall expanded its reach into promoting scholarship in tandem with social awareness. The school opened institutes devoted to Irish, Italian and Polish history and culture. In line with this broadened world view, the Institute of Far Eastern Studies was founded in 1951 and Seton Hall became the first religious-affiliated post-secondary institution in America to establish an academic exchange program with the People's Republic of China. In addition, Seton Hall formed the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies in 1955 and the Puerto Rican Institute 11 years later.
Traditionally, Seton Hall had been a commuter school with a select number of boarders through the years. This changed as enrollment and the overall tally of full-time students emerged and expanded. The 1950s also heralded a major construction boom as Bishops Hall (later known as Boland Hall) was opened and served as a student dormitory after the 13 temporary barracks erected on campus before the Korean War were torn down and attendance levels stabilized. In 1951, Seton Hall School of Law was established in Newark. Miriam Rooney, Ph.D., served as dean and, in the process, became the first woman to hold such a position in the United States.
By 1953, Seton Hall established a community college and extension courses were offered in Camden, Trenton, Lyons, Red Bank, Hackensack, Matawan, New Brunswick and Long Branch, among others. A satellite campus also was formed in Paterson by mid-decade but closed in 1979. In 1954, the College of Dentistry was inaugurated and McNulty opened as a host classroom to majors in the fields of biology, chemistry and physics. All of this added to the school's prestige. McLaughlin Library then opened in 1955 and a year later, the College of Medicine and Dentistry was started at nearby Jersey City Medical Center. A year later, Seton Hall held its centennial celebration.
The 1960s were a time of transition and achievement. After Monsignor McNulty left, his successors included Monsignor John Dougherty (1959-69) and Monsignor Edward Fleming (1969-70). The Bishop Dougherty Center (the student union) was built in 1962 and the Humanities Center was constructed six years later. Seton Hall awarded its first Ph.D. in chemistry in 1964 (although doctorates were awarded in medicine and dentistry as early as 1961), started the Upward Bound program two years later, initiated the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) later that decade and established the Center for African-American Studies in 1970. In a major move, the University became coeducational on the South Orange campus in 1968.
During the 1970s, Seton Hall became more boarder-oriented, opening its first residence hall for women in 1971. In academic circles, the Stillman Business School and College of Nursing complex opened in 1973. Three years later, the law school dedicated a new center in downtown Newark. The canonization of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton in September 14, 1975 strengthened the University spiritual foundation. Seton Hall was governed by a 25-member Board of Regents and 13 trustees chief executives Monsignor Thomas Fahy (1970-76) and Doctor John Cole (1976-77), the first lay president in school history, provided daily operational leadership.
A profound series of university goals were set forth by the Board of Trustees in 1972: "Opportunities for a fine collegiate education are, and will continue to be, offered to all qualified students without restriction as to race, creed, sex, age or national origin; Seton Hall also will actively seek students from minority groups and maintain its programs for educationally deprived students with college potential. … A major effort is made to foster student self-confidence, wherein Setonians will be better able to identify and achieve their goals in an environment for learning in which there is freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought and freedom of expression."
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| Homecoming Dance, 1965 |
From the nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976 through the new millennium, Seton Hall emerged as an educational institution that has grown from a regional entity to a worldwide presence, especially with the advent of computer technology and a diverse domestic and international student body. Tradition also remained strong as Elizabeth Ann Seton, patroness of the University, was canonized in Rome by Pope Paul VI in 1975, making her the rst American-born saint. A year later, in response to a great swell in religious-based research, Seton Hall founded the New Jersey Catholic Historical Records Commission, which remains active to this day.
More history was made when the rst residential hall for female students was built in 1971. Four more residence halls - Cabrini, Serra, Neumann and Xavier - were constructed for both men and women from 1986-88. Off-campus housing also became a reality when the University bought Ora Manor, a South Orange apartment complex, in 1990. Keeping the ow of commuter trafc alive resulted in the opening of the Farinella and Ward Place gates in 1988. A brand new parking garage arose on the South Orange campus three years later in response to three decades of increasing attendance at Seton Hall.
Improvements continued as the Seton Hall Law School Center was dedicated at its downtown Newark locale in 1976, before the ofcial dedication of its current building 15 years later. During the 125th anniversary of Seton Hall in 1981, the University developed an affiliation with the People's Republic of China, manifesting itself in the creation of the China House in 1993. Elsewhere on campus, the George M. Ring Building became home to University Affairs (now University Advancement) in 1982. That same year, the University purchased Saint Andrew's Hall and built Lewis Hall around the existing Alumni Hall site. This location ultimately became Immaculate Conception Seminary, which moved to campus from Darlington, New Jersey, in 1984. Also, a new annex was added to venerable Walsh Gymnasium and Recreation Center by 1987. The Humanities Building, built in 1968 and named after former president Reverend Monsignor Thomas Fahy, Ph.D., was built that same year and, a year later, the University christened the Gerety Hall residence for priests.
The intellectual growth of Seton Hall has centered around specialized colleges and schools that currently include the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education and Human Services (which adopted a doctoral program in 1980), College of Nursing, John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations (founded in 1997 and renamed in 2002), School of Graduate Medical Education (founded in 1987), Stillman School of Business, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, University College and the University Libraries. SetonWorldWide is another recent creation within the last several semesters as is the famed Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies.
Throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s, various milestones added to the evolving history of Seton Hall. In 1979, Seton Hall joined the BIG EAST Conference and became a competitive force in the intercollegiate sports world. This upgrade in athletic fortune led to a memorable appearance for the men's basketball team in the NCAA Championship game in 1989. The University made national headlines in 1983, when former president Ronald Regan became the rst American chief executive to visit campus and receive an honorary degree. In 1987, Seton Hall Preparatory School and the University also ended its mutual ties when "The Prep" moved its campus to West Orange and was separately incorporated.
The last 10 years of growth and the modern development of Seton Hall included construction of the four-story Walsh Library. Known as the "Jewel of the Campus," the Library was built in 1994 and today contains more than 500,000 volumes, along with numerous print and electronic resources. During the late 1990s, the 126,000 square-foot, six- oor Kozlowski Hall, housing the College of Education and Human Services, the Stillman School of Business, classrooms and various academic department ofces, was erected. A year later, the University issued all incoming full-time freshmen laptop computers, making Seton Hall one of the most-wired campuses in the nation. Tragedy struck in January 2000, when an early morning re in Boland Hall claimed the lives of three undergraduate men and injured 60 others. Seton Hall created a memorial for the victims. Their contributions and lives remain forever sacred.
The University restructured its administration in 1980 and the rst Board of Regents meeting took place on campus. Direct leadership of Seton Hall remained consistent and presidential appointments during this time period included Robert T. Conley, Ph.D. (1977-79), the rst full-time lay leader in school history; Reverend Laurence T. Murphy, M.M., Ph.D. (1979-80); and Edward R. D'Alessio, Ph.D. (1980-84). Chancellors included Monsignor John J. Petillo, Ph.D. (1984-89); Monsignor Dennis J. Mahon, Ph.D. (1986-89); Monsignor Richard M. Liddy, Ph.D. (1990), and the Very Reverend Thomas R. Peterson, O.P. (1990-2000). The current chief executive of Seton Hall is Monsignor. Robert Sheeran, S.T.D., who has served as University president since 1995.
Early in 2005, "Seton Hall" was the answer to a featured question on TV's Jeopardy, but the University transcends triviality. As the 150th anniversary of Seton Hall dawns next year, its existence remains strong and evolving academically for the more than 10,000 students (both undergraduate and graduate) that make the University a respected presence in higher education circles. The mission of the institution, found in the Board of Regents statement of 1996, echoes this theme of service: "Seton Hall is a major Catholic university. In a diverse and collaborative environment it focuses on academic and ethical development. Seton Hall students are prepared to be leaders in their professional and community lives in a global society and are challenged by outstanding faculty, an evolving technologically advanced setting and values-centered curricula."
