It was founded in 1923 as "Glassboro Normal School". It became "Glassboro State Teachers College" in the 1930s, and later became "Glassboro State College" in 1958. The school was renamed "Rowan College of New Jersey" in 1992 after Henry and Betty Rowan gave $100 million to the school. It became a university in 1997.
There are about 6,000 full-time and 2,100 part-time undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students at Rowan University.
A summit in Hollybush Mansion took place on June 23 and 25, 1967 between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin.
History of the University
On September 4, 1923, Rowan University, then known as Glassboro Normal School, opened with 236 young women arriving by train to convene in College Hall, the campus' only building. Since then Rowan University has evolved from its humble beginning as a teacher training school to a comprehensive university with a history of extraordinary firsts that have made the world take notice. Rowan University:
The choice of where to locate the school created fierce competition among several towns that wanted the economic benefit and prestige such an institution would bring. The town of Glassboro was an early favorite because of its excellent rail system, harmonious blend of industry and agriculture, natural beauty and location in the heart of South Jersey.
In 1917, to sway the decision in their favor, 107 Glassboro residents raised more than $7,000 to purchase 25 acres, which they offered to the state for free if it selected Glassboro as the site. The land tract included the Whitney family mansion and carriage house, which had belonged to the prominent owners of the Whitney Glass Works during the 1800s. This show of support convinced the selection committee that Glassboro was the perfect location and created a lasting bond between the town and the University.
Dr. Jerohn Savitz, the first president, revised the two-year curriculum as the training of teachers became more sophisticated. Despite the rigors of the Depression, the program was expanded to four years and in 1937 the school changed its name to New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro.
The College gained a national reputation as a leader in the field of reading education and physical therapy when it opened a clinic for children with reading disabilities in 1935 and added physical therapy for the handicapped in 1944. These innovations propelled Glassboro to the forefront of the special education movement.
Dr. Edgar Bunce, the second president, focused his early efforts on expanding enrollment during the late 1930s. During his tenure the college was renamed Glassboro State Teachers College and was accredited by the American Association of Teachers Colleges. World War II, however, drained enrollment and halted all progress. Dr. Bunce helped the institution rebound after the war by creating a junior college program in 1946 to serve World War II veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill.
In the 1950s, Dr. Thomas Robinson, the third president, expanded the curriculum to allow the school to do more than educate teachers. During this period, the school experienced rapid growth in curricular offerings, enrollment, and building construction. With the purchase of a peach orchard on the north side of Route 322, the institution added 117 acres to the campus. In 1958, the school's name was changed to Glassboro State College to better reflect its mission.
The campus received worldwide attention when it hosted the historic summit conference in Hollybush Mansion between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin. The College was chosen because of its strategic location midway between Washington, D.C and New York, where Kosygin was making a speech to the United Nations. The meetings between the two leaders on June 23 and 25, 1967 led to a thaw in the Cold War and eased world tensions.
Dr. Mark Chamberlain, the fourth president, guided the school through its next phase of growth. Through the 1970s, enrollment grew, new majors were added and Glassboro State College became known as a multi-purpose institution. Chamberlain also oversaw the creation of Business Administration Division and the addition of the Camden Campus.
Dr. Herman James, the fifth president, assumed leadership of the College in 1984. On July 6, 1992, Henry and Betty Rowan pledged a $100 million gift to the institution. At the time, it was the largest gift given to a public college or university in the history of American higher education. To honor the Rowans, the school changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey.
The gift worked as a catalyst of sorts, helping James implement many initiatives. He oversaw the creation of the colleges of Communication and Engineering and the first doctoral program within the state's college/university system. The capstone of his presidency was helping the institution receive university status in 1997.
Today, Rowan University is divided into a Graduate School and six academic colleges: Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, and Liberal Arts & Sciences. Rowan's nearly 10,000 students can select from among 31 undergraduate majors, seven teacher certification programs, 25 master's degree programs and a doctoral program in educational leadership. The 200-acre campus contains 31 buildings, including eight residence halls and three apartment complexes.
Rowan University has embarked on an aggressive 10-year improvement plan that should earn it a national reputation for excellence and innovation and make it the public university of choice in the region.
The plan calls for the construction of a $41-million science building, a new home for the College of Education, townhouses for students, new athletic facilities and the expansion of Rowan's performing arts facilities. The University also will undertake a $10-million landscape and campus safety improvement project, eliminate deferred maintenance and purchase land and properties near the school for expansion.
Development of the Master Plan is being guided by input from a broad cross-section of the University community: faculty, students, staff and administrators.
From the modest normal school begun nearly eight decades ago, Rowan University has become an extraordinary comprehensive institution that has improved the quality of life for the citizens of New Jersey and the surrounding states.