Glassboro Normal School (1923–1937) New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro (1937–1958) Glassboro State College (1958–1992) Rowan College of New Jersey (1992–1997)[1]
Rowan University is apublicresearch university inGlassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus inStratford and medical and academic campuses inCamden. Founded in 1923 asGlassboro Normal School on a 25-acre (10 ha) site donated by 107 residents,[8] the school was known asGlassboro State College from 1958 until 1992 andRowan College of New Jersey from 1992 to 1997.
The university includes 14 colleges and schools[5] with a total enrollment (undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies) of just over 19,600 students.[5] Rowan offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs.[9] It isclassified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[10]
A statue ofHenry Rowan in front of Savitz Hall overlooks Route 322
In the early part of the 20th century, there was a shortage of adequately trained teachers in thestate of New Jersey. It was decided to build a two-yearNormal school in the southern part of the state to counter the trend. Among the candidate towns, Glassboro became the location due in no small part to its easy access topassenger rail as well as its offer to donate 25 acres (0.039 square miles) of land to the state to build the Normal school. The 1917 purchase price of the property was raised by the residents of the town and used to purchase a tract that belonged to the Whitney family, who owned the localglassworks during the 19th century.[11]
In 1923, the Glassboro Normal School opened with a class of 236 students, 226 women and 10 men, arriving at the train station in front of Bunce Hall. With the evolution of teacher training, the school became a four-year program in 1934; in 1937, the school was renamed The New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro and becameco-educational shortly thereafter.[12]
The college was one of the first in the country to begin programs for teachers forreading disabilities andphysical therapy in 1935 and 1944, respectively. Glassboro State began to develop a reputation as a leader inspecial education. After several years and the return ofsoldiers fromWorld War II, the college was able to expand its enrollment from a wartime low of 170 in 1943 to an expansion of several additional campus and academic programs over the next 15 years and became Glassboro State College in 1958.[13]
Then–college president Thomas E. Robinson was given just 16 hours' notice of the decision to hold the summit at GSC[15] and, despite the lack of advance notice, converted his on-campus home into a secure location for the leaders of the world's superpowers.[16]
The campus hosted hard rock bandBlack Sabbath's first U.S. concert on October 30, 1970.[17] Peacefulstudent protests occurred during theVietnam war as they did at other campuses, but never required the college to close the campus.[18]
The college made national news during "Spring Weekend" in 1986, due to a loud party atmosphere primarily off campus around the Beau Rivage townhouses and The Crossings apartment complex in which police from several municipalities were called in to break up the parties. The event led to Glassboro State College's ranking as the #28Party School in the nation in the January 1987 issue ofPlayboy magazine.[19]
Though the alcohol-fueled Spring Weekend was canceled by then–President Herman James, a non-alcoholic version continued for several years, Glassboro State College remained known for its hard-partying culture. However, in 1988, there began one of the biggest crackdowns in school history. As a result of the drinking death of freshman James Callahan atRutgers University inNew Brunswick,[20] Herman James decided to make GSC an example for the rest of the state colleges and universities to follow. He invited theNew Jersey Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC) to the school. He began shutting down off-campus parties and placing undercover agents in the local liquor establishments. This promptedMorton Downey Jr., who was based inSecaucus, New Jersey, and very popular at the time, to do an untelevised show focusing on the drinking age and the classic argument that an eighteen-year-old can go off to war and die for their country although they cannot legally buy and consume beer. The following year, the ABC did not return, and the partying atmosphere that Glassboro State College was known for returned in earnest and continued into the 1990s and early 2000s.[citation needed]
In 1992, president Herman James oversaw the development of Glassboro State College into what would eventually become Rowan University. This transformation came about because of what was then the largest single gift to a public college or University in history. IndustrialistHenry M. Rowan, Jr., a graduate of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology class of 1947, and his wife donated $100 million to the college, which later changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey in his honor. The gift stipulated that the college open a College of Engineering, allowing the college to expand its course and curriculum offerings to the point that it became a full-fledged university, achieving that status in 1997. This status was given by the State of New Jersey based on Rowan University's doctoral degree program, theEd.D. in Educational Leadership, and the numerous master's-level programs in education and business.[21]
Following James' retirement as president in 1998,Donald J. Farish was chosen to succeed him and began further expansion on the Glassboro campus, opening a modern Science Hall in 2003 and a building to house the College of Education in 2005. In addition, acquisitions during the beginning of Farish's tenure as president led to the development of a tract of land borderingUS Route 322 andState Route 55 as the West Campus.[21]
The presidency of Donald Farish was noted for a continued crackdown on the university's partying culture, which declined alongside a rise inSAT scores andclass rank among the incoming freshman classes. The crackdown on the partying culture began in earnest in 2002 with the official banning ofkegs for use byGreek letter organizations.[22] In 2006, two Rowan University students were found guilty for serving alcohol to minors at an off-campus party that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old male. Rowan promised to follow up with its own penalties.[23]
On March 20, 2006, Farish announced a joint venture between the university andMajor League Soccer (MLS) to construct a new athletic complex based around a 20,000-seatsoccer-specific stadium on property owned by the campus at the intersection ofU.S. Route 322 andRoute 55. Although the stadium was planned to be complete for the start of the 2009 MLS season, New Jersey's 2006 budget problems resulted in cutbacks in funding for the infrastructure upgrades required by increased traffic related to an MLS team. When plan fell through, the stadium project was relocated to nearbyChester, Pennsylvania where the MLS'sPhiladelphia Union now play their home matches.[24]
The northern portion of the West Campus expansion currently contains the South Jersey Technology Park as well as room for future expansion; the southern portion of the West Campus expansion will accommodate both academic and athletic facilities. The university in 2015 opened a 17.5-acre (7.1 ha) site across from the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University with practice fields forfootball,soccer,field hockey, andlacrosse.[25] Transportation between the two campuses will be provided with both shuttle service and improved bike paths, as well as improvements to Route 322 itself.[26]
On a vast site, adjacent to the West Campus athletic fields, the Inspira Medical Center complex opened in late 2019.
Rowan University broke ground for the South Jersey Technology Park (SJTP) on April 10, 2006. TheNew Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) gave Rowan University $5.8 million to combine with $1.5 million from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, $1 million from Samuel H. Jones, and $1 million from Rowan itself.[27] SJTP is planned to be a 188 acres (76 ha) site which will serve as an establishment for science and technology companies as well as academics. It is planned to have 25 buildings to provide competitively priced Class "A" facilities for budding entrepreneurs, start-up and established companies. SJTP was incorporated as anon-profit corporation with its own board of directors.[28]The first building, the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center, has been leased completely out, and the revenue will help build a second building.[29]
The Tech Park's first incubated business, SocialReach, has successfully graduated into its own offices inPhiladelphia.[30]
The second planned building will be approximately 66,000 square feet (6,100 m2) divided between research and technology labs and offices.[26]
In December 1972, Stephen Setrin was stabbed while on the grounds of Glassboro State College[31]
On August 12, 1996, 22-year-old Cindy Nannay was fatally shot outside Bozorth Hall by her estranged boyfriend, who then killed himself. Nannay was so afraid of Scott Lonabaugh, 27, that when he arrived on the campus to see her, she asked friends to accompany her to the parking lot, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's office said. As her friends looked on, Mr. Lonabaugh shot Ms. Nannay twice with a shotgun and then shot himself in the head, prosecutors said. Both died at the scene.[32]
Eleven years later, in 2007, another student was murdered on campus. Sophomore Donald Farrell, 19, was robbed and beaten to death by unknown assailants while walking behind the Triad dormitory.[33] A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to the capture, arrest and conviction of the assailants.[34] In an effort to find Farrell's assailants, television stations in Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City aired reports on the murder, andAmerica's Most Wanted twice featured segments on the incident.[35]
Following Farrell's murder a new campus security initiative was undertaken, starting with a 14-point plan proposed by President Farish. The plan included hiring additional security staff, adding more fully trained police officers, starting a student patrol program, an expansion of the Safe Walk and Ride program, improving lighting in and around campus, installation ofCCTV cameras, and changing security and police coverage from an 8-hour to a 12-hour shift.[36]
It was announced on June 26, 2009, that Rowan would be partnering withCooper University Hospital to create a new four-year medical school to reside on Broadway inCamden. Rowan was chosen by governorJon Corzine to house the new medical school primarily because theUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) was not in a financial position to fund the creation of the school, for which Rowan issued $100 million in bonds.[37]
The new school would require no new funding as $28 million would be diverted from UMDNJRobert Wood Johnson Medical School, which will no longer be associated with Cooper University Hospital after the opening of Cooper Medical School. Opening in 2012 with an entering class of 50,[38] Cooper Medical School of Rowan University was the only medical school in the state not affiliated with UMDNJ before their closing.[39] It was the first new medical school in New Jersey in at least 30 years.[38]
The Cooper Medical School of Rowan University was granted preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education on June 10, 2011.[40]
Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act
In January 2012, a state advisory committee proposed a plan[41] to merge Rowan with theCamden campus ofRutgers University (which would have been separated from Rutgers) under Rowan's name.[42] The project was opposed by the Rutgers governing boards, faculty, students, and alumni, and by others in the state.[43][44][45] Legislation passed in June 2012 rejected the idea of a merger, though it did include provisions for a loose collaboration between Rowan and Rutgers-Camden limited to research and teaching in the health sciences.[46] This legislation, the "New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act" (A3102 & S2063), enacted several essential changes to Rowan:
Rowan University was granted Research University status and was granted increased state funding.[46]
A joint Rowan/Rutgers-Camden governing board was created to oversee the development and operation of collaborative programs in the health sciences.[46][47]
The university faced criticism for not providing more mental health resources and support for students after four students committed suicide between 2019 and 2021.[48][49] Following the student deaths in 2019, the university expanded its resources better accommodate students' mental health, including bringing the number of counselors employed to 17 and partnering with TogetherAll, a 24/7 mental health support network.[50][51] Additionally, the university received a $3 million grant in 2019 to start The Shreiber Family Pet Therapy Program after their success with bringing in local therapy dogs to help students with anxiety and stress.[52]
Enrollment at Rowan from the fall semester of 2017 shows 15,401 undergraduates and 2,045 graduate students from 38 states and 34 countries. The overall admission rate is 53.0%. Undergraduates submitting statistics for a data set in 2017 had scores of 530 at the 25th percentile and 630 at the 75th percentile in SAT critical reading and 510 at the 25th percentile and 620 at the 75th percentile for SAT Math. As of the fall of 2016, the average accepted GPA was 3.46.[54]
A member of theNCAA inDivision III, competing in theNew Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), the sports teams at Rowan University have had some success on a national level. The Profs football team is regularly a contender for the national title, having gone to theAmos Alonzo Stagg Bowl five times (1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1993) and the national semifinals in 1992, 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2005.
The women's field hockey team won the national championship in 2002 and had a perfect season of 21 wins and no losses. The men's basketball team has made the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament 12 times, winning the national title in 1996. The men's soccer team has made the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament 24 times, resulting in seven trips to the national semifinals. Rowan men's soccer has won national titles in both 1981 and 1990, finished second in 1979 and 2000, and third in 1980, 1985, and 1998. The baseball team has won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1978 and 1979, while making appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series in 2004, 2005, and 2021. Rowan hosted the Division III National Championship Tournament Final Four for men's soccer in 2000, women's lacrosse in 2002, and field hockey in 2022.[63]
The Chamberlain Student Center is the main location for dining on campus. Dining options include the Owl's Nest restaurant,Peet's Coffee, Grill Nation,Jersey Mike's Subs, Freshens, Sono, Crust, Chef Jet, Smoked, Breakfast & Co., Bowl Life, Pop Up, and the Marketplace convenience store. The Student Center is also home to the Student Government Association, Conference and Event Services, the Greek Affairs Office, Student Activities, the Mailroom, and the Information Desk.[66]
Rowan University hosts the award-winning[67] Rowan Radio 89.7WGLS-FM, which began in 1964 on a $6,000 budget (equivalent to $60,830 in 2024).[68] Additionally, the Rowan Television Network (RTN) is a student-run closed-circuit television station that provides 24-hour content to the students of Rowan University. RTN currently consists of 11 student-produced television shows, various sports related programming, and coverage of topical events occurring on campus.[69]
The Whit has served as the campus newspaper since 1938, covering school news, student life, Rowan sports, and entertainment. It is published weekly throughout the school year except during exams.[70] Another mainstay campus publication isAvant, a student-ledliterary magazine that compiles undergraduate poetry, short stories, photos, and artwork in annual fall and spring issues.[71][72]Image is the annual Rowanyearbook.[73] Other campus publications includeHalftone, an online magazine focusing on entertainment and pop culture,[74] andAt My Whit's End, azine published by the Writing Arts Club.[75][76]Venue was a long-running alternative, uncensored student publication focusing on campus opinions and humor, initially formed in 1968 with a heavy political focus. Changing its format over the years,Venue printed four issues a year up to 2011.[77][78][79]
Rowan Boulevard connects 322 to downtown Glassboro, forming a bustling urban area that fuses businesses, bookstores, restaurants, a primary care facility, academic buildings, and student housing.
Rowan provides housing for over 6,500 students in 13 University owned housing complexes and 5 affiliated housing units.[80] Students have a choice between halls, apartments, or townhouses. Full-time, non-commuter students are required to live in on-campus until the completion of their sophomore year, and are thus guaranteed on-campus housing during this time. After this, students must enter into a housing lottery.[81]
With the university's continued growth, housing at Rowan's main Glassboro campus has reached capacity.[82] The university has moved to construct new housing aggressively.
The student-run Residence Hall Association represents students who live on-campus.[83]
There are seven freshman residence halls and five for upperclassmen. Starting in the fall of 2017, Rowan University offered apartment-style housing options in a public-private partnership with Nexus Properties.[84]
There are more than 100 clubs and organizations at Rowan University, along with more than 30 Greek organizations.[85]
Other chartered clubs report to the Student Government Association including the Rowan Television Network, the localPRSSA, the RowanCollege Republicans, the RowanDemocratic Club, and The Student University Programmers (SUP). Cinema Workshop, the university's student film club, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007.[86]
Patti Smith (born 1946), musician, singer and poet, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[115][116]
Shaun T (born 1978), motivational speaker, fitness trainer andchoreographer best known for his home fitness programs T25, Insanity and Hip-Hop Abs[117]
Marvin Creamer, geography professor and first person to circumnavigate the globe without any navigational instruments[120]
Neil Hartman, sports personality; director of Rowan's Center for Sports Communication and Social Impact. Known for sparking Allen Iverson's "practice" rant in 2002[121]
^History, Rowan University College of Education. Accessed August 30, 2023. "On September 24, 1923, Glassboro Normal School opened its doors to 236 young women."
^Williams, Victoria."Stage presence",Gloucester County Times, April 30, 2009. Accessed March 20, 2025. "Don Amendolia had just one line in his senior class play --Annie Get Your Gun -- at Camden Catholic High School in 1962.... But while attending Glassboro State College, he was encouraged by his first significant stage time in Campus Players' production ofMatchmaker."
^McPherson, Chris."Dan Baker: The Man Behind The Voice"Archived February 16, 2018, at theWayback Machine,Philadelphia Eagles, September 6, 2014. Accessed February 16, 2018. "He graduated from Audubon High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) before obtaining a master's degree from Temple."
^Morgan, Rachel."From Stage to Screen",South Jersey Magazine, August 2015. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Jessica Boyington got her start as a pageant queen—Miss New Jersey USA 2006 to be exact—and is now an on-air traffic reporter at NBC10.... The 29-year-old Cherry Hill native and Rowan University alumna sounds on her pageant roots, her animal advocacy and just how she gets up so early each morning."
^Ponzi, Katie (May 2008)."Alumni Profile".Rowan Magazine. Archived fromthe original on July 15, 2011. RetrievedMay 25, 2008.
^Shyrock, Bob."Among the longhorns, Jack Collins enjoys life away from politics", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, June 11, 2012. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Jack Collins grew up in Gloucester City and played basketball at Gloucester Catholic (Class of 1960) for legendary coach Johnny McCarthy. He also played hoops for coach Richard Wackar three years at Glassboro State College (Rowan University), reaching the coveted 1,000-point career plateau in the prehistoric days there were no three-point field goals."
^"A Big Stink",South Jersey Magazine. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Bill 'Stink' Fisher’s nickname came from his childhood in Cherry Hill and just stuck. Such an unusual name is fitting for such a massive man with a personality to match. Fisher used his size to earn him a spot on the Rowan University football team and then a brief stint in the NFL as a line- man with the New York Jets."
^Staff."Dino Hall inducted into Gloucester Hall of Fame",The Press of Atlantic City, March 28, 2014. Accessed March 4, 2018. "Former Pleasantville High School and professional football player Dino Hall was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday.... Hall played football for Glassboro State College, now Rowan University, from 1976-78."
^Police Academy Staff,Rowan College at Gloucester County. Accessed September 27, 2018. "Fred H. Madden Title: Dean, Police Academy Credentials: A.S., Camden County College B.A., Glassboro State College M.S., St. Joseph's University"
^"Megan Rochell: Aim for the Stars", Singers Room, May 25, 2006. Accessed March 29, 2020. "[Q:] You were in college when you first got your record deal. Are you still pursuing your degree? Megan Rochell: Yea I went to Rowan (University). I left, I was out. I got up out of there so fast when I got my deal. [Q:] What were you studying? Megan Rochell: When I first got there I was studying business and then I changed it and went to secondary-elementary education."
^Wilk, Tom."Picture book captures N.J. rocker Patti Smith",Inside Jersey, June 20, 2018, updated June 27, 2018. Accessed September 27, 2018. "Their collaboration grew out of a friendship that began when they were students at Glassboro State College, now Rowan University."
^Kuperinsky, Amy."How celebrity trainer Shaun T went from Camden survivor to fitness superstar", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, August 8, 2016, updated July 21, 2017. Accessed September 27, 2018. "Attending Rowan University in Glassboro on academic grants and scholarships -- he still sports a tattoo from his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, on his bicep -- Blokker says he found both his career and sexual identity at college."
^Staff."James Usry, 79; First Black Mayor of Atlantic City, N.J.",Los Angeles Times, January 30, 2002. Accessed September 27, 2018. "After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree in social education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and a master's degree from New Jersey's Glassboro State College, now called Rowan University."
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