Centenary Collegiate Institute (1867–1940) Centenary Junior College (1940–1956) Centenary College for Women (1956–1976) Centenary College (1976–2016)[1]
The Edward W. Seay Administration Building serves as the university's flagship building with its main offices, classrooms, the Student Activity Center, and aStarbucks cafe.
Centenary University was founded as theCentenary Collegiate Institute (CCI) by what was then known as theMethodist Episcopal Church in 1867. The name was chosen to commemorate thecentennial ofMethodism in the United States.[9] It was built for $200,000. George H. Whitney, D.D., was president from 1869 to 1895.[10]
Beginning as a coeducationalpreparatory school, CCI became a girls-only institution in 1910. In 1940, it became ajunior college:Centenary Junior College. It would subsequently becomeCentenary College for Women in 1956 before becomingCentenary College in 1976, a four-year college for women offeringassociate andbachelor's degrees, with men allowed to pursue degrees only during night courses. In 1988, men were allowed to attend full-time. In 1995,master's degree programs were introduced.[9] In 2016, Centenary College was grantedUniversity status by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.[11]
In 1886, a 19-year-old kitchen worker at CCI named Tillie Smith was "outraged" and murdered in a field just off campus. Ajanitor at CCI named James Titus was convicted of the crime based oncircumstantial evidence strongly influenced byyellow journalism. Authors and historians generally consider this afalse conviction, but the debate over the facts continues perennially throughdark tourism ghost tours, theatrical performances, books andWeird NJ magazine articles.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
On Halloween night, 1899, the original five-story CCI building burned to the ground in a fire.[18][19] The new building termed "Old Main" (now known as the Seay Building), was designed by architectOscar Schutte Teale in aRenaissanceBeaux Arts style[20] and built atop the ruins of the original structure in 1901.[8] Only two buildings survived the fire, the men's gymnasium (now the Little Theater of the Seay Building) and the women's gymnasium (now the Ferry Building).
The Centenary Stage Company, a professionalEquity theater, has been operating on campus since 1985.[25][26] In 1992, a "Women's Playwright Series" development program offered grants, workshops, prizes and world premieres for the underserved voice of women in theater.[27][28] Centenary also offers an intensivemusical theater program for intermediate and advancedyoung performers.[29][30]
In 1999, Centenary founded the Center for Adult and Professional Studies program. In 2011, the program was renamed the School of Professional Studies.[7]
In 2024 Centenary University and the Ideal Institute of Technology joined forces to offer both vocational training and higher education. This collaboration offers work-based college programs to local residents who may be underserved in their community.[31]
Additionally, Centenary andThe Patrick School (TPS), a private high school known for their nationally ranked basketball program, announced a partnership that relocated TPS to the Hackettstown campus in 2024 with students also having the option to live on campus.[32] TPS alumni includeNBA starsKyrie Irving,Adama Sanogo, andSamuel Dalembert.[33]
The main campus of Centenary University is home to most of the school's academic, administrative, athletic and collegiate activities, as well as housing for its undergraduate students. It consists of ten main buildings and eight residence buildings.[35] The Edward W. Seay Building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1997, for its significance in architecture.[8]
Brotherton Hall – professor's offices and classrooms.
The Ferry Music and Arts Building. The old section of the building is one of the two oldest structures on campus, surviving the fire of 1899.
Environmental Science Center– Located about a mile off the main campus, it is leased to Centenary byNew Jeresy Fish and Wildlife as part of the Hackettstown Fish Hatchery. It includes a classroom and a laboratory.
Ferry Building – classrooms and small music hall.
Harris & Betts Smith Learning Center – Academic Success Center, Student Veterans Organization, Disabilities Services Office, and classrooms.
Lackland Center – classrooms, dance studio, dining hall, Sitnik Theatre, Edith Kutz Black Box Theater, TV studio, and theWNTI Radio Studio.[37]
Littell Technology Center – classrooms, graphics department, and the ENACTUS office.
Reeves Gymnasium – athletics department, gymnasium, weight room, and wrestling center.
Seay Building – classrooms, Whitney Chapel, tutoring center, Student Activities Center, the Little Theater,[37]Starbucks, main college offices: Admissions, Alumni Affairs, Bursar, Campus Life, Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Information Technology, and the President's Office.
Taylor Memorial Library[38] – academic library, print shop, and a classroom.
Trevorrow Hall – Science, fashion, and arts building with classrooms, laboratories, and studios.
Wellness Center– Health and counseling center.The William H. and May D. Taylor Memorial Library[38]
TheEquestrian Center is located inWashington Township,Morris County. It consists of several large paddocks, an outdoor eventing course, two indoor arenas and an outdoor arena. The United States Equestrian Team (USET) building is the main building of the equestrian center with its main offices, classrooms, a lounge, dining services, and the large indoor arena. The Equestrian Center sits on 65 acres (260,000 m2) of land.
In 2007 and 2012, Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, theIntercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships.[39]
Centenary University teams participate in fourteenNCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Cyclones compete in theAtlantic East Conference, joining in the 2021-22 season, becoming the first non-Catholic member institution.[40] The Cyclones previously competed in theColonial States Athletic Conference, joining in the 2007–08 season after being a member of theSkyline Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. Women's wrestling is also offered as a club sport. Students enrolled in the college's Equine programs may participate in competitions through intercollegiate organizations such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, or with the Hunter/Jumper's Club.[41]
In 2009 Centenary's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team won the National Championships inMurfreesboro, Tennessee. Lindsay Clark, a Centenary Student, also won the USEF/Cacchione Cup.[42]
The 2010 women's soccer team won the CSAC Championship,[43] earning them an automatic bid to theNCAA Tournament.[citation needed] The 2013 and 2016 men's soccer teams replicated this feat.[43]
^ab"Library".Centenary University ™. Retrieved2020-01-30.
^[1][permanent dead link] "In 2007 Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships."
^"Centenary’s Kimball Chosen by Nationals in 12th Round."Archived 2012-02-10 at theWayback Machine, Centenary College of New Jersey press release dated July 7, 2006. Accessed January 13, 2008. "A graduate of Hackettstown High School, and a resident of Great Meadows NJ, Centenary has been a terrific fit for Cole’s most recent two seasons."
