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Rowan University is a public university located in Glassboro, New Jersey with a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town. The school became New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro in the 1930s, and later became Glassboro State College in 1958, gaining a national reputation in the fields of reading and special education. Starting in the 1970s, it grew into a multi-purpose institution, adding programs in business, communications, and by the 1990s, engineering.

It was renamed Rowan College of New Jersey in 1992, after Henry Rowan and his wife Betty gave $100 million to the school, at the time the largest gift to a public college. It became Rowan University on March 21, 1997, when it won approval for university status from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.

History

In the early part of the 20th century, there was a shortage of properly trained teachers in the state of New Jersey. It was decided to build a two-year Normal 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 to passenger rail as well as its offer to donate 25 acres of land to the state for the purpose of building the Normal school. The 1917 purchase price of the land was raised by the residents of the town ($7,000 at the time, over $116,000 in 2009 dollars) and used to purchase a tract that belonged to the Whitney family, who owned the local glassworks during the 19th century.

In 1923 the Glassboro Normal School opened, with a class of 236 female students 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 became co-educational shortly thereafter.

The college was one of the first in the country to begin programs for teachers for reading disabilities and physical therapy in 1935 and 1944, respectively. Glassboro State began to develop a reputation as a leader in special education and after several years and the return of soldiers from World 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 buildings and academic programs over the next 15 years and became Glassboro State College in 1958.

The Hollybush Summit

The Cold War Glassboro Summit Conference between U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin took place from June 23-25, 1967, in Hollybush Mansion at Glassboro State College. The college was chosen because of its location equidistant between New York City, where Kosygin was making a speech at the U.N., and Washington, D.C.

Then-college president Dr. Thomas E. Robinson was given just 16 hours' notice of the decision and despite the lack of preparation converted his on-campus home into a secure location for the leaders of the world's superpowers.

After the Summit

The campus was relatively quiet during the following decade, despite opening the 1970-71 academic year with Black Sabbath's first American concert on October 30, 1970. Peaceful student protests occurred during the Vietnam war as they did at other campuses, but never required the college to close the campus.

While not occurring on University grounds, a significant event occurred in 1986 at Glassboro High School, which is just on the outskirts of the campus. Ronald Reagan spoke at the Glassboro High School graduation. This was the first time in American history that a sitting President spoke at a high school graduation ceremony. In the speech, Reagan reflected on the Glassboro Summit Conference and offered an optimistic analysis of the future of the Cold War. The event brought a high level of media attention.

Riots took place during Spring Weekend 1986, primarily off campus (though dominated by students) around the Beau Rivage townhomes and the Crossings apartment complex. As a result, Glassboro State College was ranked as the #28 Party School in the nation in the January 1987 issue of Playboy magazine. Coincidentally, in the Greek section of that same issue of Playboy, the Epsilon Eta chapter of Zeta Beta Tau was also named one of the Animal House Contenders.

Though the alcohol-fueled Spring Weekend was cancelled 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 result of the drinking death of freshman James Callahan at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Herman James decided to make GSC an example for the rest of the State colleges and universities to follow. He invited the NJ Alcoholic Beverage Control commission (ABC) to the school and began shutting down off-campus parties, and placing undercover agents in the local liquor establishments. This prompted Morton Downey, Jr., who was based in Secaucus, 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, but they cannot legally buy and consume a beer. Needless to say, he sided with the student opinion on this issue. 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.

University status

In 1992, president Dr. 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. Industrialist Henry Rowan and his wife donated $100 million dollars to the college, which later changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey in his honor. The gift allowed the college to open a College of Engineering and expand its course and curriculum offerings to the point that it became a full-fledged university, achieving the status in 1997.

On August 12, 1996 22-year old Cindy Nannay was fatally shot 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.

Following Dr. James' resignation as president in 1998, Dr. Donald Farish was chosen to succeed him and began further expansion on the Glassboro campus, opening a new state of the art science building 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 bordering US Route 322 and State Route 55 as the West Campus.

In January 1998 Lynn Darren was found dead in her off-campus apartment in what was investigated as a homicide. Ms. Darren's body was found at the Park Crest Village, an apartment complex two miles west of the campus, after the police were contacted by her mother, who was concerned because she had not been able to reach her.

The Presidency of Donald J. Farish was noted for a continued crackdown on the university's partying culture which declined alongside a rise in SAT scores and class rank among the incoming freshman classes. The crackdown on the partying culture began in earnest in 2002 with the official banning of kegs for use by Greek letter organizations. In 2006, two Rowan University students were found guilty for serving alcohol to minors that resulted in the death of a 16-year old male at an off campus party, with Rowan promising to follow up with its own penalties.

West Campus

On March 20, 2006, President Farish announced a joint venture between the university and Major League Soccer to construct a new athletic complex based around a 20,000 seat soccer-specific stadium on property owned by the campus at the intersection of U.S. Route 322 and Route 55. The stadium itself was planned to be complete for the start of the 2009 MLS season. 2006 budget problems in New Jersey resulted in cutbacks, including funding for infrastructure upgrades required to handle increased traffic that would have come with an MLS team. The plan fell through and the stadium project was relocated to nearby Chester, Pennsylvania.

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. Transportation between the two campuses will be provided with both shuttle service and improved bike paths, as well as improvements to Route 322 itself.

South Jersey Technology Park

Rowan University broke ground for the South Jersey Technology Park (SJTP) on April 10, 2006. The New Jersey Development Authority (NJEDA) gave Rowan University $5.8 million along 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. SJTP is planned to be a 188-acre (0.76 km2) 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 price, Class "A" facilities for budding entrepreneurs, start-up and established companies. SJTP was incorporated as a non-profit corporation with its own board of directors. The first building, the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center, has been leased completely out and the revenue will help build a second building. The first floor will be controlled by Rowan and will pay a lease to the Tech Park Corporation and is divided up among the Rohrer College of Business and separate lab space for the College of Engineering. The second floor will be occupied by the Educational Information and Resource Center, which formerly owned a building on Delsea Drive in Washington Township.

The Tech Park's first incubated business, SocialReach, has successfully graduated into their own offices in Philadelphia.

The second planned building will be approximately 66,000 gross square feet divided between research and technology labs and offices.

Donald Farrell Murder

On October 27, 2007 (during Homecoming festivities) 19-year old sophomore Donald Farrell was robbed and beaten to death by unknown assailants while walking behind the Triad dormitory. Farrell was leaving a local convenience store with a group of friends when he was approached by three individuals. After asking Farrell where there was a party, the assailants then began punching and kicking him, knocking him down. They took his wallet, got into their car and drove away. University and local police arrived on-scene in less than 90 seconds and Farrell was rushed to Cooper University Hospital. En route, EMTs revived Farrell multiple times but he died in the hospital the next morning. Autopsy reports show that he died of blunt force trauma to the right side of his neck. A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to the capture, arrest and conviction of the assailants.

Cooper Medical School

It was announced on June 26, 2009 that Rowan would be partnering with Cooper University Hospital to create a new four-year medical school to reside on Broadway in Camden. Rowan was chosen by governor Jon Corzine to house the new medical school primarily because UMDNJ was not in a financial position to fund creation of the school, for which Rowan will issue $100 million in bonds.

The new school would require no new funding as $28 million would be diverted from the current two-year UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School facility in place. Opening in 2012, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will be the only medical school in the state not affiliated with UMDNJ.

Academics

The University is divided into a Graduate School and seven academic colleges: Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Professional & Continuing Education. A moderately-priced, high-quality institution, Rowan is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the "Top Tier" of northern regional universities. Kiplinger's named Rowan one of the "100 Best Buys in Public Colleges and Universities" and the Princeton Review included Rowan in "The Best Northeastern Colleges."

Enrollment

Enrollment at Rowan from the fall semester of 2009 shows 9,965 undergraduates and 1,341 graduate students. Undergraduates entering the University in 2009 had a mean SAT I range between 960 and 1170 (math/critical reading only), and average GPA of 3.4, and 45% were ranked in the top 25% of their high school classes.

For the class of 2013, 57% of applicants were accepted.

Athletics

A member of the NCAA in Division III, the sports teams at Rowan University have been moderately successful on a national level. The Profs football team is regularly a contender for the national title, having gone to the Amos 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 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. Rowan hosted the Division III National Championship Tournament Final Four for men's soccer in 2000 and Women's Lacrosse in 2002. The baseball team has won the Division III National Championship in 1978 and 1979 while making appearances in the NCAA Division III World Series in 2004 and 2005. The Profs compete in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Student life

Media

There are three main publications on Rowan's campus, The Whit, Venue, and Avant. The Whit is in the classic newspaper format and gets published weekly except during exams. Venue is a more "alternative" publication that is uncensored and focuses on campus opinions and humor. Initially formed in 1968, Venue was a very political publication that only later changed its format. Venue puts out four issues a year in full color and is run completely by students. Avant is a student-led literary magazine that compiles students' poems, short stories, photos, and artwork. Avant publishes fall and spring issues each year. In addition to publications, Rowan also has an award winning student-run radio station, Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM, which found its beginnings in 1977 on a $6,000 budget. Rowan also has its own closed-circuit television channel, RTN, which got its start in 1992.

Housing

Rowan provides housing for 2,950 students in 12 housing complexes scattered around campus. Students have a choice between halls, apartments, or townhouses. After their first year students are not guaranteed housing.

There are plans to expand the current housing facilities. Plans include removing Mansion Park Apartments and replacing it with an 800-bed freshman housing complex with its own dining facilities. Also proposed are a new building opposite Linden Hall, conversion of Linden to residential use (or demolition and rebuilding) and adding new residence halls around the Bunce circle. Bunce construction would only begin after a new administration building is completed to replace Bole Hall and Bole Annex. There will be infill buildings added to Edgewood Park Apartments and Triad Apartments. It has also been outlined that any additional housing after these infill projects will be provided by new development on Rowan Boulevard.

Residence Halls

North Halls

These buildings, located on the northeastern corner of the campus, feature shared "suite" type living arrangements sharing a common lounge and bathroom. Each building contains three floors and are considered freshmen-only. Chestnut Hall houses 390 students, while Magnolia Hall and Willow Hall house 210 students each.

Mimosa Hall is a four-story building with an adjoining 24/7 computer lab located between the North Halls and the Student Center. It houses 340 freshmen in suites made up of two to three rooms that share a common bathroom.

South Halls

Evergreen Hall and Mullica Hall are adjacent to each other and house 240 students and 135 students respectively. Both buildings are 3 stories tall and use suites containing two rooms joined by a bathroom. Oak & Laurel Hall each house up to 65 students on three floors. They were the first residence halls on campus, and were used for classrooms for some time until they were renovated in 1999 and returned to living spaces. The suites share one or two bathrooms depending on configuration.

Apartments

Edgewood Park Apartments is a complex of four identical buildings, each with three floors and 24 quad-occupancy apartments, housing 480 students. Mansion Park Apartments was acquired by the University in 1958 from the town and consists of seven buildings with several different apartment layouts; it houses 260 students in total and is slated for demolition in the near future.

Triad Apartments was acquired by the University in 1966 and contains three wings of three floors each. The building's first floor was used as classroom space and the Office of Public Safety until a renovation in the early 2000's converted it into student housing with central air conditioning. It holds 378 students.

The Townhouse Complex was built in 2005 and has 113 living units that accommodate 464 students in single occupancy rooms. There is a three story parking garage to accommodate its residents.

Rowan Boulevard Apartments opened in September 2009 and when complete will be made up of four buildings housing 884 students located along the south side of Route 322 and Main Street. The apartments have both single-bedroom and four-bedroom/two bathroom configurations. Three buildings currently house 568 students; the remainder will be housed in the final building, slated for completion by Fall 2010.

Future housing

Downtown Freshman Housing - Two buildings planned to accommodate over 800 students, faculty-in-residence apartments and a full-service dining hall are planned for the current site of Mansion Park Apartments along the northern side of the Route 322 and Main Street intersection.

University student organizations

12% of men and 7% of women belong to a fraternity or sorority at Rowan University. There are over 75 University sanctioned student clubs and organizations on campus, underneath the Student Government Association.

There are a myriad of other Chartered Clubs, all of which report to the Student Government Association including national award-winning programs such as the local PRSSA, the Rowan Democratic Club, and The Student University Programmers (SUP). Cinema Workshop, the University's student film club, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007.

Hollybush Mansion

Hollybush was originally the home of the Whitney family, and it was the first of its kind in South Jersey. It set a certain precedent with its Italianate architectural style, and its interior decorations attest to this precedent. Two of these significantly unique features of the house are the trompe de l'oeil ceilings in the parlor as well as the Summit Room, and the stained glass archway above the front door. The stone that was used in construction of Hollybush was New Jersey Ironstone, a sedimentary type stone that is found in the low hills and ridges of South Jersey.

Notable alumni

• Jessica Boyington, Miss New Jersey USA 2006
• Kyle Cassidy, photojournalist
• Betty Castor, Florida politician and former president of the University of South Florida
• Joseph Checkler, journalist for Dow Jones and publisher of the popular baseball blog Liners, Sliders and Scoops
• Jack Collins, college basketball coach and Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Julie Ann Dawson, horror fiction writer and small press publisher
• Steve Dobel (B.A., 1977) President of MCI Worldcom from 1992-2000
• Ric Edelman (1980), Nationally known financial planner and radio host
• Stink Fisher, football player and actor in movies such as Invincible and The Longest Yard
• Jamie Ginn, Miss Delaware 2006
• Robert Hegyes, actor and former co-star of Welcome Back, Kotter known for his role as Juan Epstein. Robert was a professor at his alma mater in the early-to-mid 1990s.
• Allen Helbig, artist, animator, photographer, body painter, and web designer
• Michael Iaconelli, Professional bass fisherman.
• Fred H. Madden (born 1954), New Jersey State Senator and former superintendent of the New Jersey State Police
• Marilyn Marshall, R&B, Jazz, Recording Artist
• Soraida Martinez, Painter, Creator of Verdadism art
• Mary Previte (born 1932), author of Hungry Ghosts, served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 6th legislative district from 1998 to 2006.
• Patti Smith, American musician, singer, and poet, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• James L. Usry (M.A., 1971), first African American Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey

References

1. ^ "History". Official Site. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
2. "College Close-up Rowan University". Peterson's. 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
3. ^ "Fast Facts". Official Site. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
4. ^ "The brown and gold standard". Rowan University graphic standards. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
5. "About the Prof". Rowan University. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
6. Gurney, Kaitlin. "10 years later, Rowan still reaps gift's rewards - Rowan Milestones", The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 9, 2002. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Rowan University catapulted onto the national stage a decade ago when industrialist Henry Rowan gave sleepy Glassboro State College $100 million, the largest single sum ever donated to a public institution.... Rowan and his late wife, Betty, gave the money on July 6, 1992, with just one requirement: that a first-rate engineering school be built. In gratitude, Glassboro State changed its name to Rowan College."
7. O'Brien, Gina. "R U READY? / ROWAN CELEBRATES ITS NEW STATUS AS A UNIVERSITY", The Press of Atlantic City, April 8, 1997. Accessed August 1, 2007. "For years, Rowan had the makings of a university, but it just recently applied for university status, achieving it with a nod of approval from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education on March 21."
8. Dr. Thomas E. Robinson, 1952-1968, Rowan University Office of the President
9. Black Sabbath Online: Tour Dates 1971
10. Mark M. Chamberlain, 1969-1984
11. Remarks at the High School Commencement Exercises in Glassboro, New Jersey
12. Urban Legends Reference Pages: Playboy's Party Schools
13. "Playboy's Top 40 party schools". Totse Official site.
14. Murder-Suicide at Rowan, The New York Times, August 13, 1996
15. Murder Is Suspected In Student's Death, The New York Times, January 28, 1998
16. Duerr, Johanna (February 28, 2002). "University bans kegs from Greek life". The Whit Online.
17. Dunphy, Thomas (2006). "Students sentenced in underage drinking death". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |works= ignored (help)
18. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15418323.htm
19. ^ Ten Years of Transformation: The President's Report, 1999-2008; Rowan University Office of the President
20. "South jersey Technology Park to open July 2008". February 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
21. "SJTP Overview". SJTP Official site. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
22. Beym, Jessica (October 22, 2008). " "South Jersey Tech Park opening to a full house". Retrieved 2008-12-12.
23. Beym, Jessica (September 29, 2009). "EIRC signs 7-year lease with Rowan's South Jersey Technology Park". Retrieved 2008-09-30.
24. Fitzgerald, Beth (September 21, 2009). "First business graduates from Rowan incubator". Retrieved 2009-09-30.
25. "Rowan killing was ‘robbery, pure and simple’ says prosecutor", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 2007
26. Rowan Family Newsletter, Fall 2007
27. Fatal Beating Unnerves University in Quiet Town, The New York Times, November 5, 2007
28. $50,000 Reward in Homicide Investigation, Rowan University publication, October 2007
29. NJ's Rowan University could get new medical school, philly.com, accessed 26 Jun 2009
32. "General Information". The Whit Online.
33. "The yin and yang of Rowan press". The Whit Online. November 21, 2002.
34. "Awards". 89.7 Official Site.
35. Woodell, Debbie (April 1, 1977). "College radio broadcasting stereo signal". 89.7 Official Site. The Gloucester County Times.
36. "About". RTN Official Site.
37. Rowan (2008). "Residential Learning & University Housing Handbook" (PDF). Official Site. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
38. "Rowan University Campus Development" (PDF). Official Site. 2009. Retrieved 2010-1-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
39. Rowan (2007). "Rowan University Master Plan 2000-2010" (PDF). Official Site. Retrieved 2008-12-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
40. "Residential Learning & University Housing". Official Site.
41. Cinema Workshop at Rowan University: 30th Anniversary
42. Rohrer College of Business News
43. Patti Smith biography, Arista Records

External links

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• Official Site
• Keith and Shirley Campbell Library
• Rowan University Foundation
• Rowan University Clubs
• The Whit
• The Student University Programmers
• Cinema Workshop
• Rowan Television Network

• Education in Gloucester County, New Jersey
• Rowan University
• Educational institutions established in 1923
• American Association of State Colleges and Universities
• Universities and colleges in New Jersey
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools