Rowan University evolved from humble beginnings in 1923 as a normal school, with a mission to train teachers for South Jersey classrooms, to a comprehensive university with a strong regional reputation.
In the early 1900s, many New Jersey teachers lacked proper training because of a shortage of schools in the state that provided training. To counter that trend, the state decided to build a two-year training school for teachers, known then as a normal school, in southern New Jersey.
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. Several southern New Jersey towns competed to host the new school because of the economic benefit and prestige such an institution would bring. 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 they selected Glassboro as the site.
Before the purchase, the entire tract, including a mansion and carriage house, belonged to the Whitney family, prominent owners of the Whitney Glass Works during the 1800s. The residents’ show of support, along with the site’s natural beauty, convinced the selection committee that Glassboro was the perfect location.
A modest start
In September 1923, Glassboro Normal School opened with 236 young women arriving by train to convene in the school’s first building, now called Bunce Hall. Dr. Jerohn Savitz, the school’s first president, expanded the curriculum as the training of teachers became more sophisticated. Despite the rigors of the Depression, the program was expanded to four years in 1934, 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 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. The college was one of the first in the country to recognize these needs and established itself early at the forefront of the special education movement.
Rowan’s second president, Dr. Edgar Bunce, created 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 University’s third president, expanded the curriculum, increased enrollment and added several buildings to the campus. In 1958, the school’s name was changed to Glassboro State College to better reflect its mission.
Cold War Connection
The college received worldwide attention when it hosted an historic summit conference between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin—in Hollybush, the former Whitney Mansion -- in 1967. The University was chosen because of its strategic location midway between Washington, D.C. and New York. The meetings between the two leaders on June 23-25 led to a thaw in the Cold War and eased world tensions.
Rowan's fourth president, Dr. Mark Chamberlain, guided the college through its next phase of growth as enrollment doubled and Glassboro State became a multi-purpose institution. As new majors and a Business Administration Division were added, the four divisions grew into schools, a board of trustees was formed and a branch campus was added in Camden. With a 1978 Division III National Championship in baseball—the first of 11 national championships—the athletic program established itself as one of the premiere athletic programs in the country.
The institution's fifth president, Dr. Herman James, was appointed in 1984. Under his direction Rowan established the first doctorate program among the state’s public institutions and added the colleges of engineering and communication. Dr. James also was responsible for construction of Campbell Library, the Student Recreation Center and Rowan Hall.
A New Beginning
In July 1992, industrialist Henry Rowan and his wife, Betty, donated $100 million to the institution, then the largest gift ever given to a public college or university in the history of higher education. Later that year, the school changed its name to Rowan College of New Jersey. The college achieved university status in 1997 and changed its name to Rowan University.
To lead Rowan University into the 21st century, the Board of Trustees named Dr. Donald J. Farish as the sixth president in July 1998. Under his leadership, the University is working on an aggressive improvement plan that will give the university a national reputation for excellence and innovation and will make it the public university of choice in the region. The plan calls for a greater campus-wide focus on academic and student support initiatives as well as more than $500 million in campus construction and renovation projects.
Recent campus improvements include the construction of the University townhouses, Science Hall, Education Hall and the Samuel H. Jones Innovation Center, the first building within the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University. The University also has seen a marked increase in private and alumni giving, as well as its student and institutional profile.
These efforts have caught the attention of national organizations that evaluate colleges and universities. US News & World Report ranks Rowan University in the "Top Tier” of Northern Regional Universities. Kaplan included the University in “The Unofficial, Biased Insider’s Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges.” Also, Kiplinger's named Rowan University one of the "100 Best Buys in Public Colleges and Universities" and the Princeton Review included Rowan in the latest edition of “The Best Northeastern Colleges.”
Rowan University is divided into seven academic colleges: Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences, the College of Professional and Continuing Education and a Graduate School. Rowan’s nearly 10,000 students may pursue degrees in 36 undergraduate majors, seven teacher certification programs, 26 master’s degree programs and a doctorate in educational leadership.
From the modest normal school begun more than 80 years 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.
