Archives and Special Collections + University Weekend Activity Map . . .

Bob DaviesIn the spirit and long established tradition of celebrating homecoming at Setonia (more commonly known as Seton Hall University Weekend), the Archives & Special Collections Center is partnering with organizers of this event to commemorate milestone events in school history for those in attendance.  With this in mind, here is an overview of various historical-inspired highlights that will connect our place with students, parents, alumni, and other special visitors who will be in South Orange to personally enjoy the sights, sounds, and commemorative aspects of campus from Friday, September 23rd-Sunday, September 25th in particular . . .

On Friday, September 23rd from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Team Film Room (located on the lower level of the Athletic Center) you are welcome to join author Mr. Barry Marin who has written a book on Bob Davies, the first All-American athlete in Setonia history who Mr. Martin will discuss in a talk entitled: “Bob Davies:  Superstar of Seton Hall’s Golden Age of Basketball.”  A great deal of research on his book was conducted via our various student and sports-oriented collections on site.  From his findings, Mr. Martin has outlined the focus of his book on Davies and his times in conjunction with the significance our alumnus brought to the game of basketball in the following manner:

“Seton Hall College was a major basketball power in the early and mid-1940s.  The “Wonder Five” team won 43-consecutive games – the sixth longest winning streak in NCAA Division I history. The “Mighty Midgets” won 28 games in a row – the second longest streak in Seton Hall basketball history.  The connecting link between these great teams was Bob Davies, Class of 1942, who Sports Illustrated has recognized as one of eight of the most influential players in the first century of college basketball – a list that included Bill Bradley (Princeton) and Patrick Ewing (Georgetown).  Setonian Davies introduced the behind-the-back dribble, pioneered the penetration and transition styles of play, and created several innovative passes.  His Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame plaque identifies him as the “first Super Star of Modern Professional Basketball.”  The colorful Pirate was such a draw that Walsh Gymnasium (now the Pirates women basketball team’s home court) was initially known as “the House that Bob built.”  Moreover, he was a genuine sports hero-role model. Author Clair Bee used him as the prototype for the character Chip Hilton in 23 juvenile fiction books.  During the 1946-47 basketball season, Davies accomplished a remarkable feat that no NBA player will ever duplicate.  He was league MVP for the Rochester (NY) Royals (now Sacramento Kings) and coached the Seton Hall “Mighty Midgets” to a 24-3 record.  One of the losses was by one point to the Holy Cross Crusaders who won the NCAA Tournament.”

Along with hearing his talk, Mr. Martin will have copies of the book – Bob Davies: A Basketball Legend, (Rochester, NY: RIT Press, 2016) available for purchase and reading at the event courtesy of the University Bookstore.  In addition, a special exhibit on the Setonia connections to Davies has been created in conjunction and cooperation with the Walsh Library Gallery.  A window box display (located in Walsh Library facing the Recreation Center) featuring various artifacts and items from the University Archives Collection have been assembled in honor of this talk and launch of the book.  This exhibit will be up through the entire month of September into October.

special attractionsPrior to this talk, parents visiting campus are invited to join a historical tour of the University Grounds as part of a program entitled: “Campus Then and Now” which will take place on Friday, September 23rd from 2:00-3:00 p.m. starting in the Rotunda of Walsh Library.  This fun and informative stroll around campus will involve a historical overview of the school and detailed descriptions of campus architecture and significance of physical plant development over the years.   For more information on the tour and to register please consult the Seton Hall Weekend website .

Alumni and Student Life in particular are also being celebrated that weekend, and in recognition of the times and legacy of the Golden Pirates of 1966, a display case exhibit showing various items representing the anniversary of this class and their activities at Setonia can be found on the First Floor of Walsh Library (opposite the stairwell) near the entrance to the Archives & Special Collections Center.  Featured is collage of various illustrations showcasing special programs, snapshots, athletic information, student activities, and even the annual Galleon and “April Fool’s Edition” of The Setonian for that year.  This case will be available for view throughout University Weekend.

More information on the full schedule and overview of programming to take place on University Weekend and to register for different events please visit their main site. For more information on the talks, displays, and other questions involving school traditions please feel free to contact University Archivist, Alan Delozier via e-mail at: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu or by phone: (973) 275-2378 for more information.  Enjoy the event and activities ahead!

Back to School – First Day Fever for Seton Hall Students Over the Years

welcome to shuThe refrain of “Welcome to Seton Hall” has been shared on many occasions with scores of students who have ventured through the front gates of the school over the last 160 years.  Although such a salutation can come at any point in time, early September just before Labor Day (or late August over the last decade in particular) has traditionally been designated as the dawn of an academic year for college bound individuals across the country with Seton Hall being no exception to this traditional rite of passage.

 

Prior to the moment of entry, plenty of preparation faces the undergraduate student from the Freshman who encounter a number of Orientation Sessions prior to attendance through Seniors who are making their final semester opening appearance on campus.  The fine tuning of course selection, purchase of school supplies, bracing for “Move-In Day” and other time honored and timely rituals are often routinely encountered by young scholars across the board.  Once arriving on site, the student body is busy settling in, meeting roommates, making friends, selecting activities, studying course syllabi, book purchasing, and balancing meal plans among many other tasks start in earnest and helps to define the semester that lies ahead for each budding Setonian.  Reflection of these moments are often special to those who lived through these new experiences and many alumni have kept enduring memories of their first time on campus.  With this in mind, the literature produced by the school each term reinforces the structure and substance that goes into planning for a starting term from the first onward.

 

college calendar 1876The first day of classes ever at Seton Hall came on September 1, 1856 in Madison, New Jersey (prior to the move of operations to South Orange four year later) when a total of five students enrolled at the fledgling institution after paying their room and board of $200 per annum.  The original attendance roster included the following names – Leo G. Thebaud (Madison), Louis and Alfred Boisaubin (Madison), Peter Meehan (Hoboken), and John Moore (New York City).  This number rose to 11 by the end of September and either by on-time registration or those who chose delayed enrollment, the school was now in operation and set the trend for first days to follow thereafter.  For example, attendance figures for registrants to open a fall school term rose to 105 by 1865-66 and fluctuated below or near this number through the remainder of the 1800s.  An upswing figure-wise came during the 20th century as Seton Hall boasted over 200 newcomers for the first time by 1925-26 (259 total) as a prelude to the era of four-figure registrations which came about in 1938-39 when the Urban Division (Extension) Schools of Newark and Jersey City featured 1,025 students (481 at the South Orange campus) on their books.  However, it would not be until 1945-46 when the main campus hosted 1,008 new students (2,109 at the Urban Division) and the year following exploded even further in terms of Setonians who first arrived on site with 2,994 and 3,312 attending classes in South Orange and at the Urban Division respectively.  Thousands more per year and in sum thereafter have also experienced their first day in building a tradition that has endured to the present day.

 

Various resources trace the beginning of each semester through the finish are available for research purposes here in our collection.  For more information about University History from start to finish please feel free to contact Alan Delozier, University Archivist via e-mail: alan.delozier@shu.edu or by phone: (973) 275-2378.  In the meantime, a perpetual “Welcome to Seton Hall” everyone!

Winand Wigger and 19th Century Conciliar Connections

Portrait of Winand WiggerThe life and legacy of Winand Michael Wigger (1841-1901), the third Bishop of Newark and first of German extraction was elevated to leadership of the largest Catholic see in New Jersey by 1881 at a time when the Diocese of Trenton was formed to serve the faithful in southern New Jersey.  On a wider scale, the Church was undergoing various changes as a result of nation-wide meetings among the Catholic hierarchy known as the Plenary Councils of Baltimore held in 1852, 1866, and 1884 during the time of Bishop Wigger.  Baltimore was the first Catholic Diocese of the United States (formed in 1789) and as more geographical provinces were made (Newark christened in 1853 being a part of the Province of New York established in 1808) the leadership met to discuss and adopt standard policies and “discipline” based on proper Church teaching and mission meetings and decrees that came out of Maryland would be enacted locally including the Diocese of Newark.  These councils yielded interesting ties to New Jersey including the creation of a standard “Baltimore Catechism” written by Father Januarius De Concilio, a priest of the Diocese of Newark (1885) and consideration of Seton Hall as the official national “principal seminary or university” for the United States, but ultimately the Catholic University of American (founded in 1887) became the ultimate choice.  Aside from these key historical footnotes on a local level Bishop Wigger working with Michael Augustine Corrigan, Bishop of New York (and second bishop of Newark previously) worked together with other church leaders within the New York Province to draft recommendations based on the Baltimore debates.  Among the documents found in the Wigger Collection include the following examples include various circulars fro the spring and summer of 1886 including one from April 15th which reads in part . . .

“We, the Archbishop and the Bishops of the Province of of New York, having met for consultation to-day in the Winand Wigger documentArchiepiscopal Residence, deem it advisable to address a few words of advice and counsel to you, Venerable Clergy and Beloved Laity, on the decrees of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore.  In accordance with the will and wish of the Fathers of the Council, and with the approval of the Holy See, these decrees have been published and promulgated by the Apostolic Delegate, the Most Rev. James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, in anticipation of their publication in diocesan and provincial synods, and they are now binding and of full effect . . . A well-adjusted start will guarantee success from the beginning, and give promise of judicious development of Church government in the future.  It is our intention, therefore, to hold two or more conferences during the summer months as a help to secure the best means of giving effect to the wise precepts and injunctions of the Council, preparatory to their enforcement in diocesan synods to be held not later than the coming autumn.”

Bishop Wigger also sought to stress attention to academics throughout the Diocese of Newark from grammar school through Seton Hall College . . .

“The first chapter . . . on Parochial Schools, legislates clergy and definitely on the duty of bishops, priests, and laity with regard to the establishment and support of Christian and Catholic schools, especially of Parochial Schools, which constitute the majority of schools in which religion is not divorced from education. The question of the utility and necessity of these is no longer an open one.  The great educational problem of the day, in this country as in most countries of the world, is how best to promote the establishment and permanent efficiency and growth of schools in which secular learning and religious instruction shall be combined . . .   The cause of Christian education so strongly advocated in the Third Plenary Council, so fully endorsed by the Holy See, so lovingly presented to the whole world by the Holy Father in his Encyclical Letter directing a portion of the Jubilee aims to be set aside for such schools, is worth a priest’s best labors and the people’s unstinted generosity.”

 

Seton Hall College, South Orange, June 1, 1886These and other pronouncements issued by way of circulars to the clergy of the diocese, Seton Hall College, other institutions, and expressed to parishioners was part of the chain of messaging that kept the work and vision of the Church connected during the time of Bishop Wigger with the Councils being among the last major conferences aside from various diocesan synods and periodic intiatives that defined the American Catholic Church that arose above mission status by 1908 in the eventual wake of the Baltimore Councils.  More information about the administration and legacy works of Bishop Wigger as a church leader can be found within the following collection, the Winand Wigger papers, 1864-1919.

For more information about Bishop Wigger, or other queries regarding Catholic New Jersey please feel free to contact us by e-mail:Alan.Delozier@shu.edu  or via phone at: (973) 275-2378.  Thank you in advance for your interest.

From The Far East to Seton Hall – Exhibits in Honor and Remembrance of Dr. John C.H. Wu

Presently on exhibit in the Archives & Special Collections Center Reading Room, Walsh Library Display Case (First Floor Across from John C.H. Wu
Stairs/Elevator) and within the Window Space of the Walsh Library Gallery are three views of the life and works of Dr. John Ching Hsiung Wu 吴经熊 (1899-1986) who was a former Professor of Asian Studies and Law at Seton Hall during the 1950s-60s along with his wider work in justice studies, inspirational verse, academic promotion, and publishing endeavors. More biographical information can be found via this website which provides some introductory context on his scholarship to go along with the primarily source materials found on campus.  These and other sites can offer further insight on the legacy of Dr. Wu.

In more specific terms, among the accomplishments made during the lifetime of Dr. Wu include his role as lead author of the Zhōnghuá Mínguó Xiànfǎ (中華民國憲法) or Constitution of the Republic of China (present day Taiwan) which was adopted at the National Constituent Assembly of this nation on 25 December 1946 and went into action exactly one year later.  He was there at the foundation of the Seton Hall University Law School in 1951 with its campus in Newark became another specialized educational center that offered courses in juris prudence to its student body.  Dr. John Wu who received his doctorate from the University of Michigan became one of the founding faculty members of the new institution and was active in teaching, scholarship, and promotion of legal education at home and abroad.

In line with the contributions of Dr. Wu, with the successful launch of the Far Eastern Studies Institute during the early 1950s and contributions of a dedicated faculty and supportive administrators led to wider educational and diplomatic initiatives later in the decade.  This culminated with the awarding of honorary doctor of letters degrees to four major Asian leaders that included (in alphabetical order): John Myun Chang (Vice-President of the Republic of Korea), Chang Chi-yu (Minister of Education of the Republic of China [Taiwan]), Ngo Dinh-Diem (President of the Republic of Viet-Nam), and Paul Francis Kotaro Tanaka (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan) in 1957 and was a landmark time as Seton Hall had cemented a solid relationship with the different Asian nations which contributed to international collaboration and good will.  This also led to a period of creating reference guides for the wider linguistic community and those who wanted to publish and led to the creation of the Seton Hall University Press in operation during the 1960s and 70s which was active in producing dictionaries, grammar studies, and other aids to help students locally and across the globe.

The Setonian_Seton Hall inaugurates Far Eastern Studies

The aforementioned components can be represented in these displays and the lasting availability of archival resources based on the life and works of Dr. Wu are based in large measure on the recent Symposium held from April 21-22nd 2016 here on the campus of Seton Hall University.  More information about the speakers and subject areas can be found on the Symposium webpage.  When it comes to specific exhibit themes various books by and about Dr. Wu from our collection and that of the Main Collection, Walsh Library are shown along with a number of information leads that represent the 65th anniversary of the Far Eastern Studies Institute along with the latter day Asia Center, and the contributions of those who have made Asian culture a significant part of the academic and cultural life of Seton Hall over the past six decades plus.

For more information about Dr. John Wu, Seton Hall history, or other queries please feel free to contact us by e-mail: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu  or via phone at: (973) 275-2378.  Thank you in advance for your interest.

Early Irish Education – Nineteenth Century “How To” Guide Books

classroomA common thread shared by most students enrolled in a formal educational program is the traditional meeting in a classroom space of some type with a teacher to guide lesson plans and discussion regardless of time or place.  For example, in Ireland during the nineteenth century there were some academies that remained largely private, separately governed, tuition driven, and primarily located near, or within well-populated towns and cities. The famed “hedge” schools (or scoil chois claí) conducted in rural areas were usually taught out of doors in between bushes (hence the name) in a more basic setting that served as an alternative option for those who did not have access to a more formal school house in their respective area. Considering the want and need of learning, a more modern approach was had in 1831 as a National School initiative was formally established with the goal of providing an educational bond between Catholic and Protestant children under one system. However, even as administrators sought to: “unite in one system children of different creeds,” the preferred method expressed by ecclesiastical officials was to have each individual school house placed under control of an individual church.  Despite the sponsorship questions that arose, the curricular objective was to offer a more liberal arts (reading, writing, and arithmetic) focus with a heavy “moral” component to the young students of which an estimated 300-400,000 throughout all of Ireland attended during the 1830s after the formal system was set into action.

Plan and elevation of desks

 

More detailed information about the development of grade school level information in the annals of Irish history can be researched through our collections with a particular emphasis on how educators articulated the proper method of instruction.  In particular there are two volumes – The Schoolmaster’s Manual (1825) and The Handbook of School Management and Methods of Teaching by P.W. Joyce (1864) articulate the goals inherent in formative academic training methodology.  As the first work from the 1820s told readers by way of an introductory observation – “As this work is intended for the assistance of those who are convinced that well-ordered education, suited to their respective stations, should be diffused as extensively as possible amongst all classes in society, and who are desirous of  becoming acquainted with the modern improvements in the manner of imparting instruction to the poor.”  The Handbook would offer an expression of its own philosophy to the reader in the following words – “. . . the site of a school should be dry and cheerful, and easily accessible to the great bulk of the population.”  These words and the guidance provided to instructors and students alike would help to show the development of educational life in Ireland over time and provides a window to past practice in the process.


For more information about accessing these and other works on education and other subject matter please feel free to inquire via e-mail: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu  or call (973) 275-2378 for more details.

occupation of school hours

The Women of Seton Hall – A Window Into The Past, Present, & Future

On display now through the Spring semester is a special exhibit designed to honor the Women of Setonia from student to administrator to faculty to alumnae and all who have derived benefit of the institution over the last several decades.  Through the design efforts of Katie Wolchko and in anticipation of the 80th anniversary of co-education at Seton Hall we present some images that show the first enrollment at the Urban Division and Summer Session of Seton Hall in 1937 along with the heralding of full equality on the South Orange campus over three decades later.  This ushered in a number of resources on campus including the Women and Gender Studies program and the Women’s Resource Center.  With such founding visionaries as Professors Tracy Gottlieb, Judith Stark, and Gisella Webb to present day leadership under Professors Karen Gevirtz and Vanessa May, the work of this office is vital in keeping the issues and contributions of Women in society alive and visible to all members of our community.  This brings us to the present-day and the Women’s Conference of 2016. Various publication covers by those speaking in accompanied by a listing of all participants along with affiliated faculty and administrators who work directly with the Women and Gender Studies program.  For more information about the Women’s Conference 2016 please consult the Women’s Conference webpage.  The Women and Gender Studies Program site is also accessible here. 

ws-39                    Seton Hall University                   A celebration of women 2006

This exhibit is housed in the Window Display Case that can viewed outside of Walsh Library opposite the Recreation Center.  For more information about the exhibit please contact Katie Wolchko at – katherine.wolchko@shu.edu

The SPIRIT – An 85 Year Celebration of Catholic Poetry

First published in 1931, the earliest editions of the SPIRIT were published bi-monthly and not included verse, but also articles on the art of expression and about the Catholic Poetry Society of America in some form along with literary book reviews of interest.  This periodical was also well-cross referenced to help readers find past submissions through the Catholic Periodical Index and Catholic Bookman from its founding days forward.  Additionally, the Catholic Poetry Society of America first headquartered in New York City had chapters in many major cities across the United States.  Over its first few decades the SPIRIT was published either in black and white or maroon colored text without illustrations.

spirit, a magazine of poetry                      more than the moment poem

A swell of popularity for the SPIRIT continued onward through the 1950s-60s as shown through anthology works and maintenance of its usual format of title, poem, and author citation.  Lengths varied, but the text in some way always reflected the mission of the society and publication focus.  The editions released in 1968 would turn out to be the last with New York City as its home base.  The SPIRIT would move its operations to the campus of Seton Hall University the following year.

Spirit cover, Summer 1969          Spirit cover, volume 60, 1995Spirit cover, Australian issue

During the course of 1969, the SPIRIT underwent various changes not only with new offices, but the publication also modified its look and aesthetic to reflect the times.  Under the Editorship of David Rogers and James R. Lindroth from the Seton Hall University Department of English, the SPIRIT would continue to publish further works and also artwork related to the Catholic experience.  This also inspired a campus-wide poetic anthology entitled – Puddle Wonderful which lasted for one issue.  Otherwise, latter day changes including more colorful cover art, theme-editions, and changing font types brought a more modern appearance to the SPIRIT through the 1970s and 80s.  Recent editions of the SPIRIT continued to promote artistic writing in verse form.  Full editions were less frequently produced and came out annually by the 1990s.  They content themes remained consistent, but the graphics would go back to more basic and classical representations found in early issues along with a change of logo from the early Eagle to a Spectre to capture the visual and symbolic look of the SPIRIT.

More about the early years and a historical overview along with examples of the poetry and art can be found in the text panels and full display visible from the Archives & Special Collections Center Reading Room and adjacent hallway from January-February, 2016.  For more information please feel free to e-mail us at: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu, or call: (973) 275-2378.

 

Christmas Pageants, Pirate Preview, & Jean Shepherd – “A Christmas Story” of Setonia

Seton Hall has long built a tradition of marking the Christmas season in varied ways including observance of Advent, Midnight Mass, a live Nativity Scene and in recent years the ceremonial tree lighting have brought the community together in celebration of the season.  Among the most memorable traditions found in the early days of school history included an annual musical Christmas program(me) which showcased the theatrical talents, voices, and instrumental prowess of the student body.  Included here are examples of the entertainment fare offered to the audiences who were there to share good cheer which did not always offer traditional carols, but rather an eclectic mix of different song titles and themes designed to entertain and inspire those in attendance.

Christmas entertainment by the students of Seton Hall College         Christmas program

Interestingly, it was in 1930 and the yule-time production of “The Late Cap’t Crow” where the first documented appearance of a Pirate on the shores of Setonia came about as shown in the pages of The Setonian around four months prior to the adoption of the legendary school nickname.  Santa Claus would share space on campus with the Pirates from this time forward.

Setonian News

Over subsequent Christmas celebrations more traditional holiday-themed events took place after World War II such as traditional holiday parties, concerts, and the like would become more commonplace.  The true spirit and meaning of Christmas is timeliness for many people.  This not only present in a religious sense, but also in popular culture circles.  For example, how many of us have ever watched the movie “A Christmas Story” and saw Ralphie’s quest for the Red Ryder B-B Gun while being roundly warned – “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid!”  This endearing tale is not only popular among Setonians, but also the wider world through the pen of legendary writer and raconteur Jean Shepherd who not only narrated this movie, but wrote this treatment based on his early life under the original title – “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.”  Shepherd was an author, television, and radio personality who had a popular show on W-O-R radio in New York City for a number of years between the 1950s-70s and made regular appearances on the Seton Hall campus (including a mid-December gig in 1965 as heralded below) during these years in the limelight whose time on campus are still remembered fondly by those who saw him in concert.  Please click here to listen in on Jean Shepherd announce his date at Seton Hall on 12/16/1965.

Jean Shepherd-Dec. 16; WSOU presents talk                  Shepherd to speak                       Jean Shepherd photo

Beyond the stage and regardless of the era and how the season was celebrated, Seton Hall has its own traditions in the art of holiday cheer and commemoration from Cap’t Crow to those who are writing their own “Christmas Story” at Seton Hall.

Christmas Peace wreath

Aphra Behn Conference & A Celebration of Rare Books

Aphra_Behn

Between Wednesday, November 4th-Friday, November 6th, Seton Hall University will serve as host of the biannual Aphra Behn Society Conference.  In the spirit of Aphra Behn herself (c. 1640-1689), a noted British fiction writer, playwright, poet, and translator, members of this organization are actively: “dedicated to encouraging and advancing research that focuses on issues of gender and/or women’s role in the arts of early modern culture, circa 1660-1830. Through its newsletter, website, and biannual meeting, the Aphra Behn Society seeks to promote an exchange of information and ideas among members of the various disciplines engaged in related research.”  Her own works remain a popular source of research among scholars and students alike, but promoting the value of the printed word in its varied forms is a consistent theme that latter day readers often recognize.  In other words, Aphra Behn noted in the pages of her work – The Lucky Chance, Or, the Alderman’s Bargain (1686) a love of books, but more specifically: “That perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library.”

instructions for managing bees.             The war in America.             Figure and Fashion: a scuffle in high life

In honor of the example set by Aphra Behn combined with ties to this event, Professors Karen Gevirtz, Ph.D. of the Department of English and Kirsten Schultz, Ph.D. of the Department of History looked through our catalog of Rare Book holdings and have chosen various titles that reflected a growing depth and diversity of scholarship from the 17-19th century.  Some images from the public exhibit (viewable in our Reading Room) are included in this post, but a full list of titles can be found here – Aphra Behn Captions and requested for review by our research community.  Counted among the more interesting finds include an early guide to bee-keeping in Ireland, writings by St. Catherine of Siena, a French look at the history of nature, a British perspective on the American Revolution, and theological writings from a Portuguese perspective to name a few volumes chosen by Professors Gevirtz and Schultz to share with the public.

This conference provides an opportunity for participants to share in the study of different subject themes.  Along with the aforementioned public Rare Book display are a pair conducted jointly with the Walsh Library Gallery featuring books by and about Aphra Behn from our Main Library Collection (found in the exhibit case situated near the stairwell and elevator on the first floor of Walsh Library) and a larger window exhibit showcasing the cover artwork of authors in attendance at the event whose publications are found in the Seton Hall Universities Catalog.  A full listing of titles is available here – Aphra Behn Conference Authors  On Thursday, November 6th from 6-7:00 p.m. Professors Gevirtz and Schultz along with their colleagues Professors Mark Molesky, Ph.D. and Nathaniel Knight, Ph.D. from the Department of History will be discussing books related to their own areas of interest in a broader context for those in attendance at the conference.  More information about their selections can be found in the following flyer – Aphra Behn Event Brochure

autor lectori

For more information about Aphra Behn and Rare Book resources found in our collection please feel free to consult the following Reference Guide for more details – http://library.shu.edu/rare-books  Thank you in advance for interest and the discovery that rests in our timeless resources.

The First Seton Hall Medical School & Its Roots – A Retrospective Exhibit, 1915-2015

When the announcement of plans to form a new medical school at Seton Hall became public in January of 2015 thoughts of future possibilities joined with remembrances of earlier strides in curative education opportunities on campus.  The original Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry was in operation within the walls of the Jersey City Medical Center between 1956-1965.  As the first formal medical school established in New Jersey, and one of the few Catholic university-sponsored institutions of its kind, this institution has a notable place in the annals of academic and state history.

Setonian_New Jersey welcomes opening of Seton Hall Medical-Dental College

This display traces the evolving popularity of medical inquiry and training over the past century through early course work at Seton Hall during the World War I-era with various natural science class offerings which remained a constant and helped to inspire creation of the School (and later College) of Nursing that evolved between 1937-40 and ultimately led to early attempts at developing a medical school on campus between the 1940s-50s.  Official approval was secured in 1954 and an elevated focus on health care to the community became a top priority through the development of specialized training methods, student support, and practical application which helped to sustain the school through its years of affiliation with Seton Hall.  With the closure of the College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1965 and transfer to the State of New Jersey, Seton Hall has since made additional attempts to promote medical instruction on an advanced level with the creation of a Graduate School of Medical Education in 1987 and the overall School of Health and Medical Sciences which currently sponsors this, and all related programs in the field.  The story of our second medical school remains to be written, but further information about the past and early planning objectives can be found within the article from the Setonian.

           New Jersey's first college of medicine and dentistry Seton Hall college of medicine and dentistry

Featured within this exhibit are documents and artifacts borrowed from our College of Medicine and Dentistry Collection and other materials from our University Archives and affiliated holdings.  Letters of support, operational reports, event programs, promotional publications, study aids, and various other documentation that traces the development of the school are presented chronologically and thematically to show how the first medical school was formed and what its mission entailed.

New Jersey's first medical-dental college, the Seton Hall college of medicine and dentistry

For more information about this exhibit and the research services offered through the Archives & Special Collections Center please feel free to access our homepage, or e-mail us with any specific questions or comments at: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu.  Thank you in advance for your interest and comments.