{"id":3467,"date":"2020-10-01T13:47:04","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T17:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/?p=3467"},"modified":"2020-10-01T13:47:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T17:47:04","slug":"object-of-the-week-portrait-of-monsignor-john-a-stafford-s-t-l","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/2020\/10\/object-of-the-week-portrait-of-monsignor-john-a-stafford-s-t-l\/","title":{"rendered":"Object of the Week – Portrait of Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L., <\/strong>was the eighth President of Seton Hall College from 1899 to 1907, presiding over the college\u2019s Golden Anniversary in 1906.\u00a0 At the dawn of the new century, Monsignor Stafford oversaw a number of advances on our campus including the construction of a School Infirmary and a residence for the Sisters of Charity, which helped run campus operations at the time.[i]<\/a>\u00a0 The order was founded in the tradition of Seton Hall University\u2019s namesake, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, and the sisterhood, which still operates today from Convent Station in Morris County, New Jersey, advocates for human rights, peace and non-violence, while promoting systemic change.\u00a0 In addition to putting his support behind health and humanitarian causes, Monsignor Stafford\u2019s tenure also saw the first inter-collegiate basketball team in 1903 and inaugurated the construction of the college\u2019s first permanent baseball diamond just two years later.[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n

Monsignor John A. Stafford studied classics at St. John\u2019s in Pennsylvania and later, at Seton Hall College.\u00a0 He continued his studies at the seminary at Pontifical North American College in Rome in 1882.\u00a0 Six years later, he was ordained and entered the priesthood on April 8, 1888.\u00a0 On returning to the United States, he served in various New Jersey parishes and was later appointed as Vice President of Seton Hall College in 1893 under Father Marshall\u2019s administration.\u00a0 In 1897 he was selected as rector of St. Augustine\u2019s Church in Union Hill (Union City), New Jersey before returning to Seton Hall College in 1899 to serve as President after being appointed on May 10, 1899 by the Most Rev. Winand M. Wigger, third Bishop of Newark.[iii]<\/a>\u00a0 At the time, student enrollment at the college was 165.\u00a0 In comparison, today\u2019s enrollment is well over 10,000 students.[iv]<\/a><\/p>\n

In Monsignor Stafford\u2019s time, the campus of Seton Hall College was very different.\u00a0 South Orange was still a rural area with many farms and open spaces.\u00a0 In fact, there was a farm on the north side of South Orange Avenue which contained a dairy to supply food products needed on campus.\u00a0 Students and professors were obligated to obey the rule of silence which forbade talking in any of the class corridors.\u00a0 Saturday was no time for resting – students attended a full day of classes on that day too.\u00a0 There was a less stringent side to Monsignor Stafford who was known to have a good singing voice.\u00a0 There are accounts of him regaling students and faculty at a Christmas party to his renditions of \u201cNoel,\u201d followed by an encore of \u201cAn Old Christmas Dinner.\u201d[v]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a>
Map of South Orange from 1910. 2019.10.0007.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to serving as the President of Seton Hall College, Monsignor Stafford was simultaneously charged with running the seminary rectory.\u00a0 Monsignor Stafford, despite his busy schedule, frequently lectured in pastoral theology and liturgy.\u00a0 \u00a0During his term as President, a liberal arts curriculum was emphasized with \u201cstress on the classics, history, English, mathematics, philosophy, and systematic instruction in the Catholic religion.\u201d [vi]<\/a> During his tenure as President of Seton Hall College, Father Stafford was elevated to the rank of Monsignor in 1903.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Fa\u00e7ade of the Paramount Theatre in Newark, NJ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1906 in which Monsignor Stafford presided were filled with commemorative ceremonies and special events, including the very first commencement exercises held indoors at the nearby H.C. Miner\u2019s Newark Theatre, which opened in 1886 as a vaudeville house.\u00a0 With its elaborately decorated interior and grand fa\u00e7ade, the theatre was an elegant setting for the graduation ceremonies. [vii]<\/a>\u00a0 Though its name has since changed many times and the current marquee shows its age, the old theatre still stands prominently at 195 Market Street, just steps from Seton Hall Law School in the city\u2019s downtown business district.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>
Msgr. John A. Stafford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Citing health issues, Monsignor Stafford resigned in 1907 and was succeeded by Monsignor John F. Mooney as President.[viii]<\/a>\u00a0 Monsignor Stafford continued to serve the community after leaving Seton Hall College, becoming pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Church in Jersey City, New Jersey.\u00a0 He then went to St. Patrick\u2019s Church in Jersey City.\u00a0 He died on January 21, 1913, not far from his native Paterson, New Jersey where he was born on March 13, 1857.[ix]<\/a><\/p>\n

Monsignor Stafford\u2019s influence can still be felt on campus today.\u00a0 The portrait of Monsignor Stafford painted by A. Dies in 1904, watches over activities in President\u2019s Hall.\u00a0 The liberal arts curriculum he favored is still taught, now joined by additional courses of study in the sciences, medicine, business and diplomacy, among others.\u00a0 Stafford Hall, one of three original buildings, was one of the centerpieces of the campus at the time of its completion.\u00a0 Originally used as a dormitory, Stafford Hall was rebuilt in 2014 on its same location between Marshall Hall and the Immaculate Conception Seminary and School of Theology. The new building is constructed in the original neo-gothic style, but offers 21st<\/sup> century amenities to accommodate student and faculty needs.\u00a0 This building style, drawing from the past, but equipped to support student achievement, is a metaphor for Monsignor Stafford\u2019s leadership and service in the Catholic tradition – rooted in a rich past, while striving towards potentiality.<\/p>\n

\"Historic<\/a>
Historic image of the original Stafford Hall Dormitory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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For r access to this painting or other materials from our collections featured in previous Object of the week posts, fill out this research request form<\/a> to set up a research appointment.<\/p>\n

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[i]<\/a> https:\/\/www.shu.edu\/president\/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm<\/a>, accessed 9\/21\/2020<\/p>\n

[ii]<\/a> https:\/\/www.shu.edu\/president\/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm<\/a>, accessed 9\/22\/2020<\/p>\n

[iii]<\/a>.https:\/\/www.reaganlibrary.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/digitallibrary\/smof\/publicliaison\/blackwell\/box-034\/40_047_7007844_034_008_2017.pdf<\/a>, accessed 9\/23\/2020<\/p>\n

[iv]<\/a> https:\/\/archivesspace-library.shu.edu\/repositories\/2\/resources\/277<\/a>, accessed 9\/23\/2020<\/p>\n

[v]<\/a> https:\/\/www.shu.edu\/president\/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm<\/a><\/p>\n

[vi]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reaganlibrary.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/digitallibrary\/smof\/publicliaison\/blackwell\/box-034\/40_047_7007844_034_008_2017.pdf <\/a>, accessed 9\/23\/2020<\/p>\n

[vii]<\/a> https:\/\/afterthefinalcurtain.net\/2011\/09\/28\/the-newark-paramount-theatre\/#:~:text=The%20Paramount%20Theatre%20opened%20on,Brooklyn%20based%20theater%20Management%20Company,<\/a>\u00a0accessed 9\/22\/2020<\/p>\n

[viii]<\/a> Flynn, Joseph M.\u00a0The Catholic Church in New Jersey<\/em>. Morristown, NJ: 1904.\u00a0Kennely, Edward F.\u00a0A Historical Study of Seton Hall College<\/em>. Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1944.<\/p>\n

[ix]<\/a> https:\/\/archivesspace-library.shu.edu\/repositories\/2\/resources\/277 9\/23\/2020<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L., was the eighth President of Seton Hall College from 1899 to 1907, presiding over the college\u2019s Golden Anniversary in 1906.\u00a0 At the dawn of the new century, Monsignor Stafford oversaw a number of advances on our campus including the construction of a School Infirmary and a residence for … Continue reading “Object of the Week – Portrait of Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L.”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3623,"featured_media":3484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3623"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3467"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3486,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions\/3486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}