Family History Month

This October, in celebration of Family History Month, explore the Genealogy Resources the Archives & Special Collections has from Catholic parishes and various Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Newark, comprising of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties. Find your ancestors and discover clues about their life! While we encourage researching family history with our collections, we do so by asking you to submit a Genealogy Research Request Form where we will perform a FREE 1 HOUR search on your behalf. Please note we do not search for baptismal, communion, confirmation, or marriage records post-1930 because of privacy concerns.

If you have further questions about our collection, or your family history research, please contact Jacquelyn Deppe, the Special Collections Assistant, via e-mail: jacquelyn.deppe@shu.edu or by phone at: (973) 761-9476.

Object of the Week: Medal Commemorating the Opening of the Second Vatican Council

Vatican II opening commemorative medal
Features image of Pope John XXIII
gold
1960s
Gift of Dr. Peter Ahr

 

COMMEMORATING THE OPENING OF

THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

58 YEARS AGO

Informally known as Vatican II or the Second Vatican Council, The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, was formally opened 58 years ago on October 11, 1962 under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII.[1]  Vatican II addressed relations between the Catholic Church and the modern world – establishing a strong emphasis on ecumenism (promoting union between religions), a revised liturgy and new approaches to Catholic engagement with the world.[2]  Sessions were held annually among Bishops over the course of the four years, concluding under the pontificate of Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1965, ushering in an era of numerous liturgical, spiritual and lay movements.[3] 

News clipping titled, "Committee on Canon Law Appointed by Pope John"
“Committee on Canon Law Appointed by Pope John,” unattributed newsclipping, 1950’s, John M. Oesterreicher papers, Mss 0053, Courtesy of the Monsignor Field Archives and Special Collections Center
Image of Archbishop Thomas Boland, c. 1960s
Archbishop Thomas Boland, c. 1960s

The Department of Archives and Special Collections and the Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University hold a vast array of manuscripts, photographs, documents, news clippings, artifacts and materials related to Vatican II that illuminate this propitious moment in history.  Some of the most comprehensive collections on the Council held by Seton Hall University include archival materials related to the church leaders that served on the council and in the Seton Hall University community, including Monsignor John

Black and white image of Bishop John Joseph Dougherty seated, c. 1960s
Bishop John Joseph Dougherty, c. 1960s

M. Oesterreicher, Bishop John Joseph Dougherty – at the time of Vatican II an Auxiliary Bishop of Newark and former president of Seton Hall University – and materials related to Archbishop Thomas Boland.[4]  Selected issues of the Catholic Advocate, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Newark, have been digitized and are also available for in person research or online at the Catholic News Archive.

 

Newspaper clipping from The Catholic Advocate titled “Monsignor Oesterreicher Presents Copy of ‘The Bridge’ to Pope.”
“Monsignor Oesterreicher Presents Copy of ‘The Bridge’ to Pope,” The Catholic Advocate, September 22, 1960, pg. 1 digitized Vatican II (1958-1964) editions of the Catholic Advocate courtesy of the Catholic News Archive.

 

 

_______________________

The images and materials shown here are but a small part of the vast patrimony available to students, faculty and researchers.  For more information or to make an appointment, contact 973-761-9476 or archives@shu.edu

 

[1] https://www.shu.edu/news/documents-of-vatican-ii.cfm accessed 10/2/2020

[2] https://www.catholicregister.org/features/item/15194-what-changed-at-vatican-ii  accessed 10/1/2020

[3] https://www.shu.edu/news/documents-of-vatican-ii.cfm accessed 10/2/2020

[4] https://blogs.shu.edu/archives/tag/oesterreicher/ accessed 10/5/2020

 

Object of the Week – Portrait of Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L.

 

 

Monsignor John A. Stafford, S.T.L., was the eighth President of Seton Hall College from 1899 to 1907, presiding over the college’s Golden Anniversary in 1906.  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]  The order was founded in the tradition of Seton Hall University’s 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.  In addition to putting his support behind health and humanitarian causes, Monsignor Stafford’s tenure also saw the first inter-collegiate basketball team in 1903 and inaugurated the construction of the college’s first permanent baseball diamond just two years later.[ii]

Monsignor John A. Stafford studied classics at St. John’s in Pennsylvania and later, at Seton Hall College.  He continued his studies at the seminary at Pontifical North American College in Rome in 1882.  Six years later, he was ordained and entered the priesthood on April 8, 1888.  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’s administration.  In 1897 he was selected as rector of St. Augustine’s 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]  At the time, student enrollment at the college was 165.  In comparison, today’s enrollment is well over 10,000 students.[iv]

In Monsignor Stafford’s time, the campus of Seton Hall College was very different.  South Orange was still a rural area with many farms and open spaces.  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.  Students and professors were obligated to obey the rule of silence which forbade talking in any of the class corridors.  Saturday was no time for resting – students attended a full day of classes on that day too.  There was a less stringent side to Monsignor Stafford who was known to have a good singing voice.  There are accounts of him regaling students and faculty at a Christmas party to his renditions of “Noel,” followed by an encore of “An Old Christmas Dinner.”[v]

Map of South Orange from 1910
Map of South Orange from 1910. 2019.10.0007.

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

Image of the Paramount Theatre in Newark, NJ
Façade of the Paramount Theatre in Newark, NJ

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’s Newark Theatre, which opened in 1886 as a vaudeville house.  With its elaborately decorated interior and grand façade, the theatre was an elegant setting for the graduation ceremonies. [vii]  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’s downtown business district.

Black and white photograph of Msgr. John A. Stafford, seated
Msgr. John A. Stafford

Citing health issues, Monsignor Stafford resigned in 1907 and was succeeded by Monsignor John F. Mooney as President.[viii]  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.  He then went to St. Patrick’s Church in Jersey City.  He died on January 21, 1913, not far from his native Paterson, New Jersey where he was born on March 13, 1857.[ix]

Monsignor Stafford’s influence can still be felt on campus today.  The portrait of Monsignor Stafford painted by A. Dies in 1904, watches over activities in President’s Hall.  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.  Stafford Hall, one of three original buildings, was one of the centerpieces of the campus at the time of its completion.  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 century amenities to accommodate student and faculty needs.  This building style, drawing from the past, but equipped to support student achievement, is a metaphor for Monsignor Stafford’s leadership and service in the Catholic tradition – rooted in a rich past, while striving towards potentiality.

Historic image of the original Stafford Hall, which was a dormitory
Historic image of the original Stafford Hall Dormitory

 

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 to set up a research appointment.

 

[i] https://www.shu.edu/president/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm, accessed 9/21/2020

[ii] https://www.shu.edu/president/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm, accessed 9/22/2020

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

[iv] https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/277, accessed 9/23/2020

[v] https://www.shu.edu/president/presidents-of-seton-hall.cfm

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

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

[viii] Flynn, Joseph M. The Catholic Church in New Jersey. Morristown, NJ: 1904. Kennely, Edward F. A Historical Study of Seton Hall College. Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1944.

[ix] https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/277 9/23/2020

Spanish Language Instruction and Celebration of Bi-Lingualism at Setonia, 1856-Present

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) memorandum regarding equal rights in terms of learning-based opportunities. The issue of language and the need to educate all children on a nationwide scale regardless of English-language fluency became the major talking point for many viewing the overall theme and subtext of this pronouncement. All grade levels benefited from this renewed attention to linguistic-based instruction objectives.

Around the same time, the Puerto Rican Institute, now known at the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute, was founded at Seton Hall University. The creation of the Institute was to support the Hispanic community, ensuring Hispanic youths had opportunities for a full development through a variety of services and activities the university was able to provide. Due to the Institutes groundwork, Hispanic enrollment has increased along with an increase in the interest, recognition, and involvement of the community.

Today, Seton Hall University continues its language education that started during 1897-1898, before the DHEW memorandum and the founding of the Puerto Rican Institute, when only Spanish and Italian were offered. Currently, there are a variety of languages offered, such as Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, along with studies dedicated to different cultures around the world such as Latin American and Latino/Latina Studies.

 

Cover of the Puerto Rican Institute Inauguration Program – October 17, 1974

 

Additional data points on Spanish-themed resources and the overall scope of Central and South American life can be found within the Latin American Research Guide which is updated by Professor Lisa DeLuca, Professor Brooke Duffy, and Professor Lisa Rose-Wiles.

For more details about the history of the Spanish-language experience at Seton Hall University and other aspects of Latin America please feel free to consult the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute at Seton Hall University or contact Ms. Ana Campoverde, Executive Director by e-mail: latinoinstitute@shu.edu or phone: (973) 761-9422.

Additional aspects about the history of Latino and their contributions to Seton Hall can be researched via the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center.  Please feel free to consult our website at: https://library.shu.edu/archives or contact Alan Delozier, University Archivist by email: Alan.Delozier@shu.edu or phone: (973) 275-2378.

Seton Hall Digital Mapping Project Launched

image of main digital mapping site
Landing page for the new site

Today a new digital map of Seton Hall was launched by Walsh Library.  This site allows users to create rich tours of sites at Seton Hall – or anywhere around the world – contextualizing the places with photographs, text, and even audio and video recordings.  The introductory tour  builds on an existing set of digitized historic postcards of South Orange and Seton Hall that resided in the Library’s e-Repository.  “The postcards were well digitized, and had very detailed, searchable data in the e-Repository.  But this format allows for a more interactive way for the community to explore the collection,” according to Sarah Ponichtera, Assistant Dean for Special Collections and the Gallery.

The project took shape when archives staff, along with the rest of the university, suddenly shifted to remote work in the spring and sought ways to connect the campus community with archival collections during this difficult period.  Technical Services Archivist Sheridan Sayles researched digital mapping products that might suit Seton Hall, and settled on Curatescape, an open-source product.  “Curatescape allows users to connect historic images of sites and objects with their location, essentially weaving in historical stories to the every day places we pass by.” according to Sayles.  Over the spring and summer, Sayles and Library Collection Developer Zachary Pelli worked to get the site installed and import the images and data from the e-Repository.  With the help of a remote intern from Southern Connecticut State University, Amanda Damon, they populated the site with 53 locations (called stories) that can be connected in tours, found using subject tags, and enriched over time as more content is integrated into the site.  Constructing the locations as stories allows for more flexibility – a particularly rich object, such as the stained glass windows in the Chapel, could be its own story even though it is still part of the Chapel location.  A story could even be built around a person with a long history on campus.

Site page for Stafford Hall
Page for Stafford Hall, one of 53 unique locations, or “stories” on the site.

The Library welcomes suggestions from the community for ways to develop and expand the site.  It may be suited for tours developed in courses, adapted to create a virtual tour of campus for those unable to visit in person, or become a center for alumni to contribute their memories of campus.  Due to its home in the Monsignor William Noe Field Archives, content contributed to the digital map will be preserved in the University Archives as part of the history of Seton Hall.  According to University Archivist Alan Delozier, “within this time of quarantine, the value of this initiative is all the more important for those who cannot visit the school grounds at present, but the long term value of this project will continue to attract attention from students, faculty, and other individual across campus along with external users alike.”

Seton Hall Archives Awarded Grant to Process Cuban-American Priest’s Collection

The William Noé Field Archives in Walsh Library at Seton Hall has been awarded a $9,400 grant from the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission to process the Father Raúl Comensañas Papers.

 

Black and white photograph of Raul Comesanas
Msgr. Raúl Comensañas

Father Comensañas served as a priest in Union City and the Hudson County area, where he was active in serving the Cuban exile community. His advocacy work—including a run for the House of Representatives— led local groups to connect exiles with immigration resources and edit Spanish language community newspapers.

 

Beyond telling the story of an extraordinary man, this collection documents the history of the growing Hispanic community in the Archdiocese of Newark. The collection includes correspondence from Father Raúl to his congregants, newspapers Father Raúl edited documenting issues facing the Newark Cuban-American community, and materials from the Republican party advocating for Hispanic issues in the early 1980s.

 

The grant covers supplies to rehouse the collection in archival-grade folders and boxes that will preserve the collection for future generations, and provides funds to hire an archival assistant to help SHU staff organize and describe the collection to prepare it for historians and members of the community to explore.

Image of Miami Cuban newspaper Rece
An issue of Rece, a Miami Cuban newspaper, one of many collected by Father Comensañas

The department hopes to make the collection available to the public by Summer 2021, and plans to make the finding aid for this collection the archives’ first bilingual finding aid, to make it equally available to Spanish-speaking researchers.  The materials are approximately 50% Spanish-language, and 50% English, and the department has found a bilingual student archivist to work with the collection.

 

The archives gratefully acknowledges the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission for its support of this important project, as well as the donor, Jo Welker for entrusting these materials to its care.

Object of the Month: Stained Glass Panel – Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

Franz Mayer of Munich
Stained Glass Panel – Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

lead and glass
21 1/5” x 12 1/5”
1903
2016.10.0002
Seton Hall University Archives and Special Collections

This stained glass window from the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at Seton Hall University was one of six panels which were installed in 1903 when the main entrance was added to the building.  Previously there was a side entrance, which was customary at the time, and prevented wind gusts from traveling the length of the chapel in inclement weather. When building the shrine to Mother Seton around the time of her canonization in 1975, these stained glass panels were removed and replaced with the present windows showing the shields of the various orders of nuns that go back to Mother Seton.

A History of the Seton Hall Annual, 1924-2006

The concept of a collegiate yearbook (or annual) arose from the need to record student enterprise from the earliest volumes published during the early 1800s into a regularly anticipated fixture among most elite Eastern institutions and eventual adoption among many Catholic colleges and universities between the mid-nineteenth century into the early twentieth.
The trend of producing a yearly chronicle of academic life reached its zenith during the “Jazz Age” of the 1920s when the appeal of student life on college campuses entered the national conscious in a major way through positive and popular depictions in motion pictures, radio programs, and the daily press throughout the decade. Within this context, the Seton Hall
yearbook known originally as the “White and Blue” was christened in 1924.

Cover of the 1924 Seton Hall College – White & Blue

From the first, the promise and appeal of memorializing the Setonia  experience received strong support throughout campus. Officially released during May of 1924 (covering the 1923-24 academic year), the “White and Blue” (prior to its being re-named and bearing the legend – “The Galleon”
in 1940 and 1947-2006) reflected its original and enduring objective to prepare: “through word and picture a summary of all activities . . .” within a published memorial designed to honor each graduating class from its introductory edition to last imprint.  Historically, the “White and Blue” was directly inspired in large measure by the colorfully written and illustrated student-run Dramatic Society playbills in vogue during the early 1920s.

From this inspirational point, the yearbook became one of the first regularly produced and distributed non-single event campus publication (aside from the College Catalogue) along with its counterpart “The Setonian” (student newspaper) which opened its presses a couple months
beforehand. This weekly (later monthly) serial became an allied publication with the “White and Blue” and regularly featured updates on yearbook issues including the promotion of staff members, production updates, and sale potential through its pages during the 1920s and 30s in particular. The yearbook reciprocated space-wise with “The Setonian” by including a special section on the newspaper and its activities under its Student Organizations chapter in most every volume that followed suit.

Yearbooks in both a general and traditional sense were produced with a firm timeline in place to cover any given 12-month academic period. Each provide a means of immortalizing the students, faculty, and administrators affiliated with Seton Hall and also offer “snapshots” of life on campus broken down by different departments or sections to honor popular trends during a respective time and place. The traditional format and sections found in most annuals with Seton Hall being no exception tended to include in varying order the following categories:  Welcome Page(s), Dedication; Graduates (Senior Portraits and List of Activities – Text and Photographs, 1920s-1950s); Undergraduates (Frosh, Sophomores, and Juniors); Faculty, Student Life (Activities, Current Events, Special Events, etc.); Academics (Departments, Who’s Who, etc.); Athletics, Student Organizations; Advertisement Section (earlier editions often featured a special emphasis on South Orange, Newark, and other local companies); and in some cases an Index, Colophon (statistical data), and a Notes/Autograph page(s) are found thereby providing a unique look at Setonia in a traditional and organized manner.

In regard to the first work plan based on historical models, the inaugural edition of the “White and Blue” featured an introductory forward by the College President at that time – Rt. Rev. Thomas H. McLaughlin, S.T.D. who wrote about the justification of this enterprise in regard to the institution and its lasting intrinsic value: “In years to come this book will serve to revivify events and intensify the love which every Setonian bears to Alma Mater. It will be an incentive to live up to the religious and educational standards presented and exemplified in daily life during college years.” This pioneering work in 1924 was undertaken directly under the leadership of Reverend John J. Sheerin, Faculty Moderator (this role would usually fall under the guidance of a priest until the 1950s when a member of the lay faculty usually assumed leadership duties); Editor-In-Chief, Francis J. Walsh; and a staff of researchers, writers, illustrators, photographers, and other volunteers which handled various duties associated with content management and marketing opportunities. During its first year, which involved a significant learning curve, the yearbook staff was able to finalize a volume in time for commencement and with funds collected via advertising space and subscriptions the “White and Blue” office collected $706.00 from various sources which helped defray supply costs and a
printing bill of $521.00 that led to a final first year net profit of $19.00. From here the consistent search for content and subscription drives became a regular fixture of the yearbook office thereafter.

Various Seton Hall White & Blue Covers, 1920s-30s

The following year in 1925, editors of the “White and Blue” expressed the need for a yearbook with more clarity and eloquence after its first attempt succeeded and a methodical tradition had started. Therefore, finding a rhythm passing on experiences to the next class led to a sustained presence that lasted on campus for nine decades.

“Without a doubt if most Graduates were asked to name that event which, of the varied multiplicity of forms, loomed largest on the horizon of the scholastic year, their choice would be the publication of the Year Book . . . it is the result of their attempts to portray in succinct form, both to Alumni and Under-Grads, all that which occurred within the cycle of their daily lives at Setonia. WE present it with pride, for we fell that in it we have attained our purpose . . . We have merely presented phases from the humble life-drama of Setonians. Those figures that strutted unimportantly before the eyes of many are now paraded in a steady light. Those associations which engrossed our attention are seen in pleasant retrospect. We have turned the X-ray on the thought, spirit, deeds, and accomplishments of a student life and disclosed the skeleton. We have not attempted to analyze, to caricature, or to be distinctly erudite. In a word, our purpose was to present in the simplest way the record of a family life. If there are
occasional little traits of delicate feeling and sentiment manifested, we feel that the reader will not censure us for it. Especially informative in its character, the Year Book served to bridge the gap between the student and Alumnus. It is a story which a student tells to the “Old Grads.” A
story – yes, for it contains those varied elements that minster to our delight. It is enlivened by incidental adventures; it describes the places in which the scene is cast; the motley groups of character are skillfully drawn; genial humor pervades its pages, and the whole is a lively picture
of a real student life. It is well that such a story should be told occasionally by Setonains, for it is certain that there are many who will be interested in it . . . It is the wish of the editors that it will be greeted with the same spirit which made possible its present success and that future classes will find in it an incentive to carry on the pleasant duty of preserving the traditions of
their Alma Mater.”

By virtue of their timely focus, yearbooks are usually issued at the end of an academic cycle, but take several months to produce in order to: “. . . record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school.” Publications of this type had their ancestral origins in self-created student diaries, journals, and scrapbooks especially when it came to pasting snapshots, news clippings, cards, etc. and writing marginalia notes to accompany these artifacts. This personalized means of autobiographical expression became the general inspiration for the concept of school yearbooks in the modern sense and memorializing connections between a student and their
institutional ties as a result. The “White and Blue” was no exception. When it came to the Seton Hall approach in yearbook creation and looking at its legacy those digitized and found in the Digital Collections repository include the “White and Blue” (1924-1933, 1939, 1941-1942) and “Galleon” (1940, 1947-2006) in full text. However, due to financial issues and World War II no annual was produced during the years 1934-1938 and 1943-1946 respectively while the last edition featured is a combination of the 2002-2006 in one volume to honor the Sesquicentennial of the school.

Various Covers of the Seton Hall College/University White & Blue/Galleon, 1940s-50s

The overall and specific appearance of each edition of the Seton Hall-produced yearbook from the “White and Blue” through the “Galleon” periods alike varied each time as depicted by the preferred graphics, font type, jargon, period humor, photographic poses, and other illustrative
choices that distinguished this specialized tome over time including such early loose themes as – “Collegiate Humor,” “Egyptian Motifs,” and “Medieval Learning” among others of note. After the final format for each edition was approved it was remitted to a professional publishing firm.
The first partnership made was with the Colyer Printing Company of Newark (1924-1933, 1947) and followed in sequence by publishing/printing concerns including Robert W. Kelly of New York City (1939); New City “Engravatone” of Union City (1940-1941); Baker-Jones-Hauser, Inc.
of New York City (1942); Campus Publishing of Philadelphia (1948-1949); and Progress Associates, Inc. of Caldwell (1950-55) leading up to the commemorative Centennial Edition of 1956.

From this landmark text onward, other professional publishers were employed and adopted the responsibility by working in tandem with various official local photography studios over the years in conjunction via the editorial team and publisher to create a finished product that is viewable in the electronic copies found on this site. In terms of size, page lengths varied from the first edition of 1924 that featured 78 inside pages and grew to most subsequent volumes featuring no less than a few hundred glossy sheets as a standard over time. The physical dimensions of each yearbook has also varied over the years with the most compact being the 1925 edition (8’ x 10”) and the 1974 and 1976 boxed editions (approx. 9 ½” x 12 ½” each) the largest with most other latter-day copies measuring the standard 9 ¼” x 12 ¼” extent.

The characteristic appearance features a traditional facing page approach with content bound within a hard cover (aside from the 1924 which was all paper) as the typically accepted template. Production usually consisted of a two-color (usually black and blue text with black and white photography) approach from 1925-1947 and multi-color editions eventually became
the accepted pattern from 1948 through 2006.

Various covers of the Seton Hall University Galleon, 1980s

From a research standpoint, the Seton Hall yearbook remains a popular social history reference work that provides latter-day readers and family historians in particular with life in a prescribed time period. It also fosters memories and is a marker for those interested in historical research
and student demographic trends. On the sociological front, formally published yearbooks are becoming extinct in the traditional sense as social media and other means of presentation have modernized the process of student expression and memorialization.

As you can see upon reading different editions of the Seton Hall yearbook, the content offerings have changed from a balance of textual and photographic representation during the first six decades to a more photographic-based volume each year from the 1960s through the early-mid 2000s. At its core, the lasting need for such information is pointed out in the pages of the Diamond Jubilee History of 1931, whereby the value of the school yearbook was timely upon publication and remains manifest upon reflection. “The publication of a Year Book or ‘Annual’ by the graduating class has in recent years become a regular part of a college activity. Such a book is to the members of the class a permanent record of their achievements while in college, and a source of happy reminiscences in later life . . . Each succeeding issue of the “White and Blue” (and “The Galleon”) has been enlarged and improved in one way or another . . . ” which will benefit the reader of today and the future alike.

Various Covers of the Seton Hall University Galleon, 1990s-2006

Access to the digitized collection of Seton Hall Yearbooks can be found via the following link –  https://scholarship.shu.edu/yearbooks/  Hard copies of the Yearbook can be accessed via the Archives & Special Collections Center during office hours and by appointment.

For more information regarding yearbook content and all other aspects of school history please feel free to contact us via the Archives & Special Collections Center at Seton Hall University – Alan.Delozier@shu.edu / (973) 275-2378.

Seton Hall 150 Years Ago – 1870

When looking back at the nation and world 150 years ago there were many memorable milestones that have since shaped society in various ways.  These included the start of construction on the Brooklyn Bridge, enactment of the 15th amendment to the United States Constitution allowing African American males the right to vote, and Pius IX declared papal infallibility in matters of faith and morals among others.  On the local front, Seton Hall College was in the process of celebrating its 14th anniversary of operations and tenth on the South Orange campus with its eye to future development as a modest, but growing institution of higher education.

The student catalog(ue) for that year noted that the campus proper: “ . . . is situated near the village of South Orange, distant, by railroad, sixteen and a half miles from New York, and six and a half from Newark: accessible from New York in about an hour.  The College buildings are of great architectural beauty, large and commodious, thoroughly ventilated, well heated by steam, and lighted by gas.  In addition to the buildings represented in the frontispiece, a large stone home has been erected for the Sisters and servants the Wardrobes and Infirmaries . . . The location is upon high ground, overlooking a beautiful country.  The Orange Mountains have long been recommended by physicians as a most favorable residence for their patients.  For years past, the advantages of the surrounding country, for breath, extensive view, and proximity to New York, have been fully appreciated; hence the villas and mansions on every eligible site for miles around.”  This presented the incoming student with a helpful overview of their surroundings and vista if they stayed to experience the entire seven year curriculum in vogue at that time.

Rev. Michael A. Corrigan, Fourth President of Seton Hall

Counted among the administrative highlights during this year included the bishopric of James Roosevelt Bayley, first leader of the Diocese of Newark and founder of Seton Hall along with the fourth president of the college, Rev. Michael A. Corrigan, who would later become Archbishop of New York.  Invaluable support was provided by clergy, lay teachers, and representatives from the Sisters of Charity who tended the infirmary.  They were ever cognizant that: “. . . the object of the Institution is to impart a good education, in the highest sense of the word – to train the moral, intellectual and physical being.  The health, manners, and morals of the pupils are an object of constant attention.  The system of government is mild and paternal, yet firm in enforcing the observance of established discipline . . . The better to carry our the design of the Institution . . . For this reason, it is expedient that parents who wish to accrue, places for their sons in SETON HALL should make early application.”  These spiritual and academic mentors managed a diverse student body that not only featured learners from New Jersey and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, but also from such locales as Alabama, Louisiana, and abroad from Cuba, Colombia, New Grenada, and the Yucatan.

When it came to preparation for college life, each budding student had to arrive in South Orange with the following required articles if they were to be boarding on campus:  “ . . . four summer and three winter suits.  He should also have twelve shirts, twelve pairs of stockings, twelve pocket handkerchiefs, six towels, six napkins, three pairs of shoes or boots, a pair of slippers a cloak or overcoat, and two silver spoons, two forks, and a napkin-ring, all marked with his name.”  In terms of expenses, the board and tuition, use of bed and bedding, $400 per annum, payable half-yearly, in advance.  Washing and mending of clothes and linen, $20.  Physician’s fees medicines, etc., $10, Music, $60, and drawing, $50 per annum, for those who wish to learn them.  For use of Piano, $10 per annum.  The German, Italian, and Spanish Languages, each $25 per annum.  Each of these costs represented a substantial investment by parents and students alike prior to the greater inflation associated with expenditures found in the present day.

Once the student were on campus they encountered an academic year that consisted of two sessions of five months each, commences on the first Wednesday of September, and ends on the last Wednesday of June at which time there was a public Exhibition and Distribution of Premiums.  At Christmas there was a vacation of ten days; and in the spring, absence for a day or two will be allowed, when necessary, for the summer equipment of the students.  At no other time were they permitted to leave the College, except for reasons of great importance.  The regular visiting day for parents was on Thursdays.  In addition, weekly reports of all the classes are read before the Professors, Tutors, and Students.  Monthly reports are sent to the parents or guardians.  Below you will find a copy of the academic year calendar that each student followed per term . . .

When it came to the “Fundamental Rules of Discipline” which guided student conduct, this showed the correct ways from staying out of trouble and maintaining decorum among the student body.  These guidelines included the following examples: “The Rules of the College require of all Students a manly bearing and kind, courteous deportment towards each other at all times; application to study during the hours of study, and the through preparation and recitation of the lessons assigned . . . No Student ever leaves the College grounds without permission . . . Leaving the College grounds after nightfall subjects the Student to expulsion . . . The use of tobacco is forbidden . . . No other books other than text-books and works of reference recommended by the Professors can be held by the Students, unless by permission of the President . . . Students are not allowed to receive newspapers, except for their Reading-room, which is under the direction of the President . . . Correspondence is permitted only with parents, guardians, and relatives . . . “  These limitations and other items were part of the student experience along with making sure they paid close attention to their physical health through visits to the college gymnasium and the required classrooms to attend to their proscribed study schedules.  This summary provides but a capsule look at the life encountered by the Setonian of 1870.

For more details about Seton Hall during the 1870s digitized Student Catalog(ue)s and Bulletins can be consulted via our eRepository site at – https://scholarship.shu.edu/undergraduate_catalogues/  and for other queries concerning University History you can e-mail us at – Archives@shu.edu for more information.  Thank you for your interest.

Louis Firth – First Graduate of Setonia

We are currently poised to celebrate the latest Seton Hall commencement in creative ways during this time of COVID-19, but even without a formal communal ceremony we are proud to honor the graduates of the Class of 2020 nonetheless.  We offer them congratulations, but also pause to remember several thousand others who received degrees from Seton Hall over the last few centuries.  In looking back at the history of school commencement exercises and alumni rolls, a common question often arises.  Have you ever wondered who was the first individual to receive a diploma from the Seton Hall?  The answer takes us back to 1862 when a young man by the name of Louis Firth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and became the first to set a trend that lasts to the present day.

When Louis Firth crossed the Hudson River to New Jersey from his New York City home to attend Seton Hall College as a freshman in 1857 he knew that a seven-year academic journey (Prep and College divisions were combined at this time) that a unique intellectual awakening awaited him.  What he experienced followed a set of prescribed and orderly goals that he and his fellow Setonians took to heart: “The object of the Institution is to impart a good education in the highest sense of the word – to train the moral, intellectual, and physical being.  The health, manners, and morals of the pupils, are an object of constant attention.  The system of government is mild and paternal, yet firm in enforcing the observance of established discipline.  No pupil will be received from another College without unexceptional testimonials, and none will be retained, whose manners and morals are not satisfactory.”

After graduation, Firth moved back to New York City and lived most of his life at West 37th Street in Manhattan as one of a growing number of alumni who remained in the metropolitan area. In an interview conducted during the early 20th century, Firth opened up to the local press about his days at Seton Hall and some of the memorable figures he encountered during his halcyon days on campus.

Early in the article the reporter noted that: “Mr. Firth who is hale and hearty and as active as a man twenty years his junior, paid a tribute to the work of the first president (Father Bernard McQuaid) when the college was at Madison, where he first saw him in 1857, and at South Orange when the college was established there.”  Of Reverend McQuaid, Firth marveled at his “vigor” and went on to recount that: “. . . this remarkable man had a wonderful influence over the boys at college . . . the holy and learned men with which he surrounded himself and taught us imparted the qualities which fit a man to live.  Character was formed at Seton Hall, because of the environment.”

Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid, President of Seton Hall College (1856-57 and 1859-68)

When it came to recollecting his graduation day, Firth colorfully illustrated the scene and his creativity in marking this historical day . . .

“The first commencement exercises were held on an improvised stage built under the trees just east of the present college buildings.  There were but a small number present, as South Orange was but a hamlet, and there were no cars to Newark.  Through a prank played by the boys a few nights before commencement day, I came very near not being the first graduate of the college.  It happened in this way: The college bell rang every morning at 4 o’clock, and the farmers for miles around roe by it.  One night we planned to ring it at 2 o’ clock instead, and after setting the college clock two hours fast, I was selected to pull the rope.  I did it, and hustled back to bed.  The college prefect, whose duty it was to ring the bell, appeared just then, looked at the clock and went about his early morning work, wondering all the while how the bell rung.  The farmers were awakened and started in to do a day’s work.  Needless to say, when the sun did not rise at the appointed time, watches were compared, and the faculty decided that a prank had been played.”   Needless to say that despite the “time change” Firth managed to make it to the ceremony and receive his honor due.  A full overview of the ceremony can be viewed below . . .

For more information on the 1862 academic year  and other early 19th century details featuring studies at Seton Hall please consult our Undergraduate Catalog(ue) links found via the Archives & Special Collections – eRepository site at – https://scholarship.shu.edu/archives/    We are also available to assist with information on commencement ceremonies along with other research questions concerning Seton Hall and we can be reached via e-mail at:  Archives@shu.edu