Seton Hall University History Book & University Libraries Support

The recent release of the book entitled: Seton Hall University, A History, 1856-2006. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2023) by Dr. Dermot Quinn is a detailed work that commemorates the development of our institution over its first 150 years of operation. This work is the detailed product of the documentary vision achieved by Dr. Quinn which required the central usage of primary resources housed within the University Libraries and the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center in particular. Dr. Quinn noted that our libraries were his “second home” while in the process of researching and writing this volume.

Dermot Quinn is a professor of history at Seton Hal University. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and New College, Oxford, his books include Understanding Northern Ireland (Manchester: Baseline Books, 1993), Patronage and Piety: English Roman Catholics and Politics 1850-1900 (Stanford CA: Stanford University Press, 1993), and The Irish in New Jersey: Four Centuries of American Life (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2004).

As Dr. Quinn wrote in the opening sequence of this tome which provides a helpful introduction to the Story of Setonia: “In 1856 James Roosevelt Bayley, Roman Catholic Bishop of Newark, founded a school in Madison, New Jersey, calling it Seton Hall College in honor of his aunt, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton. The name was a gesture of piety and a statement of intent. By honoring the greatest promoter of Catholic schools in early nineteenth century America, Bayley wished to continue her work of building American Catholicism through education, charity, and moral instruction. . . . Seton Hall was the seed and fruit of his vision. In the thin soil of mid-Victorian New Jersey Catholicism, he built more than a school. He built a people. . . Bayley’s faith in the progressive value of education, in the pious purposes of Catholic schools, in the powerful generosity of poor people, had to do with the future. . . “ (Quinn, Dermot. Seton Hall University, A History 1856-2006, 1.)

Image of James Roosevelt Bayley, First Bishop of Newark (1814-77). Source: Setonian Diamond Anniversary History of Seton Hall College, 1931

In regard to advance praise, the publisher’s note found on the book jacket of this work expresses the following feelings regarding the effort of Dr. Quinn: “In this vivid and elegantly written history, Dermot Quinn examines how Seton Hall was able to develop as an institution while keeping faith with its founder’s vision. Looking at the men and women who made Seton Hall what it is today, he paints a compelling picture of a university that has enjoyed its share of triumphs but has also suffered tragedy and loss. He shows how it was established in an age of prejudice and transformed in the aftermath of war, while exploring how it negotiated between a distinctly Roman Catholic identity and a mission to include Americans of all faiths.”

When it comes to the size of this volume and the usage of resources perspective from various University Libraries sources total 560 pages total with 60 of those accounting for endnotes that specifically credit each of the sources that represent background information found within the pages of this volume.

Image of the first campus site for Seton Hall College in Madison, New Jersey, 1856-60. Source: Seton Hall University Libraries E-Repository

The University Libraries features copies of the book available for review or checkout from Walsh Library under the LC Call Number: LD4931.S32 Q56 2023. More information on the book proper can be found via the following link = Quinn, Dermot. Seton Hall University, A History 1856-2006

Additional information can be found in the near future within our E-Repository as well –  E-Repository = Quinn, Dermot. Seton Hall University, A History 1856-2006

Resources to aid your own journey through Seton Hall University can be found within the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center = Monsignor William Noe’ Field Archives & Special Collections Center and through our University History Library Guide = Seton Hall University History Library Guide

Please stay tuned as we plan to have more recognition of this book and the work of Dr. Quinn during the Fall 2023 semester.

Need help? Book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site

Happy Reading and “Hazard Zet Forward!”

Seton Hall Universit Pep Rally. Source: Galleon Yearbook, Seton Hall University, 1951

The Éire of Library Exploration

March is Irish Heritage Month. With this observance in mind and at hand, there are an abundance of resources to share with you.

We are delighted to announce the successful conclusion of our Irish history project at the archives which was generously funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Irish Immigrant Solidarity in New Jersey, 1870-Present.  This project hired an advanced graduate student in Library Science, Quinn Christie, to process the papers of several Irish fraternal organizations.  The cornerstone of the project was processing the papers of the historian of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, John Concannon.  This enormous collection of 120 linear feet (120 banker’s boxes of materials) had to be rehoused in archival boxes and folders, organized in a logical way and described so that researchers could find what they were looking for by a simple keyword search.  In addition, a collection of 63 fragile registers which recorded the membership records of the Knights of Columbus, had to be preserved, which entailed building custom size boxes for each one from archival materials.

Example of St. Patrick’s Day Historical Resources found in our Special Collections

Our project archivist was so efficient that she completed this work ahead of schedule, allowing time for her and her colleague Sean Cureton to digitize substantial portions of the collections, build digital exhibits, and create a display window just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.  In the end, over 1,200 files were digitized, comprising almost 29 GB of data.  The digitized materials can be found by exploring the finding aids here:

The Papers of John Concannon and the Ancient Order of the Hibernians

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/500

James MacFarland Collection

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/505

Ancient Order of the Hibernians – New Jersey Collection

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/506

Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of America – New Jersey Chapter

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/507

James Comerford Papers

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/508

Gloria Schneider Papers

https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/510

Please visit our digital exhibits:

Irish-American Organizations: The Power of Connection by Quinn Christie

James Comerford: Irish American History and Culture by Sean Cureton

“Irish American Organizations and Political Advocacy Exhibit.” Window Gallery, Walsh Library

And stop by the first floor of Walsh Library to see our window exhibit!

In addition, a vast selection of information resources can be found related to Ireland “Éire” within the Seton Hall University Libraries.

Publications related to the Irish experience cover a wide range of specific topics including culture, history, literature, and religion to name just a few of the interesting themes that await discovery.

You are welcome to access our Library Guide as a starting point for specific Ireland and American Irish-centered content . . .

Ireland & American Irish Studies

We also feature a specialized research site dedicated to Irish Literature created and maintained by Professor Gerry Shea . . .

Irish Literature: Celtic Revival to Present

The Irish have been a popular subject for study on our campus for decades and we have featured specific aspects of our collections within past news stories published over the years. Please feel free to explore more specific highlights found within our archived blog entries . . .

Irish Featured Research Blog Posts – University Libraries

Irish Featured Research Blog Posts – Archives & Special Collections Center

Example of Irish inspired Cover Art representing various volumes found in our Irish-Themed Book Collections

“Happy Reading” or “Sásta Taighde!”

Need more help? Book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presidential Research and Information Resources

The Seton Hall University Libraries contain numerous articles, books, reports, and primary sources that cover the span of the American Presidency from 1789 through the present day. Our electronic resources are accessible both on-campus and remotely alike.

A good place to start is our Presidential Research Library Guide created by Assistant Dean for Public Services, Lisa De Luca that can be accessed here:

Presidential Research Library Guide

While that link is a recommended starting place for presidential history within this country, any search can be modified for individual aspects of the office, historical legacy, individual figures from George Washington to Joseph Biden and all in-between which can be found through the Seton Hall University Libraries catalog using the keyword – “President*” to begin your query:

University Libraries Home Page

Senate Bill Recognizing President’s Day and the Birthday of George Washington, 1878. (National Archives Image)

Additionally, book titles related to Presidential Studies can be found through the following site link to compliment

Presidential Book Titles – University Libraries Catalog

Did you know the archives holds the diary of Bernard Shanley, advisor to President Eisenhower?  This diary provides an incredibly detailed account of the president’s activities and meetings.  It sheds particular light on the relationship between Joseph McCarthy and President Eisenhower.  The 400+ page diary has been completely digitized, thanks to a grant from the National Archives, and can be accessed through the Shanley Collection Finding Aid.  Parts of the collection that have not been digitized can be seen in the Special Collections Reading Room.

We also provide information related to the broader of Political Science maintained by Professor Michael Murphy. Our specialized Library Guide maintained by Professor Murphy covers civil-based and leadership subject matter in broader detail and is readily available to our research community.

Political Science Library Guide

Need more help? Book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site

American Flag Border (National Archives Image)

First Native American Poet Laureate Joy Harjo

Image of inscribed book by Joy Harjo
Inscribed copy of She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo in Walsh Library

Did you know that Seton Hall’s rare book collection contains poetry by Native American authors?  There is an inscribed copy of one of the early books of the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo, in Walsh Library’s Rare Book collection.  The book is titled She Had Some Horses and the inscription reads “for Penny and Bill, in strength and in beauty.”  This refers to William Higginson and his wife, who founded From Here Press in Patterson, New Jersey.  Higginson, a specialist in haiku, donated his incredible collection of poetry books to Seton Hall in 2013.

An alto saxophonist and artist as well as poet, Harjo breaks boundaries in many aspects of her work.  Influenced by jazz and blues as well as by her Cree heritage and poetic predecessors such as Audre Lorde, Harjo’s poetry reflects on loss, survival, and the limitations of language itself.

Learn more about her work and her life.

Special Collections Receives $19,872 Grant from New Jersey Historical Commission

The Monsignor William Noe Field Archives and Special Collections has received a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission to process its collections documenting Irish immigrant history. The project, titled “Irish Immigrant Solidarity in New Jersey, 1870-Present,” will organize and preserve an enormous collection of papers donated to the archives by John Concannon, the historian of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, as well as three smaller collections: records of the Montclair chapter of the Knights of Columbus, the papers of James McFarland which document the activities of the Trenton branch of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, and the records of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians from Bergen County and Rahway. These records build on Seton Hall’s long history of engagement with Irish American culture to illustrate the communal bonds that supported these immigrants as they built new lives in America. Immigrant history is a particular strength of Seton Hall’s Special Collections, and this grant will assist the archives in the preservation of this history for future generations, as well as sharing it with students and faculty today.

New Research Procedures in Special Collections

Starting in the Fall semester of 2021, the Archives and Gallery (Special Collections) will operate out of a single reception space at the front desk of Walsh Gallery. Here’s the entrance to Walsh Gallery:

Walsh Gallery Entrance

Visitors looking for both archival and museum materials, as well as individuals with appointments in the department, or researchers looking for rare books or Archdiocesan materials will come here to be directed to where they need to go. Here’s the reception desk:

Gallery Welcome Desk

The Archives Reading Room will remain open by appointment only.  Researchers needing to consult with archival documents or view museum objects will be able to make an appointment to see materials.  The Archives Reading Room will also continue to host classes incorporating archival materials.  Additionally, events centered around Seton Hall’s museum and archives collections may take place in the Reading Room.

Welcome back to campus!  We look forward to seeing you during the 2021-2022 academic year!

Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month

Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month! Chelsea Barrett, Business Librarian / Africana Studies Liaison, in partnership with Sarah Ponichtera, Assistant Dean for Special Collections & the Gallery, have compiled a list of information on Caribbean American culture, life, and history.

Resources
A Proclamation on National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2021
President Joseph Biden’s statement on Caribbean Heritage Month where he speaks on the importance of Caribbean Americans, including Vice President Kamala Harris and honoring others that have contributed to the nation’s progression.

Caribbean American Heritage Month: Caribbean History and Culture
The U.S. Department of the Interior highlighted information on Caribbean History and Culture from a governmental perspective. See information on Caribbean-related legislation, Caribbean demographics, music, food and much more!

Archives and Special Collections
The SHU Archives and Special Collections would like to highlight MSS 36, The Cause of Pierre Toussaint.  This collection documents the activism of two individuals who sought to have Pierre Toussaint, the 18th century Haitian American former slave turned New York philanthropist buried at St. Patrick’s, canonized as a saint.  The collection includes letters of these individuals to figures in the Catholic Church, including Archbishops and the Pope advocating for this cause, photographs of his former burial place and re-burial at St. Patrick’s, and poems written in support of the cause. The materials are mainly from the 1990s.

Interested in this collection? Visit our finding aid for more information.

If you are interested in viewing the original materials, feel free to make an appointment with the SHU Archives and Special Collections.

Read
Interested in some Caribbean Reads? View our book display here and feel free to send recommendations!! Caribbean American Heritage Month Virtual Display

Watch
PBS – Caribbean American Heritage Month

Research Help & Resources
Africana Studies Librarians-send an email or schedule a chat!
Africana Studies GuideCaribbean Page

Social Media
Follow the SHU West Indian Student Organization on Instagram for amazing Caribbean content! @shu_wiso

Follow Seton Hall University Libraries on social media for Caribbean American posts, updates and much more! Instagram · Twitter · Facebook

Blog post by Chelsea Barrett, Business Librarian / Africana Studies Liaison.

Call for Fellows: Data Visualizations Using the D’Argenio Collection

Call for Fellows: Data Visualizations Using the D’Argenio Collection

          • Seton Hall University – University Libraries (Fall 2021)
          • Application Deadline: July 15, 2021
          • Fellowship Period: Fall 2021

Background

Seton Hall University Libraries support excellence in academic and individual work, enable inquiry, foster intellectual and ethical integrity and respect for diverse points of view through user-focused services and robust collections as the intellectual and cultural heart of the University.  Walsh Gallery, based in the Library, manages the University’s museum collections, and the Library’s Data Services division assists the University community in managing and presenting their data.

One of Seton Hall University’s most distinguished collections, the D’Argenio Collection of Coins and Antiquities, includes coins of ancient Greece, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and Byzantium as well as a small collection of related Byzantine and Etruscan artifacts: oil lamps, game pieces, weights and terra cotta figurines. Donor Ron D’Argenio became interested in ancient coins when taking courses in Greek drama and history as an undergraduate at Fordham University in the 1970’s. In 2001, he generously donated his collection to Seton Hall University in memory of his father, Rinaldo J. D’Argenio, who served in World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star for his valor. Ron D’Argenio is a practicing attorney working in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The collection is available for study and research by students and scholars.

Data Services offers consultations to SHU community members assisting them with every stage of a data project from conceptualization, to choosing tools, to data analysis, to sharing results.  Find more on the tools supported here: https://library.shu.edu/data-services.

Request for Proposals

The University Libraries seeks fellowship proposals using the Ron D’Argenio Collection as the basis for projects in the following two areas:

          • Classics, Art History or History : a scholar from one of these fields, a related field or interdisciplinary scholar who would be able to analyze the collection in its historical context and add to our knowledge of the objects.
          • Data Visualization: a specialist in data visualization, who would be able to create – in conversation with the humanities scholar (above) – an interactive visual representation of the collection that would allow users to explore the objects by interpreting and presenting the data in a number of ways (see all the coins within a certain date range, or all coins from a particular region, for example).

Specialists who have at minimum completed all coursework for the the terminal degree in their area are invited to propose research projects that fall under one or both of the above areas. Preference will go to the strongest applications that are both feasible for this collection and our technology infrastructure. All projects should incorporate the Ron D’Argenio Collection of Coins and Antiquities.  The final product for the Classics/Art History/History scholar would take the form of a short (5-7 page) written report interpreting the collection which would additionally be shared with the University community as an article or lecture.  The Data Visualization scholar would be responsible for producing a data visualization project which would be publicly presented on the University Libraries website and the process of creation described in an article or lecture.  Beyond the duration of the fellowship, the work of both fellows will inform future initiatives with the collection.

You can view a small portion of the Ron D’Argenio Collection of Coins and Antiquities on our Google Arts and Culture page or you may make a research appointment to gather additional data and/or view the collection by contacting us at walshgallery@shu.edu or 973-275-2033.

Terms/Eligibility for Fellowships

Scholars who at minimum have completed all coursework for the terminal degree in their field may apply.  Work can be performed remotely for the most part.  Access to the collections on site is conducted in a socially distanced environment compliant with all recommendations aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.  The University Libraries will provide each fellow with access to its library databases and resources, accounts in and support for the data software available, an email address and access to Microsoft Teams software for collaboration and Sharepoint for storage space.  Fellows will be expected to give a presentation or write an article on their project to share with the University community by the fall of 2022.

Fellows will be paid a stipend of $2,500 for projects that focus on one of the two areas. Half will be paid on award, half on project completion.  Applicants may propose a project that incorporates both Classical scholarship and data visualization for a combined $5000 to be disbursed in the same way.

Procedures

Submit a single pdf including the following components as an email attachment to library@shu.edu :

          • an application cover sheet (which includes your name, project title, contact information and a short bio.
          • a two-page statement (roughly 500 words), describing your research project and its relation to the Ron D’Argenio Collection of Coins and Antiquities, in which you explain how it fits into your past research (if applicable) and future plans.
          • a curriculum vitae
          • a recent example of scholarship

Notifications

Submissions must be received by July 15, 2021. Applicants will be notified by September 1, 2021. Research should take place in the fall of 2021, and the project results (written work or data visualization) completed by May 31, 2022. The lecture or article on the project should take place in the spring or fall of 2022. Please contact Sarah Ponichtera, Assistant Dean of Special Collections and the Gallery at sarah.ponichtera@shu .edu with any questions.

50 Years Later, Msgr. Fahy’s Inaugural Address Foreshadows Issues of Today

Guest Blog Post By Angela Kariotis Kotsonis

 

Portrait of Msgr Fahy with books and a basketball hoop
Portrait of Monsignor Fahy by John Canfield, untitled publication by the Seton Hall Office of Public Relations, 1976, held the Priest Vertical Files of the Archdiocese of Newark, Box 24

I learned about Monsignor Fahy in the spring semester of 2018. It was at an intergenerational panel discussion at the Walsh Library of former Seton Hall student-activist leaders. The event was organized by the Concerned 44, an activated student group. The panel discussion was a teach-in about the history of protest on Seton Hall’s campus and discussion about the progress of the then student movement. You can follow the Concerned 44 on Instagram. If it weren’t for this panel discussion I would not have learned about President Fahy and I’d still be pronouncing Fahy Hall wrong. As an alumna, I can’t help but be angry that it took this long. I became more interested and invited colleagues into the journey of getting to know Fahy.

Alan Delozier, University Archivist, did the work to uncover the Fahy Inaugural address which is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. The CORE has integrated the speech as a required reading for the Journey of Transformations course. And this article intends to showcase a digital

Newspaper Clipping of Msgr Fahy with Black Studies faculty
Monsignor Fahy with the leadership of the Black Studies Program, Newark Star Ledger, April 21, 1975

communal reading of the text as an activist performance practice. The point of the project is to position the text and its ethos as a cultural imprint on our collective memory. To me, Fahy is a white anti-racist abolitionist ancestor who risked and used his power to benefit others. Social justice is a term we’re hearing a lot. What is it? How do you define it? What does it look like? Everyone will have a different answer. I define it as: righting a wrong. If it doesn’t right a wrong, it is not justice. Not only did Fahy leverage his power to right a wrong with some of the most impactful undertakings of Seton Hall’s history but he acknowledged the problem. Often, we rush to solutions without first doing the self interrogation to name the problem. He used this moment, his inaugural address, when everyone was listening and we’re still listening 50 years later. 

The video, this collective recitation, brings many voices together for one message. Faculty and students, separate, but together. It carves a lineage. There are protests now as there were 50 years ago. In the streets and on our campus. 

Greg Iannarella offers insight into what moved him to gravitate toward one of the most unwavering parts of Fahy’s speech, “This section always felt really powerful to me. The description, the intentional language, invoking real scenes and real communities, conjuring the people! It’s a moment where he turns the gaze outward and challenges the audience to see what is relevant.”

Participants were encouraged to think about their location as a backdrop. These choices offer additional meaning and subtext. Virtual performance lets us become our own set designers. Brooke Duffy presented her portion outside of a new school. “It is a public elementary school in Teaneck that was recently renamed for Theodora Smiley Lacey, a civil rights activist, ‘living legend.’ The NorthJersey.com website describes, ‘it was because of her efforts that Teaneck became the first city in the United States to voluntarily integrate its public schools.’”

Program of Monsignor Fahy's Inaugural Address
Program of Monsignor Fahy’s Inaugural Address, October 14, 1970, from the Priest Vertical Files held by the Archdiocese of Newark, Box 24.

This isn’t the last we’ll hear of Fahy’s address. Jon Radwan describes a new participatory oral history project designed to ensure access, inclusion, and equity in its research process to document and preserve the entirety of this part of the University’s history. “We are confident that the Inaugural Address is only the beginning of learning about Msgr. Fahy’s social justice leadership. Our recent proposal to the New Jersey Council for the Humanities seeks funding for a large scale oral history project. We plan to contact alumni, faculty, and administrators who worked closely with Fahy to record their stories about SHU’s collaboration with Newark activists to launch the Black Studies Center.” To support this project please contact Angela Kariotis and Jon Radwan.

Centering historical figures creates their own mythology. Retrospectives are not without their limitations. But there are so few white allies to look up to for this work. Allies must dig deep, activating themselves, stepping into their consciousness. We can extend the Fahy legacy and course correct. Like 50 years ago, it is a transformative yet fragile time. We must have the will to meet it. 

Get to Know the Library Staff! Jacquelyn Deppe

Jacquelyn Deppe is a Special Collections Assistant here at Walsh Library. She works in the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives and Special Collections Center and is a jack of all trades. She works on numerous projects including helping people with their genealogy research, copy-cataloging rare books and publications, processing collections, and does the bulk of the library’s design and social media work, in addition to anything else that comes up!

How long have you been working at the library?

As a full-time employee, I’ve been working in the Archives and Special Collections Center since 2018 (2 years) but technically, I’ve been here since 2014 (6 years) when I started out as a Student Worker.

 

What was the last book you read that you really enjoyed? 

I don’t remember and to be honest, I haven’t picked up a book to read leisurely since I started my Masters of Information program at Rutgers University. Hopefully, that’ll change once I’m finished in January 2021 (fingers crossed and knock on wood) but we’ll see, I have plans to pursue a second Masters from Seton Hall University.

 

What is the best way to rest / decompress? 

Either trail running or going for long difficult hikes up mountains and/or through the woods next to streams, brooks, rivers and/or lakes and ponds that are rather lightly travelled. I have not seen a bear yet even though I have apparently walked right by them. However, I can spot other critters including little bitty lizards munching on crickets!

 

What is something most people don’t know about you? 

I work downstairs.

 

Are you a morning person or a night owl? 

Both! I can wake up a 4am and/or stay up to and well past midnight.

 

What’s one ingredient you put in everything? 

I have a very limited diet due to various food sensitivities (gluten, soy, etc.) but one ingredient I put on almost everything is cheese (even though I’m lactose intolerant)!