Seton Hall University - Galleon Yearbook (South Orange, NJ)

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CHAPEL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION $5

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A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SETON HALL It is a great point then to enlarge the range of studies which a University professes, even for the sake of the students; and, though they cannot pursue every subject which is open to them, they will be the gainers by living among those who represent the whole circle — Cardinal Newman. Halfway through the twentieth century, Seton Hall has expanded into the largest Catholic college on the continent of North America and is within grasp of its ultimate goal of a university status. The class of 1950 is the largest ever graduated in its ninety-four year history. Seton Hall had a meager, impoverished beginning in 1856, just four years after John Henry, Cardinal Newman had delivered his series of lectures on the “Idea of a University” in Dublin. The Most Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, first bishop of Newark, named the college in honor of his aunt, Mother Elizabeth Seton, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. Its original location was a small building on the grounds of the mother house at Madison. Through the untiring efforts of Bishop Bayley and the Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid, first president of the college, the early obstacles of location and finances were eventually overcome. The young diocese, itself working on meager funds and a loan from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith of France, furnished the monies needed by the college for its translation. With that aid, the Bishop and Father McQuaid set out to purchase a more suitable site for Seton Hall. The Rev. William F. Marshall, later the president of Seton Hall himself, probably best described the acquisition in a document which is still available: One bright day in the early spring of 1860, Bishop Bayley and Father McQuaid were returning from a long drive over the Orange hills from what had been a fruitless search for a location for the new college; . . . when Bishop Bavley’s attention was attracted to .a large, white marble villa, surrounded by superb grounds and stately trees. For Father McQuaid, to will was to accomplish . . . and despite several obstacles, it was not long before the prop- erty was bought and the deed transferred to Bishop Bayley. Recognition from the state of New Jersey was quick in coming once the college had moved its location to South Orange and had proved its worth to the community. On March 8, 1861, the Legislature passed an act to incorpo- rate Seton Hall College, and empowered her to confer all degrees granted by any other college in the state, including the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. With the passage of that act, the way was cleared completely for Seton Hall to grow and develop, and to fulfill its two-fold purpose of supplying priests to labor in the diocese of Newark, and of providing a cultured and educated laity for the advancement of the Church in America. The history of Seton Hall College from 1861 to the present day is one of continuous growth and progress. She was indeed fortunate in having as an original trustee, Orestes A. Brownson, one of the leading political scientists of the day, known and respected by the whole nation. Brownson, born in Vermont of Protestant stock, had been converted to the Catholic faith. It was he who first proved to the country that a good Catholic not only can be a loyal American, but must necessarily be a good citizen because of his Catholicity. His treatise, “The American Republic,” which is still widely quoted today, did much to further the reputation of the young college. New buildings sprung up in the remaining years of the nineteenth century and although beset by three dis- astrous fires, Seton Hall rose from her ashes each time like the Phoenix of old to scale greater and greater heights. Under the leadership of Rev. James H. Corrigan and later presidents Rev. James F. Mooney and Father Marshall, the education of the laity received more and more emphasis, although that of the clergy was in no way neglected. Athletics were encouraged, as well as scholastics, and through this added medium, the fame of the college spread far and wide. World War I little affected Seton Hall. Then, during the presidency of Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas McLaughlin, the college was accredited by the Middle States Associ- ation of Colleges, and under Msgr. Frank J. Monaghan, the urban division was established in Newark and Jersey City, to provide for those who were unable to accom- modate themselves to the time requirements of the day college. With the advent of the second world conflict, Seton Hall’s sons went off to fight in all branches of the armed forces, leaving on campus only a few students, who for the most part were aspirants to the priesthood. At the end of hostilities an added impetus was given to all college enrollments by the passage of the “G. I. Bill.” The number of students at Seton Hall increased to a new high and a figure certainly undreamed of by Bishop Bayley in 1856 was reached. Msgr. James F. Kelley, then the president, established a program that no qualified student, regardless of race, color, or creed, would he turned away. Many new buildings were erected to provide for the increased amount of students, who realized that Seton Hall gave much more to her sons than mere technical knowledge. Today, under the leadership of the Very Rev. Msgr. John L. McNulty, Seton Hall, the largest Catholic college on the continent of North America, stands ready to move ever forward with strong and active faith. Page 8

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