淫性视频 Founders Reflect on 50 Years

Feature Story

淫性视频 'Founders' Reflect on 50 Years

Community members from 淫性视频's beginning share their stories.

By Meaghan Haugh Resta

groundbreaking in 1970
Frank Farley speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for 淫性视频's campus on  Dec. 9, 1970. Seated from left to right: James Hayward, Magda Leuchter, unidentified man, Richard Bjork, David Taylor, Ralph Dungan, unidentified man, Elizabeth Alton, and Franklin Berry. | Courtesy of Atlantic City Press (now The Press of Atlantic City)

 

Fifty years ago, the vision of expanding educational opportunities to southern New Jersey became a reality when legislation was passed to establish a new college.

Elizabeth Barstow Alton, a founding member of 淫性视频鈥檚 Board of Trustees, and State Sen. Frank S. Farley, are credited for playing an influential role in advocating for the four-year college.

"My grandmother, Elizabeth Alton, fought tirelessly to bring education into South Jersey at a time it so desperately needed it,鈥 explained Karen Alton in the Fall 2016 issue of 淫性视频 Now. 鈥淪he made it her own personal mission in the 1960s to place the next New Jersey college in the southern portion of the state.鈥

Original board of trustees on boat
President Richard E. Bjork, members of the Board of Trustees, and their spouses in the late 1960s. | University Archives

The year, 1969, marked the beginning of many firsts in 淫性视频鈥檚 history. In addition to the historic legislation, 1,600 acres in the Pinelands National Reserve in Galloway Township was selected for the site of new campus, members of the Board of Trustees were appointed and Richard E. Bjork was named the first president of the college.

In 1971, 淫性视频 held its first academic semester at the former Mayflower Hotel in  Atlantic City before opening its new campus in Galloway in January 1972.

During those early years, 淫性视频鈥檚 鈥渇ounders鈥 鈥 the inaugural board and class of students, faculty and staff 鈥 helped shape the direction and essence of the institution. Below are a few perspectives on 淫性视频鈥檚 beginnings, but there are countless more that tell 淫性视频鈥檚 incredible story. As the University approaches its 50th anniversary in 2021, 淫性视频 Now will feature additional testimonials of University students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters in future issues.

BOT members swearing in 1969The Atlantic City Press (now The Press of Atlantic City) newspaper clipping of 淫性视频 Board of Trustees swearing in ceremony in 1969. From left: Sen. Frank S. Farley, David Taylor, Charles Reynolds, Franklin Berry, Elizabeth Alton and James Hayword.  | University Archives

淫性视频鈥檚 Beginnings

David Taylor, a graduate of Princeton University and civil engineer, served on 淫性视频鈥檚 original board. In a recent interview, Taylor explained how Ralph Dungan, New Jersey鈥檚 first Chancellor of Higher Education, had asked him to transfer from the Trenton State College Board to the board for the new college, which became 淫性视频.

鈥淥f all my civic duties, 淫性视频 hands down was my favorite,鈥 said Taylor, who had served on 淫性视频鈥檚 Board for 10 years, including two years as chairman. 鈥淚 felt it was more important and creative than almost any other board. This mattered.鈥

Taylor described the board as a 鈥済ood collection of people," who 鈥渨orked really well together.鈥

鈥淲e got to know each other fairly soon in the process after a couple of meetings and we discussed philosophically how we should set up the college and then we decided to get going. We hired Dick Bjork [as president] and some other people to actually get it started,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e realized that we couldn鈥檛 make the philosophical decisions without having staff on board, developing ideas for us and making suggestions to us.鈥 

David Taylor
David Taylor, a founding member of 淫性视频's Board of Trustees, in his home in Medford, New Jersey. | Photo by Bernie DeLury

Taylor explained that the Galloway location was selected because 淫性视频 was intended to offer a quality institution where students could commute from home and make cultural, intellectual activities available in the area.

Taylor said the most exciting moment during his tenure on the board was 鈥渨hen we opened our doors, when we took in students and had a faculty to teach them.鈥

Life at 淫性视频

As a member of 淫性视频鈥檚 inaugural class at the former Mayflower Hotel, President Harvey Kesselman recalls how the makeup of the first cohort of students and the current events at the time set the energy of the new college.

鈥淭he events were student-driven. There were no RA鈥檚, no complex director 鈥 you were the adult. Those were the times. We opened up in 1971, a third of our students were Vietnam veterans. They had already served in war,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou also had the whole anti-authority movement in the United States. We wanted to be in control of our lives.鈥

Harvey Kesselman teachingHarvey Kesselman teaching in 1977.  | University Archives

That mentality blended with Bjork鈥檚 founding philosophy of student as an adult, which was evident in everything including the curriculum, explained Kessleman.

鈥淔or example, students had substantial authority over their own curriculum," Kessleman said. "There were very, very few requirements at 淫性视频. It was up to the students to figure it out and navigate through with the assistance of a preceptor who was also a faculty member.鈥

Eric Sommer, also a member of the inaugural class and creator of The Argo鈥檚 original masthead, thrived in that type of environment. 鈥淭here was just this explosion of creativity and that carried out to the campus,鈥 he remembers. 鈥淭he environment supported you. There were no restrictions.鈥

Sommer said 淫性视频 鈥渁bsolutely鈥 changed his life and he credits Brooke Larson, who was among the original faculty members.

鈥淢eeting Brooke Larsen was the greatest thing that ever happened to me,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e was an intellectual powerhouse.鈥

Canoe by Lake FredEric Sommer, a member of the inaugural class, is credited for being the namesake of Lake Fred on the Galloway campus. Read more. | Photo by Susan Allen

淫性视频鈥檚 Growth

Since the early years, 淫性视频 has evolved into a nationally ranked, vibrant university. This past fall, the University's enrollment reached 9,621 students. 淫性视频 opened the doors to two new academic buildings on the Galloway campus and a new beachfront campus in Atlantic City.

Taylor said he is amazed by 淫性视频鈥檚 growth.

鈥淢y expectations were more modest than the size and quality of the institution and what it has become,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 amazed by what it is now.鈥

In addition to being part of the inaugural class, Kesselman has had the  to serve in many administrative roles at 淫性视频, which have not only prepared him for his current position as the University鈥檚 president, but have also given him a unique view of 淫性视频鈥檚 history and community.

Kesselman reflected on several threads in 淫性视频鈥檚 DNA that has enabled  the University to move forward and grow.

鈥淲e are extraordinarily resilient as an institution and we almost always come completely together when we are faced with external pressure,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have always had core people with an incredible work ethic.鈥

 

淫性视频 Stories: Looking Back & Moving Forward

50th student interns and facultyIn September 2021, 淫性视频 will celebrate 50 years of teaching excellence. To commemorate this achievement, Professor of British Literature Thomas Kinsella and Professor Emeritus of Literature Ken Tompkins spearheaded the "淫性视频 Stories" project in Spring 2018.

With the help of student interns, Kinsella and Tompkins crafted a website designed to display 淫性视频 yarns and folklore, highlight notable members of the 淫性视频 community and invite viewers to share their own 鈥溡允悠 Stories."

鈥淲e intend to organize [the site] around a dozen contexts that have influenced what we were, what we are and what we will become,鈥 Tompkins explained.

In addition to designing the website, interns were responsible for unearthing and archiving stories in the University's Special Collections, interviewing alumni, creating visuals and much more.  New interns are recruited every semester as part of the course COMM 3916-001.

Some of the content found on the site include: the origin of Lake Fred鈥檚 name, the truth about the first five deans, and the legend of Le Villain, an anonymous phenomenon that used to steal parking tickets off cars in the 1970s. There are videos of Mayflower students sharing memories, montages of 淫性视频 dance throughout the years, and even a stylistic visual of the famous cedar bog in the snow.  There is also an interactive timeline viewers can utilize to travel through 淫性视频鈥檚 chronology, from its construction clearance in 1968 to today.

淫性视频 community members 鈥 both former and current 鈥&苍产蝉辫;are invited to share their stories for the project. If you would like to participate or to learn more, visit .

Pictured from left to right: 淫性视频 50th anniversary co-chairmen and Fall 2018 interns, from left, Melissa Tucker, Thomas Kinsella, Ray Dudo, Travis Nagiewicz, Kat Wentzell, Caroline Linton and Ken Tompkins.

By Kat H. Wentzell '19

 Read more "淫性视频 Stories."

View an interactive timeline of 淫性视频's history.