Centenary University

University in Hackettstown, New Jersey, US

For other institutions of higher education using the name Centenary College, see Centenary College (disambiguation).

Centenary University

Former names

| Centenary Collegiate Institute (1867–1940)
Centenary Junior College (1940–1956)
Centenary College for Women (1956–1976)
Centenary College (1976–2016)[1]
Motto|

Eruditio Vera

Motto in English

| True Learning
Type| Private university
Established| 1867; 158 years ago (1867)
Founder| Jonathan Townley Crane

Religious affiliation

| United Methodist Church
Endowment| $14.4  million (2022) [2]
President| Dale G. Caldwell[3]

Academic staff

| 62 full-time and 150 part-time
Undergraduates| 936
Postgraduates| 462
Location|

Hackettstown

New Jersey

United States

Campus| Suburban, 42 acres (Main Campus),
65 acres (Equestrian Center)
Colors| Centenary Blue and Grey

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division III – Atlantic East
Mascot| Cyclone
Website| www.centenaryuniversity.edu

Centenary Collegiate Institute

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

New Jersey Register of Historic Places

Show map of Warren County, New Jersey

Show map of New Jersey

Show map of the United States

Coordinates| 40°50′57″N 74°49′57″W﻿ / ﻿40.84917°N 74.83250°W﻿ / 40.84917; -74.83250
Area| 4.3 acres (1.7 ha)
NRHP reference No.| 97000564[4]
NJRHP No.| 3496[5]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| June 13, 1997
Designated NJRHP| April 21, 1997

Centenary University is a private university in Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States. Founded as a preparatory school by the Newark Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867,[6] Centenary evolved into a Junior College for women and later a coeducational university.[7]

Situated in suburban Warren County, New Jersey, 52 miles west of New York City, 35 miles southeast of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and 26 miles northeast of Easton, Pennsylvania, the school's main campus is identifiable by the Edward W. Seay Administration Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

The Edward W. Seay Administration Building serves as the university's flagship building with its main offices, classrooms, the Student Activity Center, and a Starbucks cafe.

## History

[edit]

Centenary University was founded as the Centenary Collegiate Institute (CCI) by what was then known as the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867. The name was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Methodism in the United States.[9] It was built for $200,000. George H. Whitney, D.D., was president from 1869 to 1895.[10]

Beginning as a coeducational preparatory school, CCI became a girls-only institution in 1910. In 1940, it became a junior college: Centenary Junior College. It would subsequently become Centenary College for Women in 1956 before becoming Centenary College in 1976, a four-year college for women offering associate and bachelor's degrees, with men allowed to pursue degrees only during night courses. In 1988, men were allowed to attend full-time. In 1995, master's degree programs were introduced.[9] In 2016, Centenary College was granted University status by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.[11]

In 1886, a 19-year-old kitchen worker at CCI named Tillie Smith was "outraged" and murdered in a field just off campus. A janitor at CCI named James Titus was convicted of the crime based on circumstantial evidence strongly influenced by yellow journalism. Authors and historians generally consider this a false conviction, but the debate over the facts continues perennially through dark tourism ghost tours, theatrical performances, books and Weird NJ magazine articles.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

On Halloween night, 1899, the original five-story CCI building burned to the ground in a fire.[18][19] The new building termed "Old Main" (now known as the Seay Building), was designed by architect Oscar Schutte Teale in a Renaissance Beaux Arts style[20] and built on the ruins of the original structure in 1901.[8] Only two buildings survived the fire, the men's gymnasium (now the Little Theater of the Seay Building) and the women's gymnasium (now the Ferry Building).

In 1957, a student-run college radio station, WNTI, began broadcasting on campus. Eventually becoming an NPR affiliate serving the regional community with an adult album rock format, the FM transmitter was sold to University of Pennsylvania-based WXPN in 2015.[21][22][23] As of 2020, a student-run internet radio station operates at WNTI.org.[24]

The Centenary Stage Company, a professional Equity theater, has been operating on campus since 1985.[25][26] In 1992, a "Women's Playwright Series" development program offered grants, workshops, prizes and world premieres for the underserved voice of women in theater.[27][28] Centenary also offers an intensive musical theater program for intermediate and advanced young performers.[29][30]

In 1999, Centenary founded the Center for Adult and Professional Studies program. In 2011, the program was renamed the School of Professional Studies.[7]

In 2024 Centenary University and the Ideal Institute of Technology joined forces to offer both vocational training and higher education. This collaboration offers work-based college programs to local residents who may be underserved in their community. [31]

Additionally, Centenary and The Patrick School (TPS), a private high school known for their nationally ranked basketball program, announced a partnership that relocated TPS to the Hackettstown campus in 2024 with students also having the option to live on campus.[32] TPS alumni include NBA stars Kyrie Irving, Adama Sanogo, and Samuel Dalembert.[33]

## Accreditation

[edit]

Centenary University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Some programs at Centenary are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, Council on Social Work Education, or International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.[7]

## Main campus and learning centers

[edit]

Centenary University Main campus is located in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The Centenary Equestrian Center in Long Valley provides riding and education facilities for its Department of Equine Studies and Animal Health.[34]

### Hackettstown Campus

[edit]

The main campus of Centenary University is home to most of the school's academic, administrative, athletic and collegiate activities, as well as housing for its undergraduate students. It consists of ten main buildings and eight residence buildings.[35] The Seay Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1997, for its significance in architecture.[8]

#### Buildings

[edit]

[36]

* Brotherton Hall – professor's offices and classrooms

The Ferry Music and Arts Building. The old section of the building is one of the two oldest structures on campus, surviving the fire of 1899.

* Ferry Building – classrooms and small music hall
* Harris & Betts Smith Learning Center – Academic Success Center, Student Veterans Organization, Disabilities Services Office, and classrooms
* Lackland Center – classrooms, dance studio, dining hall, Sitnik Theatre, Edith Kutz Black Box Theater, TV studio, and the WNTI Radio Studio[37]
* Littell Technology Center – classrooms, graphics department, and the ENACTUS office
* Reeves Gymnasium – athletics department, gymnasium, weight room, and wrestling center
* Seay Building – classrooms, Whitney Chapel, tutoring center, Student Activities Center, the Little Theater,[37] Starbucks, main college offices: Admissions, Alumni Affairs, Bursar, Campus Life, Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Information Technology, and the President's Office
* Taylor Memorial Library[38] – academic library, print shop, and a small classroom
* Trevorrow Hall – Science and Fashion building with classrooms and labs
* Wellness Center – Health and counseling centerThe William H. and May D. Taylor Memorial Library[38]

#### Residence halls

[edit]

* Anderson Hall
* Bennett-Smith Hall – Apartment style
* Founders Hall – Apartment style
* Lotte Hall
* Reeves Hall – Freshmen students only
* Smith Hall – Freshmen and first year transfer students only
* Van Winkle Hall
* Washabaugh Hall

### Equestrian Center

[edit]

The Equestrian Center is located in Long Valley, New Jersey. It consists of several large paddocks, an outdoor eventing course, two indoor arenas and an outdoor arena. The United States Equestrian Team (USET) building is the main building of the equestrian center with its main offices, classrooms, a lounge, dining services, and the large indoor arena. The Equestrian Center sits on 65 acres (260,000 m2) of land.

In 2007 and 2012, Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships.[39]

## Athletics

[edit]

Centenary University teams participate in fourteen NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Cyclones compete in the Atlantic East Conference, joining in the 2021-22 season, becoming the first non-Catholic member institution.[40] The Cyclones previously competed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference, joining in the 2007–08 season after being a member of the Skyline Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. Three club sports are also offered in flag football, track and field, and women's wrestling. Students enrolled in the college's Equine programs may participate in competitions through intercollegiate organizations such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, or with the Hunter/Jumper's Club.[41]

### Noted athletic achievements

[edit]

In 2009 Centenary's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team won the National Championships in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Lindsay Clark, a Centenary Student, also won the USEF/Cacchione Cup.[42]

The 2010 women's soccer team won the CSAC Championship,[43] earning them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.[citation needed] The 2013 and 2016 men's soccer teams replicated this feat.[43]

## Notable alumni and staff

[edit]

Debbie Harry, class of 1965

* Mike Hall (bassist) (born 1989), bassist.[44]
* Bette Cooper (1920–2017), Miss America 1937.[45]
* Jonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), clergyman, author, abolitionist, co-founder of the school.[46]
* William Howe Crane (1854–1926), lawyer.[47]
* Debbie Harry (born 1945), lead singer of Blondie.[48]
* Cole Kimball (born 1985), pitcher drafted by the Washington Nationals.[49]
* Carol McCain (born 1937), former wife of U.S. Senator and former 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain.[50]
* Gail Phoebus (born 1950), politician who has represented the 24th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2015 to 2018.[51]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CENTENARY UNIVERSITY". tmlarchives.wordpress.com. Taylor Memorial Library Archives. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
2. ^ "Centenary University | Data USA".
3. ^ "President's Office – Centenary University". Retrieved August 24, 2023.
4. ^ "National Register Information System – (#97000564)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
5. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Warren County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection \- Historic Preservation Office. August 17, 2017. p. 3.
6. ^ "Centenary University - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges". Archived from the original on 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
7. ^ a b c "Centenary College History". Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
8. ^ a b c Goodman, Rochelle; Knaap, Simone; DeFabritis, Elizabeth (February 10, 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Centenary Collegiate Institute". National Park Service. With accompanying 19 photos
9. ^ a b "CENTENARY COLLEGE CATALOG ADULT & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES" (PDF). centenaryuniversity.edu. p. 7. Retrieved Nov 24, 2020.
10. ^ "1890 Centenary Collegiate Institute". Retrieved July 28, 2012.
11. ^ "Surprise! N.J. College announces name change at graduation". 14 May 2016.
12. ^ Sullivan, Denis (2000). In Defence of Her Honor: The Tillie Smith Murder Case. Flemington: D.H. Thoreau Books.
13. ^ O'Donnell, Chuck (2013-10-06). "Tillie Smith murder at Centenary College remains part of Hackettstown lore". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
14. ^ "In Memory of Tillie Smith". The New York Times. 1887-05-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
15. ^ "Following the path of Tillie Smith". New Jersey Herald. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
16. ^ "Murdered Maid Haunts Centenary College". weirdnj.com. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
17. ^ "Mondays with authors: Maryann McFadden's new novel explores1886 NJ murder". 2020-01-24. Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
18. ^ "Historic Hackettstown". hackettstownhistory.com. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
19. ^ Morgan, Susan. "HISTORIC SITES OF WARREN COUNTY" (PDF). Warren County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on Jan 13, 2020.
20. ^ Herman, Jennifer (2008-01-01). "seay+administration+building"&pg=RA1-PA206 New Jersey Encyclopedia. State History Publications. ISBN 978-1-878592-44-6.
21. ^ "WNTI license sold to Philadelphia public radio station - News - New Jersey Herald - Newton, NJ". 2020-11-24. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
22. ^ Lustig, Jay (2015-10-06). "WNTI-FM is sold; DJs say goodbye online". NJArts.net. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
23. ^ "'WNTI Is Over': Centenary College Radio Station Reportedly Sold". Hackettstown, NJ Patch. 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
24. ^ "ABOUT WNTI". WNTI.org. Archived from the original on Jan 28, 2020. Retrieved Nov 24, 2020.
25. ^ "Centenary Stage Company - Hackettstown, NJ". scenicwilddelawareriver.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
26. ^ "Message from Carl Wallnau". Centenary Stage Company. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
27. ^ "Women Playwrights Series | Centenary Stage Company | Hackettstown, NJ". Centenary Stage Company. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
28. ^ Wilcox, Stephen. "Women Playwrights Series at Centenary Stage Co". gardenstatewoman.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
29. ^ "Centenary sets fall Young Performers Workshop". New Jersey Herald. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
30. ^ "Young Audience Series | Centenary Stage Company | Hackettstown, NJ". Centenary Stage Company. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
31. ^ "Ideal Institute & Centenary University Partner in Work-Based Pilot Program". New Jersey Business Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
32. ^ www.centenaryuniversity.edu https://www.centenaryuniversity.edu/news-and-media/cu-signs-use-agreement-with-national-high-school-basketball-powerhouse-the-patrick-school. Retrieved 2025-01-26. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
33. ^ lehighvalleylive.com, Glenn Epps | For (2025-01-26). "Meet the NJ high school basketball captain destined for the NBA". lehighvalleylive. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
34. ^ "Equine Studies". Centenary University ™. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
35. ^ "Locations, Maps & Directions". Centenary University ™. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
36. ^ "Academic Facilities". Centenary University ™. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
37. ^ a b "Venues | Centenary Stage Company | Hackettstown, NJ". Centenary Stage Company. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
38. ^ a b "Library". Centenary University ™. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
39. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍] "In 2007 Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships."
40. ^ "Centenary University To Join the Atlantic East Beginning in 2021-22". atlanticeast.com. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
41. ^ NJ.com, Special to (2016-03-29). "Student-focused Centenary College one of America's most trusted private colleges". nj. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
42. ^ misc/ihsa2009results.html[permanent dead link‍] "In 2009 Centenary's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team won the National Championships in Murfreesboro, TN. Lindsay Clark, a Centenary Student, also won the USEF/Cacchione Cup.
43. ^ a b "All-Time Champions". csacsports.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
44. ^ McSorely, Nora (18 September 2021). "Madison native, professional bassist, hones skills, longs for return to the road". New Jersey Hills Media Group. p. 1\. "Once out of Madison High School, from which he graduated in 2008, Hall studied both criminal justice and political science at Centenary University in Hackettstown."
45. ^ "SORORITIES ADMIT 85 AT CENTENARY JUNIOR; Majority of Students Named to Three Societies Are From New York Area", The New York Times, November 21, 1937. Accessed December 6, 2007. "Miss Bette Cooper of this community, who was chosen Miss America for 1937 at the Atlantic City beauty contest in September, is a new member of Delta Sigma Sigma."
46. ^ Wertheim, Stanley. (1997). A Stephen Crane encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 70\. ISBN 0-313-00812-4. OCLC 52242909.
47. ^ Wertheim, Stanley. (1997). A Stephen Crane encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. pp. 76–77\. ISBN 0-313-00812-4. OCLC 52242909.76-77&rft.pub=Greenwood+Press&rft.date=1997&rft_id=info:oclcnum/52242909&rft.isbn=0-313-00812-4&rft.au=Wertheim,+Stanley.&rft_id=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52242909&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Centenary+University" class="Z3988">
48. ^ "Centenary College Honors Deborah Harry as a Distinguished Alumna" Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Centenary College of New Jersey press release dated October 24, 2007. Accessed March 20, 2010. "Deborah Ann Harry, Class of 1965, is a singer, songwriter, and actress."
49. ^ "Centenary’s Kimball Chosen by Nationals in 12th Round." Archived 2012-02-10 at the Wayback Machine, Centenary College of New Jersey press release dated July 7, 2006. Accessed January 13, 2008. "A graduate of Hackettstown High School, and a resident of Great Meadows NJ, Centenary has been a terrific fit for Cole’s most recent two seasons."
50. ^ Farhi, Paul (October 6, 2008). "The Separate Peace of John And Carol". The Washington Post. Retrieved Jan 2, 2020.
51. ^ Assemblyman Gail Phoebus Archived 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 19, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Centenary University.

* Official website
* WNTI.org | The Sound of Centenary
* Centenary Stage Company
* Simple History of Centenary University

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* Montclair State University
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* The College of New Jersey
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* Bloomfield
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National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, New Jersey

Districts|

* Asbury Historic District
* Beattystown Historic District
* Belvidere Historic District
* Blairstown Historic District
* Bowerstown Historic District
* Delaware Historic District
* Finesville–Seigletown Historic District
* Hope Historic District
* Imlaydale Historic District
* Johnsonburg Historic District
* Morris Canal
* Old Mine Road Historic District
* Oxford Industrial Historic District
* Phillipsburg Commercial Historic District
* Pleasant Valley Historic District
* Port Colden Historic District
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Places of
worship|

* First Methodist Episcopal Church
* Mount Bethel Methodist Church
* St. James Lutheran Church and Cemetery
* St. Luke's Episcopal Church
* Spring Valley Christian Church Site

Houses|

* Jacob C. Allen House
* Hixson–Mixsell House
* George Hunt House
* Kennedy House and Mill
* Lander–Stewart Mansion and Stites Building
* Miller Farmstead
* Perry–Petty Farmstead
* Ramsaysburg Homestead
* John Richey House
* John Roseberry Homestead
* Seigle Homestead
* Shippen Manor
* Van Nest–Hoff–Vannatta Farmstead
* Vass Farmstead

Buildings|

* Allamuchy Freight House
* Blair Academy
* Centenary Collegiate Institute
* Fairview Schoolhouse
* Great Meadows station
* Hixson–Skinner Mill Complex
* Rutherfurd Hall
* Washington Railroad Station

Sites|

* Oxford Furnace

Structures|

* New Hampton Pony Pratt Truss Bridge
* Warrington Stone Bridge

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Warren County, New Jersey and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey

Authority control databases

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* ISNI
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* United States

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