Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey was founded – originally as a seminary – in 1766.
Founded by William Franklin. William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin.
Although, upon its founding, this college, located in New Brunswick along the Raritan River, was not known as Rutgers.
The name Rutgers was affixed to the New Brunswick college 59 years after its founding. In 1825. “Rutgers,” selected to honor Revolutionary War veteran Colonel Henry Rugers. Between the year of its founding – in 1766 – and the year Rutgers was selected as the college’s name, in the honor of Henry Rutgers – in 1825 – Rutgers had been Queens College. Then, for the next one hundred years, it was Rutgers College.
Henry Rutgers…
Born in New York City in 1745 – and in 1745, that would have been, the Province of New York, British America, as New York was still under British rule when Henry Rutgers was born – Henry Rutgers served as a New York state assemblyman. He was a graduate of Columbia University (then, King’s College),
A prominent New York landowner, Henry Rutgers donated much of his land to local New York City schools, charities, and churches. In Manhattan, if you have ever driven down Henry Street or Rutgers Street, those streets were named after Henry Rutgers.
Rutgers College – then Queens College – adopted Henry Rutgers’ name upon receiving a much needed financial infusion from Henry Rutgers.
Through Henry Rutgers’ generosity, prospects for the then-struggling Queens College to continue on as an institution of higher learning, brightened.
At the time of Henry Rutgers’ financial contribution, Queens College had incurred a multi-year shutdown. Its finances, and its future, cast astray as a byproduct of the challenging economic times the United States went through upon the conclusion of the War of 1812.
The University of Newark joined the Rutgers family in 1946. As Rutgers University-Newark.
The College of South Jersey joined the Rutgers family in 1950. As Rutgers University- Camden.
Rutgers is the second oldest university in New Jersey. Founded 20 years prior to Queens College’s founding, Princeton – which had been the College of New Jersey from 1746 until 1896 – is the oldest New Jersey university.
Rutgers’ Board of Trustees consists of 41 voting members. Rutgers’ Border of Trustees functions in an advisory capacity to Rutgers’ Board of Governors.
Rutgers’ Board of Governors consists of 15 voting members. Rutgers’ president is a non voting Board member.
Three of the 15 members of Rutgers’ Board of Governors are voting members, selected by the Rutgers University Senate. Three representatives – selected by the University Senate – are non voting representatives.
Eight members of Rutgers’ Board of Governors are appointed by the New Jersey governor. Seven members are selected by the Board of Trustees. For the 8 members appointed by the New Jersey Governor, confirmation for each member by the New Jersey Senate is required.
The president of Rutgers is a nonvoting Board of Trustees member. Rutgers’ University Senate selects two members of the faculty – as well as two students – as non voting representatives.
The selection of the 41 voting members of the Board of Trustees is done in accordance with State law.
There are 20 charter members. Three of the 20 charter members must be women.
Sixteen Trustees are Rutgers alumni, each of whom is nominated for Board membership by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Five Trustees are public members, appointed by the governor. The five public members who are appointed by the governor require confirmation by the New Jersey State Senate.
The president of Rutgers is selected by the university’s Board of Governors. The Board of Governors oversees the process of identifying the president, while overseeing the Presidential Search Committee.
Rutgers’ Presidential Search Committee develops a profile of prospective candidates…submitting recommendations of potential university presidents to Rutgers’ Board of Governors.
Rutgers’ Board of Governors, upon receiving recommendations and feedback from the Presidential Search Committee, ultimately selects the university president.
On two separate occasions – resulting from acts taken by the New Jersey Legislature – Rutgers was designated as the official state university of New Jersey. New Jersey’s legislature granted Rutgers this distinction in 1945. And once again, in 1956.
