Monmouth University


Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter.
There are about 4,400 full-time and 260 part-time undergraduate and 1,750 graduate students, as well as 302 full-time faculty members. About 80% of faculty members hold Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees in their field of study. The university's student-to-faculty ratio is about 14:1. Because of the university's relatively small student population, class sizes are capped between 20 and 35 and no classes are taught by teaching assistants. Forty-four percent of students live on-campus. Most of Monmouth's student body is drawn from the northeastern United States, although students from 29 states and 28 foreign countries add to the school's diversity.

History

Monmouth College was founded in 1933 as a junior college. On January 18, 1956, Monmouth received accreditation to grant four-year Bachelor's degrees, and in March 1995, it received its university charter from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education.

Presidents

Woodrow Wilson Hall

The centerpiece of the Monmouth University campus is Wilson Hall. Originally, it was the site of the Shadow Lawn mansion, constructed in 1903 and housed 52 rooms. United States President Woodrow Wilson stayed in the mansion during his campaign in summer of 1916.
After Shadow Lawn was destroyed by a fire in 1927, the building that would become Wilson Hall was built as a residence for Mr & Mrs. Hubert Templeton Parson. Mr. Parson was the former head of F.W. Woolworth Company. The building was designed by Horace Trumbauer and Julian Abele. Abele is regarded as the first professional African American architect.
Wilson Hall became municipal property during the Great Depression and until Monmouth University acquired ownership, it was home to Highland Manor Junior College, a private girls' school. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark. Some classrooms and the administrative offices are inside of the building.
Wilson Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1978 under the name Shadow Lawn. It was named a National Historic Landmark on February 4, 1985.
Wilson Hall has also been a host of the film version of Annie, starring Aileen Quinn. Some of the scenes in this movie were filmed inside and outside of the building along with the rest of the Monmouth University Campus. Wilson Hall was used as Daddy Warbucks' mansion.

Murry and Leonie Guggenheim Memorial Library

In 1903, Murry Guggenheim, son of Meyer Guggenheim, bought property in West Long Branch to build a summer residence for himself and his wife, Leonie. The original structure of the Beaux-Arts mansion, designed by Carrère and Hastings is now the Murry and Leonie Guggenheim wing of the Monmouth University Library.
It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1978.

Lauren K. Woods Theater

The Guggenheim estate also included a stable and carriage house across the road on Cedar Avenue. This has been converted into the Lauren K. Woods Theatre.

Organization

Monmouth University is organized into seven schools:
Monmouth University has held multiple academic symposia on the work of Bruce Springsteen and houses the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music.

Student life

Activities

Monmouth University has a variety of on-campus clubs and organizations, including the campus television station HawkTV; the college radio station WMCX-FM, one of the last media outlets to interview Bob Marley and the first media outlet in America to announce his death; and the student-run newspaper The Outlook, which has been published since 1933.
The Department of Art and Design is an active participant in the arts of Monmouth. It maintains multiple galleries for exhibiting creative works of students, faculty, and staff, as well as practicing artists and designers.
Monmouth University also has its own independent, student run record label, Blue Hawk Records. The music organization allows students to learn hands-on, gaining relevant experience and encountering situations that would occur in the Music Industry. Blue Hawk Records allows students to work together, alongside experienced industry professionals, to build their skills in talent scouting, artist promotion and development, live music and record releases, artwork, packaging, sales, marketing, further learning the structure of business and how to mold artists into marketable material.

Greek life

Fraternities

Monmouth's athletic teams are known as the Hawks. The school competes as a Division I school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, with football competing as a FCS independent in the 2013 season before joining the Big South Conference in 2014. Monmouth fields the following sports at the Division I level: baseball, basketball, bowling cross country, field hockey, football, golf, indoor track, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and track & field. In the fall of 2014, Monmouth announced the reintroduction of swimming programs at the Division I level in the fall of 2015.
Monmouth University, added football to the school's ledger of sports teams in 1993. The team's first game was played on September 25 of that year. The first points in school history were scored on a bizarre defensive play by intercepting and returning a two-point conversion.
A new multipurpose activity center opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 16, 2009. The Center currently serves as the primary indoor athletic structure. A partnership agreement with OceanFirst Bank named the facility as the OceanFirst Bank Center in June, 2016. It houses a 4,100 seat competition arena; a 200-meter; six-lane indoor track; locker rooms; educational and conference space; ground-level bookstore; and fitness center. The new facility adjoins the William T. Boylan Gymnasium a 2,500-seat arena built in 1965.
Monmouth has been in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1996, 2001, 2004, and 2006. Monmouth won their first NCAA men's basketball tournament game in 2006 when they beat Hampton University in that year's play-in game. It was the first time a Northeast Conference school won a game in the NCAA tournament since 1983 when Robert Morris University won in the opening round. Monmouth's men and women's soccer teams as well as baseball and women's lacrosse and men's golf team have also reached the NCAA tournament. The men's lacrosse team made the 2016 NCAA playoff tournament as well. The Monmouth Men's Soccer team is the only sport on campus to ever advance to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. The men's soccer team also hosted three first round NCAA Tournament games on The Great Lawn, in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Monmouth's men's soccer team has even been ranked as one of the top teams in the country. In September 2010, Monmouth attained the #4 spot on the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com National Rankings and has been ranked in the national top 25 every single week for the past two seasons.

Notable alumni

Politics and government

champion Christie Pearce graduated from Monmouth with a degree in Special Education and holds an honorary degree in Public Service.