Seton Hall University is a Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey. Seton Hall University is the oldest diocesan university in the United States and is known for its basketball team and its programs in medicine and diplomacy.

The university was founded in 1856 by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley , who was the current bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. Bishop Bayley named the institution after his aunt, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was the first American-born Catholic saint.

During the 19th century, in spite of setbacks, lean times and the Civil War, the College continued to expand. By 1937, Seton Hall established a University College. This marked the first matriculation of women at Seton Hall. Seton Hall became coeducational in 1968.

In 1948, Seton Hall was given a license by the FCC for WSOU-FM. Today, the station is one of the leading college radio stations in the country. WSOU runs an ecletic modern rock format in addition to coverage of Seton Hall's athletics.

The College was organized into a university in 1950 following an unprecedented growth in enrollment. The College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of business, nursing and education comprised the University; the School of Law opened its doors in 1951, with Miriam Rooney as the first woman dean of law in the United States.

The next two decades saw the construction and modernization of a large number of facilities and the construction of the library, science building, residence halls and the University center. Many new programs and majors were inaugurated, as were important social outreach efforts. New ties were established with the private and industrial sectors, and a growing partnership developed with federal and state governments in creating programs for the economically and educationally disadvantaged.

The 70s and 80s continued to be a time of growth and renewal. New business and nursing classroom buildings and an art center were opened. In 1984, the Immaculate Conception Seminary returned to Seton Hall, its original home until 1926, when it moved to Darlington. The Recreation Center was dedicated in 1987. With the construction of four new residence halls between 1986-88, and the purchase of an off-campus apartment building in 1990, the University made a significant change to its previous identity as a primarily commuter institution. Seton Hall is now recognized as a residential campus, providing living space for approximately 2100 students.

The physical development of the campus continued in the 1990s. The $20 million Walsh Library opened in 1994, and its first-class study and research resources marked the beginning of a technological transformation of Seton Hall. Kozlowski Hall, the University's newest academic center dedicated in 1997, is a clear example of Seton Hall's continued commitment to undergraduate education and the expanding role of information technology in higher education. The building is named after Seton Hall graduate Dennis Kozlowski , who is notorious for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from Tyco. All classrooms in this six-story, 126,000 square foot (12,000 m²) building are wired for network and Internet connections, and many of the lecture halls are equipped with distance-learning technology. A new School of Law building and parking garage were also constructed in the 90s.

The John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations was founded in 1997 in an alliance with the United Nations Association of the United States of America. In 1998, all incoming full-time, first-year students were issued laptop computers as part of the University's innovative and nationally recognized mobile computing program.

Bachelors, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, the W. Paul Stillman School of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Nursing, the Immaculate Conception School of Theology, the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy & International Relations, the School of Graduate Medical Education, the School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, and the University College.

The Seton Hall University campus is located in South Orange and is adjacent to South Orange Avenue and Ward Place. The Seton Hall School of Law is located in Newark, New Jersey on Raymond Boulevard next to Newark Center. The school's sports teams are called the Pirates. They participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference.

On January 19, 2000, three students died and 54 were injured in a dorm fire.[1] The fire sparked calls for increased fire safety measures at colleges across the country. Two students were charged with murder and arson for allegedly setting the fire.[2]

External links

• http://www.shu.edu/ Official university site
• http://diplomacy.shu.edu/ John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy & International Relations
• http://www.shumun.org/ Seton Hall Model United Nations Conference
• http://www.shupirates.com/ Official athletics site