Rutgers College

Formerly Queen's College

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The school now called Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, was chartered on November 10, 1766 as "Queen's College," in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744?1818), Queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom. The charter was signed and the young college supported by William Franklin (1730?1813), the last Royal Governor of New Jersey and illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin (1706?1790). The original charter specified the establishment both of the college, and of an institution called the Queen's College Grammar School, intended to be a preparatory school affiliated and governed by the college. This institution, today the Rutgers Preparatory School, was a part of the college community until 1957.

Related Topics:
Rutgers - November 10 - 1766 - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - 1744 - 1818 - Queen consort - George III of the United Kingdom - William Franklin - New Jersey - Benjamin Franklin - Rutgers Preparatory School - 1957

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The original purpose of Queen's College was to "educate the youth in language, liberal, the divinity, and useful arts and sciences" and for the training of future ministers for the Dutch Reformed Church?though the university is now non-sectarian and makes no religious demands on its students. (Ironically, given the tenets of Christianity, the college first met at a tavern called the Sign of the Red Lion, on what is today the grounds of the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey.) It admitted its first students in 1771?a single sophomore and a handful of first-year students taught by a lone instructor?and granted its first degree in 1774, to Matthew Leydt. When the American Revolution broke out, the college abandoned the tavern and held classes in private houses, in and near New Brunswick. During its early years, the college developed as a classic liberal arts institution.

Related Topics:
Dutch Reformed Church - American Revolution - New Brunswick

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In its early years, Queen's College was plagued by a lack of funds. In 1793, with the fledgling college falling on hard times, the board of trustees voted on a resoluton to merge with the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). The measure failed by one vote. The problem did not go away, and in 1795, lacking both funds and tutors, the trustees consider moving the college to New York. Instead, they decide to close, only to reopen in 1808 after the Trustees raised $12,000.

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The next year, the College got a building of its own, affectionately called "Old Queen's" (which still stands), which is regarded today by architectural experts as one of the nation's finest examples of Federal architecture. University President Ira Condict laid the cornerstone on 27 April 1809. However, continued financial woes would cause the building to wait 14 years for completion, that combined with a nationwide economic depression and the impending War of 1812 forced Queen's College to close down a second time, in 1812. In its early years, Queen's College, the Queen's College Grammar School, and the New Brunswick Theological Seminary shared space in Old Queens. In 1856, with Old Queens suffering from overcrowding, the Seminary, moved to a home of its own nearby.

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In 1825, Queen's College was reopened, and its name was changed to "Rutgers College" in honor of American Revolutionary War hero Colonel Henry Rutgers (1745?1830). According to the Board of Trustees, Colonel Rutgers was honored because he epitomized Christian values, however, it probably helped that the Colonel gave a gift that set the college on secure financial footing. Rutgers, a descendant of an old Dutch family that settled in New Amsterdam (now New York City), gave the fledgling college a $5000 bond and a bell to be placed in the cupola of Old Queens. The college's early troubles inspired numerous student songs, including an adaptation of the drinking song Down Among the Dead Men with the lyrics "Here's a drink to old Rutgers, loyal men, May she ne'er go down but to rise again."

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Today Rutgers College is the most prestigious of the Arts and Sciences Colleges at Rutgers University. Rutgers College is also the largest and most competitive of the undergraduate colleges at Rutgers.

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The college offers the following majors:

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• Accounting
• African and African-American Studies
• African-American Studies
• Agricultural Science
• Allied Health Technologies
• American Studies
• Ancient and Medieval Civilizations
• Animal Science
• Anthropology
• Art/Visual Arts (B.A.)
• Art/Visual Arts (B.F.A.)
• Art History
• Astrophysics
• Biological Sciences
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Biomathematics
• Biomedical Technology (B.S.)
• Biotechnology
• Bioresource Engineering (5-year program)
• Botany
• Business Administration (5-year B.A. or B.S./M.B.A.)
• Cell Biology and Neuroscience
• Central and Eastern European Studies
• Chemistry
• Chinese
• Classics
• Clinical Laboratory Sciences
• Communication
• Comparative Literature
• Computer Science
• Criminal Justice (4-year B.A.)
• Criminal Justice (5-year B.A. or B.S./M.A.)
• Dance (B.A.)
• Dance (B.F.A.)
• East Asian Languages and Area Studies
• Ecology and Natural Resources
• Economics
• Education (see Teacher Certification)
• Engineering (2+2 first-year students only)
• Engineering (5-year programs)
• English
• Environmental and Business Economics
• Environmental Planning and Design
• Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior
• Environmental Sciences
• Evolutionary Anthropology
• Exercise Science and Sport Studies
• Finance
• Food Science
• French
• General Science
• Genetics and Microbiology
• Geography
• Geological Sciences
• Geoscience Engineering
• German
• History
• History/French
• History/Political Science
• Hospitality Management
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Independent/Individualized Major
• Information Systems
• Information Technology and Informatics
• Italian
• Interdisciplinary Major
• Jewish Studies
• Journalism and Media Studies
• Journalism
• Landscape Architecture
• Labor Studies and Employment Relations
• Latin American Studies
• Law (joint B.A./J.D. first-year students only)
• Liberal Studies
• Linguistics
• Management
• Management Science and Information Systems
• Marine Sciences
• Marketing
• Mathematics
• Mathematics, Applied
• Medical Technology
• Medicine (7-year joint B.A./M.D.)
• Medicine (8-year joint B.A./M.D.)
• Medieval Studies
• Meteorology
• Microbiology
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
• Music (B.A.)
• Music (B.Music)
• Nursing (B.S.)
• Nutritional Sciences
• Pharmacy (2+4 first-year applicants only)
• Pharmacy (6-year Pharm.D.)
• Philosophy
• Physician Assistant (B.A./M.S.)
• Physics
• Physics, Applied
• Plant Science
• Political Science
• Portuguese
• Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies
• Prebusiness
• Predentistry
• Prelaw
• Premedicine
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Public Policy (5-year B.A. or B.S./M.P.P.)
• Public Admin. (5-year B.A. in Political Sci./M.P.A.)
• Puerto Rican Studies
• Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean Studies
• Religion
• Russian
• Russian, Central and East European Studies
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Science, General
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Statistics
• Statistics/Mathematics
• Student-Proposed Majors
• Teacher Certification
• Theater Arts (B.A.)
• Theater Arts (B.F.A.)
• Theater Arts, Television and Media Arts
• Urban Studies
• Women?s Studies
• Women?s and Gender Studies
• Zoology