Rutgers University timeline: 1766 to Present - Rutgers Visitor Center - Piscataway, New Jersey - Timelines on Waymarking.com

The Rutgers University Visitor Center is a 12,000 square-foot facility that "is a place to view exhibits that illustrate the university’s history and the contributions Rutgers’ faculty, students, and alumni have made to New Jersey, the United States, and the world." [1][2][3]

The main exhibit is a scarlet wall eight feet high and 42 feet long. A multimedia exhibit that offers a visual and interactive tour of the university’s three main campuses on one side and a university historical timeline on the other, Ralph Appelbaum Associates designed it and other exhibits in the Visitor Center. [4]

This timeline displays the school history from 1766 to the present along the entire 42-foot length of the structure. Text accompanies a series of photographs and images in a single horizontal line across a continuous sheet of opaque acrylic. The plastic is mounted vertically to a metal frame about 18 inches tall and four inches deep. A pair of tracks span the complete top and bottom edges. Six manually mobile magnifiers -- metal carriages with lenses centered between handles -- roll along the tracks to enlarge the photos and text at the viewers' discretion. All these elements are elevated by a set of eight triangular legs which set the imagery approximately four feet above the floor. Eight main epochs are outlined while more specific events fill the spaces between them. The major dates are presented as follows:

1766
1766 - 1824
Founding of Queens College
Rutgers, the eighth largest college in the United States, was founded as Queen’s College in 1766 by a group of Dutch Reformed clerics who fought to secure the right to educate and ordain ministers in the colonies. Beginning instruction in 1771, Queen’s held its first commencement in 1774. The college experienced financial uncertainty and closed in 1795 and again in 1816.

1825
1825 - 1863
From Queen’s to Rutgers College
In 1825, the trustees and the Dutch Reformed Church reopened the college, renamed for Henry Rutgers, Revolutionary War officer and philanthropist. The college had 30 students and offered a classical curriculum, plus courses in philosophy, literature, and political economy. In 1830, students received lectures in geology, mineralogy, chemistry, and moral philosophy. The college grew as students from Dutch families enrolled.

1864
1864-1889
The Land Grant Institution of New Jersey
In 1864, Rutgers was designated the New Jersey land grant college and severed church ties. In 1869, the student newspaper, The Targum, was published and Rutgers defeated Princeton in the first intercollegiate football contest. New buildings were erected in the 1870s, including New Jersey Hall and two designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh: Geology Hall and Kirkpatrick Chapel.

1890
1890 - 1924
Transformation of a College
In 1890, the state legislature provided one scholarship for each assembly district. State extension services and undergraduate curriculum reform were introduced. Expanded facilities included Ballentine Gymnasium and Voorhees Library. In 1917, the college aided the war effort with a Students’ Army Training Corps, and the Agricultural College was designated the state university. In 1918, The New Jersey College for Women emerged.

1925
1925 - 1945
From College to University
In 1925, the college became Rutgers University. By 1930, Rutgers was made up of seven schools and colleges and enrolled 2,662 undergraduates. The graduate faculty was established in 1932. In 1935, the university acquired the land that is the present-day Busch campus. With America’s entry into World War II, Rutgers became host to the Army Specialized Training Program and trained 3,877 men.

1946
1946 - 1966
The State University of New Jersey
More than 19,000 veterans entered Rutgers trough the G.I. Bill. Legislative acts designated all of Rutgers the State University. In 1946, the University of Newark became Rutgers-Newark. By 1950, Rutgers acquired the institutions that make up today’s Rutgers-Camden. The New Jersey College for Women was renamed Douglass College in 1955. In 1964, Rutgers acquired the land that is now Livingston campus.

1967
1967 - 1990
The Public Research University
During the final decades of the 20th century, Rutgers achieved distinction as a public research university. Under the leadership of Edward J. Bloustein, Rutgers enjoyed the benefits of a healthy economy and a governor who gave strong support to higher education. In 1989, the university joined 56 other prestigious academic institutions that make up the Association of American Universities.

1991
1991 - Present
Jersey Roots, Global Reach
In the 1990s, Rutgers began to broadly communicate its contributions to the quality of life in New Jersey and beyond. In 2007, the New Brunswick liberal arts colleges consolidated to form the School of Arts and Sciences, and Cook college became the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The university continues to fulfill its role as a top tier public research institution.

Address:
Rutgers University Visitor Center
Busch Campus
100 Stuphen Road
Piscataway, New Jersey

Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM (except major holidays)
Select weekends in conjunction with campus tours

Free Visitor Center Parking:
Visitors can park at no cost in Lot 48 on Sutphen Road, across from the Visitor Center on the Busch Campus between the hours of 8:00AM and 2:00AM.

Sources:
[1] Rutgers University: Visitor Center
[2] Rutgers University: Start at the Visitor Center
[3] Visit New Jersey: Rutgers University-Busch Campus Visitor Information Center
[4] The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Rutgers opens new welcome center", October 14, 2009

At least one good photo you have personally obtained and a brief story of your visit. Any additions or corrections to the information about the Waymark (for instance, have the hours open to the public changed) will be greatly appreciated.