Centenary Collegiate Institute (1867–1940) Centenary Junior College (1940–1956) Centenary College for Women (1956–1976) Centenary College (1976–2016)[1]
The Edward W. Seay Administration Building serves as the university's flagship building with its main offices, classrooms, the Student Activity Center, and a Starbucks cafe.
Centenary University was founded as the Centenary Collegiate Institute (CCI) by what was then known as the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867. The name was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Methodism in the United States.[9] It was built for $200,000. George H. Whitney, D.D., was president from 1869 to 1895.[10]
Beginning as a coeducational preparatory school, CCI became a girls-only institution in 1910. In 1940, it became a junior college: Centenary Junior College. It would subsequently become Centenary College for Women in 1956 before becoming Centenary College in 1976, a four-year college for women offering associate and bachelor's degrees, with men allowed to pursue degrees only during night courses. In 1988, men were allowed to attend full-time. In 1995, master's degree programs were introduced.[9] In 2016, Centenary College was granted University status by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.[11]
In 1886, a 19-year-old kitchen worker at CCI named Tillie Smith was "outraged" and murdered in a field just off campus. A janitor at CCI named James Titus was convicted of the crime based on circumstantial evidence strongly influenced by yellow journalism. Authors and historians generally consider this a false conviction, but the debate over the facts continues perennially through dark tourism ghost tours, theatrical performances, books and Weird NJ magazine articles.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
On Halloween night, 1899, the original five-story CCI building burned to the ground in a fire.[18][19] The new building termed "Old Main" (now known as the Seay Building), was designed by architect Oscar Schutte Teale in a RenaissanceBeaux Arts style[20] and built on the ruins of the original structure in 1901.[8] Only two buildings survived the fire, the men's gymnasium (now the Little Theater of the Seay Building) and the women's gymnasium (now the Ferry Building).
The Centenary Stage Company, a professional Equity theater, has been operating on campus since 1985.[25][26] In 1992, a "Women's Playwright Series" development program offered grants, workshops, prizes and world premieres for the underserved voice of women in theater.[27][28] Centenary also offers an intensive musical theater program for intermediate and advanced young performers.[29][30]
In 1999, Centenary founded the Center for Adult and Professional Studies program. In 2011, the program was renamed the School of Professional Studies.[7]
In 2024 Centenary University and the Ideal Institute of Technology joined forces to offer both vocational training and higher education. This collaboration offers work-based college programs to local residents who may be underserved in their community. [31]
Additionally, Centenary and The Patrick School (TPS), a private high school known for their nationally ranked basketball program, announced a partnership that relocated TPS to the Hackettstown campus in 2024 with students also having the option to live on campus.[32] TPS alumni include NBA stars Kyrie Irving, Adama Sanogo, and Samuel Dalembert.[33]
Centenary University Main campus is located in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The Centenary Equestrian Center in Long Valley provides riding and education facilities for its Department of Equine Studies and Animal Health.[34]
The main campus of Centenary University is home to most of the school's academic, administrative, athletic and collegiate activities, as well as housing for its undergraduate students. It consists of ten main buildings and eight residence buildings.[35] The Seay Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1997, for its significance in architecture.[8]
Brotherton Hall – professor's offices and classrooms
The Ferry Music and Arts Building. The old section of the building is one of the two oldest structures on campus, surviving the fire of 1899.
Ferry Building – classrooms and small music hall
Harris & Betts Smith Learning Center – Academic Success Center, Student Veterans Organization, Disabilities Services Office, and classrooms
Lackland Center – classrooms, dance studio, dining hall, Sitnik Theatre, Edith Kutz Black Box Theater, TV studio, and the WNTI Radio Studio[37]
Littell Technology Center – classrooms, graphics department, and the ENACTUS office
Reeves Gymnasium – athletics department, gymnasium, weight room, and wrestling center
Seay Building – classrooms, Whitney Chapel, tutoring center, Student Activities Center, the Little Theater,[37]Starbucks, main college offices: Admissions, Alumni Affairs, Bursar, Campus Life, Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Information Technology, and the President's Office
Taylor Memorial Library[38] – academic library, print shop, and a small classroom
Trevorrow Hall – Science and Fashion building with classrooms and labs
Wellness Center – Health and counseling centerThe William H. and May D. Taylor Memorial Library[38]
The Equestrian Center is located in Long Valley, New Jersey. It consists of several large paddocks, an outdoor eventing course, two indoor arenas and an outdoor arena. The United States Equestrian Team (USET) building is the main building of the equestrian center with its main offices, classrooms, a lounge, dining services, and the large indoor arena. The Equestrian Center sits on 65 acres (260,000 m2) of land.
In 2007 and 2012, Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships.[39]
Centenary University teams participate in fourteen NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Cyclones compete in the Atlantic East Conference, joining in the 2021-22 season, becoming the first non-Catholic member institution.[40] The Cyclones previously competed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference, joining in the 2007–08 season after being a member of the Skyline Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. Three club sports are also offered in flag football, track and field, and women's wrestling. Students enrolled in the college's Equine programs may participate in competitions through intercollegiate organizations such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, or with the Hunter/Jumper's Club.[41]
In 2009 Centenary's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team won the National Championships in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Lindsay Clark, a Centenary Student, also won the USEF/Cacchione Cup.[42]
The 2010 women's soccer team won the CSAC Championship,[43] earning them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.[citation needed] The 2013 and 2016 men's soccer teams replicated this feat.[43]
^ ab"Library". Centenary University ™. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
^[1][permanent dead link] "In 2007 Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships."
^"Centenary’s Kimball Chosen by Nationals in 12th Round."Archived 2012-02-10 at the Wayback Machine, Centenary College of New Jersey press release dated July 7, 2006. Accessed January 13, 2008. "A graduate of Hackettstown High School, and a resident of Great Meadows NJ, Centenary has been a terrific fit for Cole’s most recent two seasons."
