The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Rutgers College

RUTGERS COLLEGE, located at New Brunswick, N. J. It was chartered in 1766 under the name of Queen's College; the charter was slightly altered in 1770. In 1771 the college was located at New Brunswick. During the Revolutionary War, when the British army occupied New Brunswick, the college exercises were continued at Millstone and at North Branch. The present site of the college was secured in 1808, and in 1825 a generous donation was received from Col. Henry Rutgers, and the name changed to Rutgers College in his honor. A theological school was at first affiliated with the college, but has since become an independent institution. There is a preparatory school, established at the same time with the college. The organization of the collegiate department now includes two schools, the classical school and the Rutgers Scientific School. In 1864, the legislature designated “The trustees of Rutgers College in New Jersey maintaining the Rutgers Scientific School” as the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts; the Scientific School thus became the beneficiary of the Congressional land grant of 1862, and of the appropriation law of 1890. In the classical school the work of the freshman and sophomore years is required, while two courses are elective for junior and senior years; the degrees of A.B. and B.L. are conferred. In the Scientific School the studies of the freshman year are the same for all courses; at the end of that year the student elects one of the six courses offered, certain subjects, such as English, history, political economy, etc., being required in all. The six courses are agriculture, civil engineering, and mechanics, chemistry, electricity, biology, clay-working and ceramics. All courses lead to the degree of B.S. There is also a special two years' course in ceramics. Military drill is required of all students in the Scientific School. The school conducts a university extension department, and the State agricultural experiment station is connected with it. The Scientific School is under control of the college board of trustees of which the governor, the chief justice and the attorney-general are members ex officio; and is also under the supervision of a State board of visitors appointed by the governor. The college farm contains 100 acres and is well equipped with modern apparatus. The buildings on the campus include Queen's College, Fine Arts Building, Van Nest Hall, Geological Hall, Kirkpatrick Chapel and Library, State Laboratory, Ceramics Building, Winants' Hall (dormitory) and the Ballantine Gymnasium. The library in 1915 contained some 80,000 volumes; the students in the collegiate department numbered 475 and the faculty 55, besides special teachers. The college also conducts a summer school and extension lectures and during the past 20 years has more than doubled its enrolment.