Residential Life at the Glassboro Normal School
In his efforts to recruit more students, Glassboro Normal School’s first president, Dr. Jerohn Savitz, toured much of New Jersey and spoke to prospective students still in high school. Many expressed desire to attend, but would not be able to commute via train each day, due to long rides and large distances. According to Robert D. Bole, former dean of the Department of Educational Leadership at Glassboro State College and author of More Than Cold Stone: A History of Glassboro State College, “Dr. Savitz jotted down their names and addresses and promised to contact them as soon as he worked things out” (31). This stands in contrast with Rowan University today, which presently has a large percentage of commuter students in its undergraduate student body; this in turn speaks to the effects of globalization and social and economic changes on the school itself throughout the years, as personal vehicles gained in popularity, affordability, and finally, into necessary, as the 20th-century went on, both in New Jersey and across the United States.
It was, after much searching, that Dr. Savitz selected a private home to house the then thirty prospective students. He chose the Warrick Mansion in Glassboro, located conveniently “on the corner of High and Academy Streets, about one mile from the Normal School building” (Bole, 1973, 31). Bole considered this to be the first dormitory at the Glassboro Normal School.
However, by 1928, further housing on-campus was needed, as the school and its enrollment grew. Thus, Laurel Hall was opened that year to provide housing for students during the Great Depression, an era following World War I that resulted in the worst global economic downtown of all time. This was followed by Oak Hall in 1930, around the same time that the Normal School’s program was extended to four years. (The Nutshell, 1965, 2).
According to Bole, in the early years of the Glassboro Normal School, life in Laurel and Oak halls “brightened the Depression-laden skies considerably” (Bole, 1973, p. 69). Particularly, there were strict rules within these dormitories, as per Dr. Savitz, who employed a dormitory dean and student assistants to enforce these, much like the Resident Directors, Assistant Resident Directors, and Resident Assistants found in Rowan University’s residence halls today. There was also a schedule that began at 6:45 am to wake students, as well as a nightly routine meant to keep students out of trouble, including a two-hour study period and a half-hour of free time. Bole asserts, however, that in spite of this, the girls enjoyed living in these dorms. He writes, “There were few dull moments,” as activities ranged from “bull session” debates, dancing to the radio, and playing ping-pong, badminton, and shuffleboard. The Normal School itself also provided a large number of events and activities, such as bringing professional drama groups and musicians to campus to entertain students (Bole, 1973, p. 69).
This tradition carries on well into present-day, as, in addition to NCAA programs, sports teams on the Intramural and club level, and a campus recreation center, Rowan University presently hosts several entertainment events, typically through the Chamberlain Student Center & Campus Activities (SCCA). Such events include the weekly Rowan After Hours (RAH), which "provides late-night/weekend opportunities for Rowan University students to become active in campus life," as well as the annual on-campus festival, Hollybash, in which a popular music artist performs (www.rowan.edu).
