Montclair State University: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

Montclair State University (MSU), a public doctoral research university in Montclair, New Jersey, has a rich history dating back to its establishment as the "New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair" in 1908. Over the years, it has evolved into a comprehensive institution, offering a wide array of programs and producing numerous accomplished alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields. As of June 2024, the university boasts a diverse student body of 22,570 students, including 18,062 undergraduates and 4,508 graduate students.

Historical Overview and Growth

Plans for the State Normal school were initiated in 1903, requiring a year for the State of New Jersey to grant permission to build the school. The first building constructed was College Hall (now known as Cole Hall). At the time, the campus was around 25 acres (100,000 m2), had 8 faculty members and 187 students. The first graduating class, which numbered at 45 students, contained William O. Trapp, who would then go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1929. In 1927, Harry Sprague was the first president of Montclair.

In 1927, after studies had emerged concerning the number of high school teachers in the state of New Jersey (only 10% of all high school teachers received their degrees from New Jersey), the institution became "Montclair State Teachers College" and developed a four-year (Bachelor of Arts) program in pedagogy, becoming the first US institute to do so. In 1958 the school merged with the "Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene" to become "Montclair State College". The school became a comprehensive multi-purpose institution in 1966. The Board of Higher Education designated the school a teaching university on April 27, 1994, and in the same year the school became "Montclair State University".

In 2004, NJ Transit opened the Montclair State University station, which links the university to New York City. In 2015, the university established the School of Communication and Media and added two new buildings to its campus; the Feliciano School of Business and the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS). Partridge Hall was fully renovated and in 2016, became the new School of Nursing, which welcomed its inaugural class of students that fall. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In 2017, Montclair State was designated a public research university by the New Jersey Legislature.

Notable Alumni in Arts and Entertainment

Montclair State University has a strong presence in the arts and entertainment industry, with alumni making significant contributions in film, television, music, and theater.

Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985-1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988-2013). Bruce Willis attended Montclair State as a Drama major up until his junior year, before moving to New York City to pursue his acting career. His filmography includes iconic movies such as Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and The Fifth Element.

Allen Ginsberg

Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Generation. Best known for being the social and political activist who brought taboo topics to family dinner. Ginsburg briefly attended Montclair State University (when it was Montclair State College) before transferring to Columbia University. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression, and he embodied various aspects of this counterculture with his views on drugs, sex, multiculturalism, hostility to bureaucracy, and openness to Eastern religions.

Tobin Bell

Tobin Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in a number of television shows and films but is most recognized for his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise. Bell has a master’s degree in environmental science from Montclair State.

Dania Ramirez

Dania Ramirez is a Dominican actress. Her credits include the roles of Maya Herrera in the NBC series Heroes, Alex in the HBO series Entourage, and Blanca during the last season of the HBO crime drama The Sopranos on television. Her film roles include Alex Guerrero in She Hate Me and Callisto in the feature film X-Men: The Last Stand. She portrayed Rosie Falta on Lifetime's Devious Maids from June 2013, until its cancellation in 2016. In July 2017, Ramirez joined the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time for its softly-rebooted seventh season in a starring role as Cinderella. In 2023, she began the starring role of Captain Nikki Batista in the Fox crime drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit. Dania also graduated from Montclair in 2001 where she played volleyball and holds a rank in the Top 5.

Lorene Scafaria

Lorene Scafaria is an American filmmaker, playwright, musician, and actress. She wrote and directed the films Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), The Meddler (2015), and Hustlers (2019), as well as writing the film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008). Scafaria attended Montclair State University after leaving Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Scafaria went on to become a playwright, screenwriter and actress.

Read also: MSU Notable Graduates

Other Notable Figures

Melba Moore: An American singer and actress known for her performance as Dionne in the original cast of Hair on Broadway and her award-winning R&B career. She graduated Class of 1970 with a BA in Music from Montclair State University.
Christine Nagy: A morning personality on 106.7 Lite Fm, previously worked on Z100. Nagy graduated Montclair State with a degree in broadcasting and has had a brief career in television as well.
Kevin Carolan: Best known for his performances on Broadway in classics like Newsies and Chicago, and on television in Boardwalk Empire, Orange Is the New Black, Law and Order, All My Children and White Collar. Carolan attended Montclair as a theatre major in the late 1980s.
Camille Grammer: An English study major and graduate of Montclair State University, best known for starring on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Michael Price: Best known for his writing on The Simpson’s. His career started on the 300th episode and he wrote the 500th episode of the show. While attending Montclair State, Price was a theatre major who wrote and directed a variety of plays on campus.
Justina Valentine: An American television host, rapper and singer from Passaic County, New Jersey, best known for her singles "Candy Land" featuring rapper Fetty Wap, "All The Way" and "Unbelievable". She is also known as a cast member on the improv comedy show Wild 'N Out.
Rena Sofer is an American actress, known for her appearances in daytime television, episodic guest appearances, and made-for-television movies. In 1995, Sofer received a Daytime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Lois Cerullo in the soap opera General Hospital. She reprised the role of Lois in October 2023. From 2013 to 2022, she played Quinn Fuller on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
Jessica Vosk: An American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theater.
Allison Strong: An American pop singer, songwriter, and actress of stage, television and film.
Josh Dela Cruz: An American actor who plays a fictional version of himself as the host in Blue's Clues & You!.
Jackie Nese: An American singer who was a contestant on American Idol in 2015.

Alumni in Politics and Public Service

Montclair State University has also produced notable alumni who have excelled in politics and public service, contributing to their communities and beyond.

Scott Garrett: A former U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district, serving from 2003 to 2017.
Barbara Buono: Served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 2013.
Joan Voss: Served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 until 2012, and was elected to the Bergen County Board of County Commissioners in 2011.
Henry Helstoski: Represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives for twelve years, from 1965 until 1977.
Matthew Feldman: Served as a New Jersey State Senator and Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey.
Regina Egea: Served as chief of staff to governor of New Jersey Chris Christie.

Other Public Servants

Ana Maria Archila: An American attorney and activist serving as co-director of the New York Working Families Party.
Jane Holl Lute: An American diplomat and security analyst currently serving as the UN special envoy on the Cyprus dispute.
Don Norte: An American gay rights political activist with over thirty years of public service.

Alumni in Athletics

Montclair State University has a strong athletic tradition, with several alumni achieving success in professional sports.

Sam Mills: A Hall of Fame former football linebacker who played for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. As of today, Mills is still the all-time leader in career tackles at Montclair State holding a record with 501, 142 tackles in a season and 22 tackles in a game. Mills was named the New Jersey Collegiate Writers Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons from 1978-1980.
Mike Fratello: Attended Montclair State where he played football. Fratello was the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from December 2004 to December 2006 and has been a sports broadcaster for NBC Sports, TNT and the YES Network.
Paul Mirabella: Attended Montclair State before he began his professional career as a baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tom Reilly: Played football for Montclair State until he dropped out.
Kim Barnes Arico: The head coach of the University of Michigan’s women’s basketball team.
Carol Blazejowski: A part of the inaugural class of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Marco Capozzoli: Played pro football for the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League (NAL).
Mark Casale: Played with Montclair State’s football team in the 1980s and was drafted by the NFL’s Chicago Bears in 1984.
Amod Field: Was a three-sport athlete at Montclair State.
Keith Glauber: Played baseball for the team in the 1990s and went on to play in the MLB with the Cinncinati Reds from 1998 TO 2000.
Herman Kull: Attended Montclair State in the 1950s, playing basketball and football for the Red Hawks and coached basketball professionally up until the 1990s.
Brendan Suhr: Was a member of the Red Hawks basketball team in the 1970s and is a current assistant coach of the Stetson University men’s basketball team.

Alumni in Academia and Science

Montclair State University has also produced accomplished alumni who have made significant contributions in academia and science.

Robert M. Price: An American New Testament scholar who argues in favor of the Christ myth theory.
William E. Gordon: A physicist and astronomer, known as the "father of the Arecibo Observatory".
Nel Noddings: An American feminist, educator, and philosopher known for her work in philosophy of education, educational theory, and ethics of care.

Other Notable Alumni

Tom Malloy: An American actor and filmmaker.
Alan Weiss: An American entrepreneur, author, and public speaker.
Nelson J. Perez: The 10th Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Christopher Phillips: An American author, educator, consultant, lecturer, and pro-democracy advocate.
Julia Indichova: An American reproductive healthcare activist and author.
Chris Opperman: A composer.
Jonathan LeVine: An American art dealer.
Richard O'Meara: A retired brigadier general in the United States Army.
Diane Lockward: An American poet.
Bernie Anderson Jr.: A silent film music composer, organist and orchestrator.

Montclair State University Today

Montclair State University continues to thrive as a leading educational institution in New Jersey, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across its seven colleges and six schools. The university is committed to providing students with a high-quality education, fostering research and innovation, and preparing graduates for successful careers and meaningful contributions to society.

The university's campus has expanded significantly over the years, with modern facilities such as the Feliciano School of Business, the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences, and the School of Communication and Media. Montclair State University is also recognized for its commitment to sustainability, with initiatives such as the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies and inclusion in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges.

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