Navigating Seton Hall University: A Comprehensive Guide to the Campus

Seton Hall University, a private research university with a rich history, is located in South Orange, New Jersey, with a satellite campus in Newark. Founded on September 1, 1856, by Newark Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, the university has grown into a respected institution comprising nine schools and colleges. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 5,800 students and a graduate enrollment of about 4,400, Seton Hall offers a diverse range of academic programs and a vibrant campus life.

A Historical Overview

Like many Catholic universities in the United States, Seton Hall arose out of the Council of Baltimore, held in Maryland in 1844, with the goal of bringing Catholicism to higher education in order to help propagate the faith. The Diocese of Newark had been established by Pope Pius IX in 1853, just three years before the founding of the college, and it necessitated an institution for higher learning. Seton Hall College was formally founded on September 1, 1856, by Newark Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, a first cousin of James Roosevelt I, father of president Franklin Roosevelt. The main campus was originally in Madison, New Jersey.

Reverend Bernard J. McQuaid served as the first college president (1856-1857, 1859-1868) and directed a staff of four diocesan clergy including Reverend Alfred Young, vice-president; Reverend Daniel Fisher (the second college president, 1857-1859) and five lay instructors. Initially, Seton Hall had only five students - Leo G. Thebaud, Louis and Alfred Boisaubin, Peter Meehan, and John Moore. By the end of the first year, the student body had grown more than tenfold to 60.

By the 1860s, Seton Hall College was continuing its rapid growth and began to enroll more and more students each year. However, among other difficulties, several fires on campus slowed down the growth process. The first of several strange fires in the university's history occurred in 1867 which destroyed the college's first building. During the 19th century, despite setbacks, financially tight times, and the American Civil War, the college continued to expand.

James F. Kelley, then 33 years old, was appointed by Thomas J. Walsh of the Archdiocese of Newark to serve as president of Seton Hall College in July 1936, making him the nation's youngest college president. When he took office, Kelley led a liberal arts school that had an enrollment of 300. By 1937, Seton Hall established a University College. This marked the first matriculation of women at Seton Hall. Seton Hall became fully coeducational in 1968. In 1948, Seton Hall was given a license by the FCC for WSOU-FM. Kelley stepped down from office at Seton Hall in March 1949 in the wake of an investigation into the school by the federal government that looked into potential improper sales of war surplus equipment that had been given for the school's use. He was succeeded by John L. McNulty.

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The college was organized into a university in 1950 following the unprecedented growth in enrollment. The Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry was established in 1954 as the first medical school and dental school in New Jersey. It was located in Jersey City, adjacent to the Jersey City Medical Center, which was used for clinical education. Although the college, set up under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark, was a separate legal entity from the university, it had an interlocking board of trustees. The first class was enrolled in 1956 and graduated in 1960. The dental school also awarded its first degrees in 1960. From 1960 to 1964, 348 individuals received an M.D. degree. The college was sold to the state of New Jersey in 1965 for $4 million after the archdiocese could not support mounting school debt and renamed the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry (which became the New Jersey Medical School, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey). That entity became part of the Rutgers University system in 2013 and now exists as the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Beginning in the late 1960s and continuing in the next two decades, the university saw the construction and modernization of a large number of facilities and the construction including the library, science building, residence halls, and the university center. Many new programs and majors were inaugurated, as were important social outreach efforts. The 1970s and 1980s continued to be a time of growth and renewal. New business and nursing classroom buildings and an art center were opened. In 1984, the Immaculate Conception Seminary returned to Seton Hall, its original home until 1926, when it moved to Darlington (a section of Mahwah centered on a grand mansion and estate). The Recreation Center was dedicated in 1987. With the construction of four new residence halls between 1986 and 1988 and the purchase of an off-campus apartment building in 1990, the university made significant changes to account for a larger number of student residents.

The physical development of the campus continued in the 1990s. The $20 million Walsh Library opened in 1994, and its first-class study and research resources marked the beginning of a technological transformation of Seton Hall (current university library holdings are over 500,000 volumes). The university dedicated its newest academic center in 1997, originally named Kozlowski Hall for Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco International.

On January 19, 2000, an arson fire killed three and injured 54 students in Boland Hall, a freshman residence hall on the campus in South Orange. The incident, one of the deadliest in recent US history, occurred at 4:30 am, when most students were asleep. After a three-and-a-half-year investigation, a 60-count indictment charged two freshmen students, Sean Ryan and Joseph LePore, with starting the fire and felony murder for the deaths that resulted. LePore and Ryan pleaded guilty to third-degree arson and were sentenced to five years in a youth correctional facility with eligibility for parole 16 months after the start of their prison terms.

On the 150th anniversary (1856-2006) of the university's founding, Seton Hall initiated the Ever Forward capital campaign to raise a total of $150 million. The campaign was the most prestigious building campaign in the university's long history. In fall 2007, the university opened the new $35 million Science and Technology Center, completing one of the major campaign priorities ahead of schedule.

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On April 30, 2010, the archbishop John J. The university has completed a host of campus renovations and new construction while attracting more students. An initial round of improvements totaling nearly $100 million concluded in 2014 with the opening of a new fitness center, academic building, parking garage, and an expansion of the Aquinas Hall dormitory. Seton Hall announced the formation of two additional academic units in 2015 - the School of Medicine and the College of Communication and the Arts. The medical school was established in partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health, welcoming its first class in 2018. In 2020, the School of Medicine became the first independent medical school operating under Hackensack Meridian Health. The university announced in December 2022 that employees in the law school had embezzled nearly $1 million.

South Orange Campus: A Blend of History and Modernity

The main campus of Seton Hall University is situated on 58 acres (23 hectares) of suburban land on South Orange Avenue. It is home to nine of the 10 schools and colleges of the university. The South Orange Village center is just a 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) west of the main campus. Directly across from the main campus to the northwest are scenic Montrose Park and the Montrose Park Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Eugene V. Kelly Carriage House, on the campus itself, is also NRHP-listed. The village itself dates back to 1666 preceding the establishment of Seton Hall College. Also since the beginning of the college, the South Orange Rail Station has served as an integral means to campus commuters.

The main campus combines architectural styles including Roman, neo-Gothic and modern. The original centerpieces of the campus were made up of three buildings built in the 19th century. Presidents, Stafford and Marshall Halls were built when the college moved from Madison to South Orange.

Key Buildings on the South Orange Campus

Presidents Hall: One of the oldest buildings on campus and a flagship of the university, Presidents Hall was completed in 1867. Located at the epicenter of the main campus, Presidents Hall is a neo-Gothic structure dressed in brownstone. It originally served as a seminary but now houses the university's administration including the Office of the University President.
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception: The handsome Gothic Revival brownstone building was designed by architect Jeremiah O'Rourke, who later designed the Cathedral of Newark. The chapel was built in 1863 and dedicated in 1870. Major renovations were completed in 1972 and most recently in 2008. The 2008 renovation was a primary component of Seton Hall's comprehensive Ever Forward fundraising campaign. In 2013, the chapel landed at No. 24 on Buzzfeed's survey of "31 Insanely Beautiful Colleges You Can Get Married At" and was ranked at No.
Muscarelle Hall (formerly Stafford Hall): In 2021, Stafford Hall was renamed to Muscarelle Hall after Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Jr. The new academic building rose on the site of the former Stafford Hall in 2014. The outdated structure had been a campus fixture since the 19th century.
McQuaid Hall: Built around 1900, it was named for Bishop Bernard J.
Jubilee Hall: Jubilee Hall houses the W. Paul Stillman School of Business in addition to the largest auditorium at the university. There are several computer labs, state-of-the-art classrooms and a Stock Exchange research room. The building was originally named Kozlowski Hall after Dennis Kozlowski, Seton Hall Alumni and former CEO of Tyco International.
Walsh Gymnasium: Walsh Gymnasium is a multi-purpose arena for University Sports. The arena opened in 1939 and can seat 2,600 people. It was home to the Seton Hall University Pirates men's basketball team before they moved to Continental Airlines Arena and then the Prudential Center. Currently, the arena hosts the women's basketball and volleyball teams, and is part of the Richie Regan Recreation and Athletic Center. The building, like the school's main library, is named for Thomas J.
The Science and Technology Center (formerly McNulty Hall): The building was originally named for Msgr. John L. McNulty, president of the university from 1949 to 1959, McNulty Hall was built as the university's technology and research center in 1954. One of the most famous features of the building is the Atom Wall, a relief artwork originally located on outer façade.
Fahy Hall: Built in 1968, the building houses the classrooms and faculty offices of the College of Arts and Sciences. The building was named after Monsignor Thomas George Fahy who served as president of the university from 1970 to 1976.
Arts and Sciences Hall and The Nursing Building: Originally built to house the Stillman School of Business in 1973, with the creation of Jubilee Hall in 1997, the building is now home to the College of Arts and Sciences in the West wing and the Caroline D.

Newark Campus: Home to the School of Law

A satellite of the main campus, the Newark Campus is home to the university's School of Law. Located at One Newark Center, the Law School and several academic centers of the university are housed in a modern 22-story skyscraper building. It is at the corner of Raymond Boulevard and McCarter Highway in the business and high-tech heart of downtown Newark, New Jersey and was completed in 1991. The Seton Hall University School of Law was founded in 1951. It is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1951 and is also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). Seton Hall is one of two law schools in the state of New Jersey. Seton Hall Law was founded by a woman, Miriam T. Rooney, who served as dean from 1951 to 1961. She was not only Seton Hall's first female dean, but was the first woman dean at an ABA-accredited law school in the United States. Dean Kathleen M.

IHS Campus in Nutley

The IHS campus located in Nutley, New Jersey is dedicated to students seeking a career in health professions.

Campus Maps and Navigation

Seton Hall University understands the importance of clear and consistent imagery to support its branding and identity. Having consistent imagery across print, signage, and web-based presentations reduces confusion as individuals navigate their way to a destination. To this end, Seton Hall may use 3D perspective campus maps.

Creating 3D Perspective Campus Maps

The creation of these maps requires good, high-resolution, and reasonably current oblique aerial photographs depicting at least 85-90+ percent of the property to be mapped from the same elevation and direction that the university wishes to see depicted in their finished campus maps. If the university does not have access to reasonably-current oblique aerial photographs of their property, these services can be arranged with aerial photography partners. In addition to oblique aerial photography, copies of a property's site plan, along with any previous examples of campus maps for the property that can be obtained, provides access to a very efficient method of ensuring a very accurate finished-product. Site plans are usually available from an institution's Physical Plant, Facilities Department or Campus Architect.

Maintaining Campus Maps

Seton Hall University can maintain the images themselves, hire mapformation to maintain the imagery for them, or even hire a third party to maintain the maps for them if they so choose.

File Formats

Finished artwork is typically delivered in SketchUp (.skp) format, as well as a variety of "2D" output formats that clients might desire, including .jpg, .tif, .eps, .pdf, .bmp, .png, .dxf and .dwg. The editable .skp file format would require that clients have a copy of SketchUp in order to edit the map in three-dimensional form. Clients could, however, overlay information on top of any "static" views that are generated in 360-degrees by importing .tif, .bmp, .jpg or .png graphics into any raster software program, such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel PhotoPaint.

Academics and Student Life

Seton Hall University confers undergraduate and graduate degrees in as many as 70 academic fields.

Rankings and Recognition

U.S. News & World Report in 2025 as tied for 165th in the "National Universities" category.

Greek Life

Twenty-four recognized fraternity and sorority chapters are chartered at Seton Hall.

Student Media

The Setonian: The school's principal newspaper features school news, an entertainment section called "Pirate Life", sports, editorials, and an opinion section. The staff consists of undergraduates and publishes weekly on Thursday.
The Stillman Exchange: The Stillman Business school's newspaper. Its stories cover ethical issues, business, and athletic stories.
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations: A bi-annually published journal composed of writings by international leaders in government, the private sector, academia, and nongovernmental organizations.
The Diplomatic Envoy: Undergraduate students studying Diplomacy and International Relations publish The Diplomatic Envoy, an internati…

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