ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ: Then & Now
Whether you were among the first to step foot on ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ’s Galloway campus in the ’70s, saw the addition of N Wing and Housing 2 & 3 in the ’80s, sat in a physics class with Professor Yitzhak Sharon or felt the shower of confetti when celebrating becoming a university, ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ has grown, adapted and evolved over five decades.
Here’s a look back at what once was — and where we are today.
An Osprey’s-Eye View
In the mid-1970s, the Academic Spine stood as the heart of campus, with the Housing 1 Courts located across Lake Fred. Over the years, ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ expanded to add spaces that reflect the changing needs of students and the region.
Welcome to ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ
Then or now — no matter what ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ was called at the time — the main entrance on Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway has always been the front door to campus. For generations of students, that familiar welcome has marked the start of something new.
Technology
ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ students have always learned alongside changing technology, from early classrooms to today’s advanced digital environments. The newest chapter in that evolution arrived in 2025 with the completion of four high-performance computing labs in lower D Wing.
Atlantic City
ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ’s first classes were held in September 1971, at the site of the former Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City while construction of the Galloway campus continued. The college opened with 1,000 students, 97 staff and 60 full-time faculty who transferred to the Galloway campus by the end of the year.
ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ continued to have a strong presence in Atlantic City, operating an institutional site at the historic Carnegie Library from 2002 to 2022, and supporting artistic and cultural endeavors at Dante Hall Theatre from 2009 through 2020, and the Noyes Arts Garage, beginning in 2013. Hundreds of ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff engage with the city through internships, service-learning opportunities and community initiatives.
In 2018, the University opened the John F. Scarpa Academic Center at the site of the former Atlantic City High School, and the Kesselman Hall residential complex along the Boardwalk. In 2023, ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ opened Parkview Hall, a second residence hall with views of the beach and O’Donnell Memorial Park.
Combined, ÐÂÂ鶹ÊÓƵ Atlantic City houses 900 students and offers a variety of undergraduate classes. It is home to several academic programs, including Hospitality, Tourism & Event Management, the Master of Social Work and a doctoral program in Organizational Leadership.
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Capital Beginnings
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