Centenary University

Centenary University is a private university in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Founded as a preparatory school by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1867, Centenary evolved into a Junior College for women and later a coeducational university.

Situated in suburban Warren County, New Jersey, 52 miles west of New York City, 35 miles southeast of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and 26 miles northeast of Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley, the school's main campus is identifiable by the Old Main building, now known as the Seay Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
Centenary was founded as the Centenary Collegiate Institute (CCI) by what was then known as the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867. The name was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Methodism in the United States. It was built for $200,000. George H. Whitney, D.D., was president from 1869 to 1895.

Beginning as a coeducational preparatory school, CCI became a girls-only institution in 1910. In 1940, it became a junior college: Centenary Junior College. It would subsequently become Centenary College for Women in 1956 before becoming Centenary College in 1976, a four-year college for women offering associate and bachelor's degrees, with men allowed to pursue degrees only at night courses. In 1988, men were allowed to attend full-time. In 1995, master's degree programs were introduced. In 2016, Centenary College was granted University status by the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education. In 1886, a 19-year-old kitchen worker at CCI named Tillie Smith was "outraged" and murdered in a field just off campus. A janitor at CCI named James Titus was convicted of the crime based on circumstantial evidence strongly influenced by yellow journalism. Authors and historians generally consider this a false conviction, but the debate over the facts continues perennially through dark tourism ghost tours, theatrical performances, books and Weird NJ magazine articles.

On Halloween night, 1899, the original five-story CCI building burned to the ground in a fire. Old Main (now known as the Seay Building), was designed by architect Oscar Schutte Teale in a Renaissance Beaux Arts style and built on the ruins of the original structure in 1901. Only two buildings survived the fire, the men's gymnasium (Little Theatre) and the women's gymnasium (Ferry Building).

In 1957, a student-run FM college radio station, WNTI, began broadcasting on campus. Eventually becoming an NPR affiliate serving the regional community with an adult album rock format, the FM transmitter was sold to University of Pennsylvania based WXPN in 2015. As of 2020, a student-run internet radio station operates at WNTI.org.

The Centenary Stage Company, a professional Equity theater, has been operating on campus since 1985. In 1992, a "Women's Playwright Series" development program offered grants, workshops, prizes and world premieres for the underserved voice of women in theater. Centenary also offers an intensive musical theater program for intermediate and advanced young performers.

In 1999, Centenary founded the Center for Adult and Professional Studies program. In 2011, the program was renamed the School of Professional Studies.

In 2019, Centenary reported enrollment of 1,119 students.

Accreditation
Centenary University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Some programs at Centenary are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, Council on Social Work Education, or International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

Main campus and learning centers
Centenary University Main campus is located in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The Centenary Equestrian Center in Long Valley provides riding and education facilities for its Equine Studies and Animal Health Department.

Hackettstown Campus
The main campus of Centenary University is home to most of the school's academic, administrative, athletic and collegiate activities, as well as housing for its undergraduate students. It consists of ten main buildings and eight residence buildings. The Seay Building ("Old Main") was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1997, for its significance in architecture.

Buildings

 * Brotherton Hall – Professor offices, classrooms




 * Ferry Building – Classrooms and small music hall


 * Harris & Betts Smith Learning Center – Academic Success Center, Student Veterans Organization, Disabilities Services Office, classrooms
 * Lackland Center – Classrooms, Dance Studio, Dining Center, Sitnik Theatre, Edith Kutz Black Box Theater, TV studio, WNTI Radio Studio
 * Littell Technology Center – Classrooms, graphics Department, ENACTUS office
 * Reeves Gymnasium – Athletics Department, gymnasium, weight room, wrestling center
 * Seay Building – Classrooms, Whitney Chapel, tutoring center, Student Activities Center: the Cyber Space, Campus Life Suite; the Little Theater, main college offices: Admissions, Alumni Affairs, Bursar, Campus Life, Advancement, Marketing & Communications, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Information Technology, President's Office
 * Taylor Memorial Library – Library, print Shop, small classroom
 * Trevorrow Hall – Science and Fine Art Building; classrooms, labs, Fashion Department, Science Department
 * Wellness Center –  Health and counseling centerTaylor Memorial Library - Centenary University.jpg

Residence halls

 * Anderson – Co-ed (Co-ed floors, male only and female only rooms)
 * Bennett-Smith – Apartments (Co-ed floors, male or female only suites)
 * Founders – Apartments (Co-ed floors, choice of male only, female only, or Co-ed suites)
 * Lotte – Co-ed (male only and female only rooms)
 * Reeves – Co-ed Freshmen only (male only and female only rooms)
 * Smith – Co-ed Freshmen and 1st year Transfers (male only and female only rooms)
 * Van Winkle – Co-ed (Male only and female only rooms)
 * Washabaugh – Co-ed (Male and female only floors: 1st floor: male, 2nd floor: female)

Equestrian Center
The Equestrian Center is located in Long Valley, New Jersey. It consists of several large paddocks, an outdoor eventing course, two indoor arenas and one outdoor arena. The Equestrian Center sits on 65 acre of land.

In 2007 and 2012, Centenary Equestrian Center hosted the American National Riding Commission Championships, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals, and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Championships.

Athletics
Centenary University teams participate in eight NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports. The Cyclones joined the Colonial States Athletic Conference for the 2007–08 season after being a member of the Skyline Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. Students enrolled in the college's Equine programs may participate in competitions through intercollegiate organizations such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, or with the Hunter/Jumper's Club.

Noted athletic achievements
In 2009 Centenary's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team won the National Championships in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Lindsay Clark, a Centenary Student, also won the USEF/Cacchione Cup.

The 2010 women's soccer team won the CSAC Championship, earning them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2013 and 2016 men's soccer teams replicated this feat.

Notable alumni and staff

 * Mike Hall (bassist) (born 1989), bassist.
 * Bette Cooper (1920-2017), Miss America 1937.
 * Jonathan Townley Crane (1819-1880), clergyman, author, abolitionist, co-founder of the school.
 * William Howe Crane (1854-1926), lawyer.
 * Debbie Harry (born 1945), lead singer of Blondie.
 * Cole Kimball (born 1985), pitcher drafted by the Washington Nationals.
 * Carol McCain (born 1937), former wife of U.S. Senator and former 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain.
 * Gail Phoebus (born 1950), politician who has represented the 24th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2015 to 2018.