Fairleigh Dickinson University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded in 1942. It is the largest private university in New Jersey. The institution has two campuses: the College at Florham in Madison and Florham Park which is centered on the former estate of Florence Vanderbilt and Hamilton Twombly, and the Metropolitan Campus located close to New York City in Teaneck and Hackensack. It also owns a non-U.S. campus in Wroxton, England called the Wroxton College in Wroxton Abbey. It is one of the first universities in the United States to own a non-U.S. campus. The university has also won approval for opening a campus in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2007.

While both New Jersey campuses have a variety of courses and programs, the College at Florham emphasizes traditional liberal arts offerings, while the Metropolitan Campus is gradually placing more and more emphasis on professionally oriented study. Fairleigh Dickinson is home to the QUEST program, where students can study any major and combine their bachelor's degree with a masters in education. The University has had long-standing connections with the United Nations; as a result, qualified students have opportunities for internships with the UN and its associated agencies.

In intercollegiate athletics, the Metropolitan Campus competes in NCAA Division I, while the College at Florham competes in Division III, making it one of only a few schools in the United States to field both Division I and Division III teams. The teams at the Metropolitan Campus are known as the Knights, while the Madison teams are known as the Devils.

In total, there are about 6,500 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students of which many are international students from over 60 countries; the majority of international students attend the Metropolitan Campus. Many students are commuters.

[edit] History

Fairleigh Dickinson University was founded by Dr. Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia, in 1942 in Rutherford, New Jersey as a two-year college. It was named for its benefactor, Colonel Fairleigh S. Dickinson, Sr. (1858–1942), a co-founder of Becton Dickinson. By 1948, Fairleigh Dickinson College expanded its curriculum to offer a four-year program. In that same year, the school received accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1956, as determined by the State of New Jersey Board of Education, the institution was recognized as Fairleigh Dickinson University.

[edit] Notable alumni

Mensun Bound, marine archaeologist
Richard Codey, Former Governor and Current State Senate President of New Jersey
Peggy Noonan, Columnist, Author and Former Speechwriter for Ronald Reagan
Gregory Olsen, American entrepreneur and astronaut
John Spencer, late actor known for his role on The West Wing (did not graduate)
Dennis F. Strigl, President and CEO of Verizon Wireless
Ben Weinman, Guitarist for The Dillinger Escape Plan

[edit] External links

Northeast Conference
Central Connecticut • Fairleigh Dickinson • LIU–Brooklyn • Monmouth • Mount St. Mary's • Quinnipiac • Robert Morris • Sacred Heart • St. Francis(NY) • St. Francis(PA) • Wagner

National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association
Army • City • Cornell • Drew • Fairleigh Dickinson • Florida • Haverford • Hunter CUNY • Johns Hopkins • Marist • Maryland College Park • New Jersey Institute of Technology • Queens CUNY • Smith • Stevens Institute of Technology • Temple • Tufts • Virginia • Virginia Tech • Yeshiva