Campus Namesakes

This exhibit aims to explore the spaces of Rutgers University and the people behind the names that are most associated with it. As students of Rutgers, we feel that people deserve to know the true history of the names they see every day on campus. While researching these names, we found a strong connection between the early families of Rutgers (originally called Queen's College) and the history of slavery in New Jersey. Thus, this exhibit features the family histories of prominent contributors to Rutgers and gives insight into their lives with a particular emphasis on their relations to slavery. Through this, we hope to provide transparency on Rutgers University’s historic connections and dealings with slavery, and we seek to highlight the names of enslaved African Americans who are part of Rutgers history.

Credits

Spring 2018 Digital History students: Jenny Schneider, Courtney Stevenson, Rachel Diroll-Zack, Dante Intindola, Khaled Reza, Sid Mehta, Manan Shah