New Jersey Institute of Technology history

The first Board of Trustees met July 1, 1884.

The Newark Technical School opened Monday, February 9, 1885, with 88 students who attended despite a terrible snowstorm.

In 1886, under the leadership of the school’s dynamic first director, Doctor Charles A. Colton, the cornerstone was laid at the intersection of High Street and Summit Place for the three-story building later to be named Weston Hall in honor of the institution’s early benefactor.

A laboratory building, later to be called Colton Hall, was added to the campus in 1911.

A laboratory building, later to be called Colton Hall, was added to the campus in 1913.

Cullimore left an unpublished history of the institution dated 1955.

Cullimore Hall was built in 1958 and two years later the old Weston Hall was razed and replaced with the current seven-story structure.

Victor Pelson (class of 1959), Chairman of Global Operations and Member of the Board of Directors, AT&T; Chairman of New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of NJIT Board of Trustees.

Doctoral level programs were introduced and six years later, in 1966, an 18-acre (7.3 ha), four-building expansion was completed.

Only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo) Charles Speziale (class of 1970), scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and professor at Boston University.

Application oriented from inception, the school grew into a classic engineering college – Newark College of Engineering (NCE) – and then, with the addition of a School of Architecture in 1973, into a technology-oriented university that is now home to five colleges and one school.

While Newark College of Engineering remains, in 1975 a new university name—New Jersey Institute of Technology—was chosen to represent the institution's expanded mission.

Redwood Hall was the first constructed in 1978 followed by Cypress, Oak and Laurel halls.

The opening of NJIT’s first dormitory, Redwood Hall, in 1979 began a period of steady growth that continues today.

Dick Sweeney (class of 1982), co-founder of Keurig.

Albert Dorman Honors College, the honors institution at NJIT, was formed in 1985 with the intention to help high achieving students perform to their full potential.

A leader in attracting first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students into STEM fields, the university has participated in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program since 1999.

On May 2, 2003 Robert A. Altenkirch was inaugurated as president.

Also in 2005, Eberhardt Hall was fully renovated and re-inaugurated as the Alumni Center and the symbolic front door to the university.

In 2006 construction of a new off-campus residence hall by American Campus Communities commenced in the chop shops' location.

The new hall, which opened in 2007, is dubbed the University Centre.

The average SAT score (math + verbal only) for enrolling freshmen to Honors College in 2008 is 1323 and a GPA of 3.65.

In June 2010, NJIT officially completed its purchase of the old Central High School building which sits in between NJIT and Rutgers–Newark campus.

Joel Bloom, 8th president, 2012–present

As of Fall 2013 there are 5 residence halls on campus: Redwood Hall, Cypress Hall, Oak Hall, Laurel Hall, and the Dorman Honors Residence, in addition to several Greek houses.

A new nonprofit corporate entity, New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), was established in 2014 to work directly with business, industry, and government for economic development.