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Alumni, faculty and staff members who spent time at the Mayflower Hotel during Stockton’s very first semester in the fall of 1971 reunited at the new Stockton University Atlantic City Academic Center for a reunion on October 7, 2018. The event, part of University Weekend, was a celebration of Stockton returning to its roots in Atlantic City, and, for many, a family reunion.
Perhaps the most special moment of the day came when Don Purdy, former mayor of Galloway, came forward to make a much-anticipated presentation to the University. Purdy shared that while getting a haircut he overheard other patrons talking about Stockton. As they chatted, one of them mentioned that her father owned a special piece of Mayflower history, the hotel’s original brass sign. Following several conversations and some negotiations, Purdy acquired the piece. Thanks to Purdy’s extraordinary generosity the sign, which he had restored and mounted over a plaque that reads “Plant yourself where you can grow,” will now be prominently displayed at Stockton Atlantic City.
Journalists, photographers and videographers from more than a dozen media outlets visited Stockton's Atlantic City campus to tour the residential and academic buildings, meet the staff and students, and capture imagery and stories of Stockton's growth in the city. Click here to view a few images that document the day.
The new Atlantic City campus is expected to open in September, and both the university and city are preparing for the more than 500 students who will be living in the Chelsea section of the city come fall.
“We’re doing really well. We’re more than 85 percent full in the building,” said Haley Baum, assistant dean of students for Atlantic City. Baum said 450 of the 533 residential spots available to students at the Boardwalk dorm have been filled. About 70 of those spots will be year-round residents, she said.
The university has announced more than 100 courses to be available in Atlantic City in the fall. A shuttle will be available to take students between Atlantic City and the main campus in Galloway Township from early in the morning until after midnight. Read the full story in the Press of Atlantic City.
Stockton University, in conjunction with Atlantic City’s city council, is working to transform the city blocks around Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus and spur economic development in the area. University officials hope to dub the area as the University District. If passed, the university will equip the streets with banners, signs and provide a designation for Stockton’s boundaries.
Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz, one of the sponsors of the ordinance, said the area around the university — empty storefronts, restaurants, small businesses and homes — could be boosted with this designation. “Our effort is to not be in Atlantic City, but be a part of Atlantic City. It’s important that we integrate,” Brian Jackson, chief operating officer for Stockton’s Atlantic City campus, said.
