Kean University, New Jersey's third largest institution of higher education, has a fascinating history dating back to its 1855 founding in Newark. Initially a normal school used for training the city's teachers, it has evolved into a university that offers outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs in many fields, including medical and allied health, management, speech, fine arts, liberal arts, architecture, and psychology. Teacher education programs at Kean result in the university graduating the highest number of teachers in the state. Kean also offers doctoral degrees in several areas, including educational leadership (EdD), school and clinical psychology (PsyD), physical therapy (PhD), and nursing (PhD). This photographic history features striking images from the university's archives, which span from the late 19th century to the present. Of special interest are the descriptions of the campus moving from Newark to Union and the creation of new campus sites in Ocean County, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China.
Authors Erin Alghandoor, Kean archivist; Frank J. Esposito, distinguished professor; Elizabeth Hyde, associate professor and assistant department chairperson; and Jonathan Mercantini, associate professor and department chairperson, are all affiliated with the Kean University Department of History.