Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) (formerly College of Saint Elizabeth, CSE) is a private Catholic university in Morris Township, New Jersey, United States. Portions of the campus are also in Florham Park.[3] SEU offer 25 undergraduate degree programs, 16 master's degree programs, and 2 doctoral degree programs.
History
The College of Saint Elizabeth was founded in 1899 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth and was among the first Catholic colleges in the United States to award degrees to women. It is located in a complex which includes the order's motherhouse and convent, as well as a preparatory school for girls.
The college began transitioning into a co-educational institution, starting with the 2016 freshman intake. The final all-female class graduated in 2019.[4] The institution was accorded university status by the New Jersey Department of Education as of July 1, 2020.[5] It was the last women-only college in the state.[6]
The school is named for St. Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary (mother of Jesus). The college was founded by the Sisters of Charity, the order started by Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), who, after her death, was canonized as the United States' first native-born saint. (Seton Hall University in New Jersey and Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania are named after Elizabeth Ann Seton.)
Campus
Saint Elizabeth University is located on the campus of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. The 200-acre (0.81 km2) wooded campus is home to the classical Greek amphitheater built into a hillside and the original dairy farm for the complex.
Part of the grounds are in Florham Park Borough.[7] Other parts are in Convent Station, Morris Township.[8]
Annunciation Center (Classrooms, Dolan Performance Hall, academic offices)
O'Connor Hall (student residence)
Founders Hall (student residence)
The classical Greek Theatre is used for concerts and performances. The Shakespeare Garden, completed in 1931, and a greenhouse, built in 1911 also sit on the campus.
Saint Elizabeth University teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Eagles are a member of the United East Conference (UEC). Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball.[10]
Sister Carmela Marie Cristiano (1927–2011), Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth who served the community as a teacher, social worker and activist, who was the first religious sister to run for office in New Jersey.[12]
Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich (1901–1927; graduated 1923), Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth and author of Greater Perfection, who was beatified in 2014.[13]
Rita Lenihan (1914–1989), officer in the United States Navy who served as Director of the WAVES and Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women from 1966 to 1970.[14]
^Westhoven, William. "Former College of St. Elizabeth graduates to university status", Daily Record (Morristown), July 23, 2020. Accessed September 21, 2020. "There's a new 'U' in Morris County. So far, only a few sign changes have acknowledged the graduation of the College of Saint Elizabeth to university status. With little in the way of public notice, the school officially became the University of Saint Elizabeth on July 1.... Joseph Ciccone, vice president of academic affairs, said college staff celebrated as best as they could through social media on July 1, when they received word from the New Jersey Department of Education that the application for university status had been accepted."
^McManus, Jane. "Haiti is just the start for David Clowney", ESPN, May 28, 2010. Accessed February 27, 2018. "In case it doesn't work out, Clowney is preparing himself to be successful off the field. He is working toward a master's degree in criminal justice at the College of St. Elizabeth."
^Rogers, Lois. "Sister Carmela Cristiano remembered as an advocate for all generations", Trenton Monitor, August 8, 2011. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Born in New York City, N.Y., the daughter of Francis and Mary (Canonica) Cristiano, she graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, with a Bachelor of Science degree in education and began her years of service teaching in Catholic schools around the state."
^Schlossberg, Tatiana. "A Nun From New Jersey Is on a Path to Sainthood", The New York Times, October 3, 2014. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Sister Miriam Teresa was born in Bayonne in 1901, the youngest of seven children of immigrants from present-day Slovakia.... She attended the College of Saint Elizabeth, where she majored in English literature, graduating summa cum laude in 1923."
^Navy Women, 1908-1988: A Pictorial History, Volume 1, p. 42. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Captain Rita Lenihan Born in Monroe, New York. ... Received B.S. from College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ with major in Latin, minor in journalism."
^Speiser, Matthew. "Jersey City honors trail blazing judge with post office dedication", The Jersey Journal, December 9, 2014. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Shirley A. Tolentino was a woman of many firsts.In 1976, she was the first female African-American Jersey City Municipal Court judge. In 1981, she became the first black female presiding judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court. And in 1984, she became the first female African-American Superior Court judge in the state.... She graduated from Henry Snyder High School and then later from the College of Saint Elizabeth with a degree in Latin."
^Louise C. Wilmot Papers, 1918-1999 (bulk 1964-1997): Finding Aid, United States Naval Academy, October 2010. Accessed February 27, 2018. "Louise Currie Wilmot was born on December 31, 1942 in Wayne, New Jersey to Woodrow and Dorothy Currie. After completing high school, Wilmot attended the College of Saint Elizabeth, graduating in June 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts in History."
