Seton Hall University is a private, Roman Catholic institution of higher learning in South Orange, New Jersey, near New York City. The institution was founded in 1856 by James Roosevelt Bayley, a Roman Catholic bishop. He established Seton Hall in Madison, New Jersey, as the first diocesan college in the state. A diocese is a church district administered by a bishop. The school was named for Bayley’s aunt, Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first person born in the United States to be recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Seton Hall moved to its present location in 1860 and became a university in 1950.
Today, Seton Hall University operates under the support of the Archdiocese of Newark. It is the oldest diocesan Catholic university in the United States. Most Seton Hall students are Catholic, but the university welcomes students of all religious backgrounds.
Seton Hall University is also home to the National Institute for Clergy Formation, which provides educational programs and guidance for Catholic priests. The university’s alternative programs, offered through its University College, include part-time study, college courses for high school students, and off-campus study at locations throughout the state. In 1997, the university—along with the United Nations Association of the United States of America—founded the School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
Noteworthy alumni of Seton Hall include basketball announcer Dick Vitale and several members of Congress. The university’s athletic teams are called the Pirates.
The university’s website at https://www.shu.edu/ offers additional information.
