Fairleigh Dickinson University USA

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded in 1942 and recognized as the largest private institution of higher education in New Jersey, with more than 12,000 students enrolled across multiple campuses. The university’s main campuses are located in Madison/Florham Park and Teaneck/Hackensack, New Jersey, while additional campuses operate in Vancouver, Canada, and Wroxton, England, along with online learning programs. Originally established as Fairleigh Dickinson Junior College by Peter Sammartino and his wife Sally Sammartino, the institution was named after benefactor Fairleigh S. Dickinson. The school began in Rutherford, New Jersey, and expanded rapidly after World War II because of increased enrollment supported by the GI Bill. In 1948, it became a four-year institution known as Fairleigh Dickinson College, and in 1953 it merged with Bergen Junior College, adding the Teaneck campus. The university officially achieved university status in 1956 after approval from the New Jersey State Board of Education. In 1958, the institution acquired the historic Twombly-Vanderbilt estate in Madison and Florham Park, now known as the Florham Campus. The estate’s grounds were designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park, while Hennessy Hall was created by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White in the Georgian Revival style inspired by Hampton Court Palace. Today, the university offers more than 100 degree programs and continues to expand under the leadership of president Michael J. Avaltroni.