Timeline

As the state's oldest academic medical institution, we are proud to be a part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) - the nation's largest public university of the health sciences.

Rooted strongly in the state's historic past, we are endeavoring to define the future of medicine in all four of our mission areas: education, clinical care, community outreach and research.

August 6, 1954 - Incorporation papers to establish the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (SHCMD) are filed

January 12, 1955 - Charles L. Brown, MD, is appointed founding dean and leads an initiative to attract outstanding faculty to New Jersey 's first medical school

September 1955 - Construction of teaching and clinical facilities at Jersey City Medical Center begins; a 15-story outpatient building is converted into laboratories and classrooms

September 1956 - The school admits its first class of 80 students

Spring 1960 - SHCMD receives full accreditation for its four-year medical program from the American Medical Association

June 4, 1960 - SHCMD graduates its first class

1960 - The Alumni Association is formed

December 22, 1964 - Governor Richard Hughes signs the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry Act of 1964; SHCMD is purchased by the state for $4 million

May 3, 1965 - Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry is renamed the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry (NJCMD)

1968- State officials, in considering a move to Newark , meet with community representatives and establish the Newark Agreements, providing the city with public-sector healthcare services, and placing emphasis on recruiting minority students and providing employment opportunities

April 1968 - New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry purchases land in Newark to construct interim facilities

July 1, 1968 - The move to Newark begins

July 1, 1968 - New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry assumes operation of Newark City Hospital from the city and renames the complex the Harrison S. Martland Medical Unit of NJCMD. It becomes the school's principal teaching facility

September 1969 - New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry completes move to Newark

June 16, 1970 - Medicine and Dentistry Education Act establishes the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - combining Rutgers Medical School and the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry under one Board of Trustees. The medical school is officially named New Jersey Medical School

April 1, 1971 - The Housing Authority of Newark conveys 45.7 acres of Newark 's Central Ward to construct a permanent campus

July 6, 1971 - Groundbreaking ceremony for Newark campus

September 1971- The entering class of 113 students includes an unprecedented 28 minority students, demonstrating the school's commitment to diversity

June 1973 - Construction of Medical Sciences Building (MSB) begins in Newark

May 10, 1976 - The Newark campus is dedicated

1977- Construction of College Hospital begins

September 1977 - NJMS moves into the new Medical Sciences Building which features 606,000 square feet of classrooms, research laboratories and faculty space

January 1979 - College Hospital opens replacing Martland Hospital

1982- College Hospital becomes University Hospital

May 1991- New Jersey Medical School 's first convocation

March 1992 - NJMS's Doctors Office Center open

1994- NJMS becomes the second school in the US to host a White Coat Ceremony

1996 - The Graduate Medical Education Consortium-New Jersey Medical School is established to coordinate the graduate medical education programs of NJMS, University Hospital , Hackensack University Medical Center and Morristown Memorial Hospital

January 1999 - FOCUS Community Health Center is established by Dr. Waldemar Johanson to help address the healthcare needs of the growing Latino community of Newark .

July 7, 2002 - Groundbreaking for NJMS/UH Cancer Center

2002 - Behavioral Science Building Opens

2002 - ICPH Opens

August 2004 - 50 th anniversary celebration begins. Learn more about the campaign.

August 2004 - Class of 2008 begins classes. The 175-member class is chosen from a group of 3,853 applications, 74 percent of whom are from out-of-state

August 2004 - The NJMS Jubilee Curriculum is launched

June 2005 - The LCME renews accreditation for full eight years

August 2005 - 50 th anniversary time capsule is dedicated

September 2005 - Robert L. Johnson, MD, '72 is appointed Interim Dean

50 th Anniversary

Initially established as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1954, the college's mission was to train highly qualified clinicians to meet the healthcare needs of New Jersey and the nation - a mission that remains a top priority today.

Since becoming part of UMDNJ, NJMS has continued to make great strides forward. With a rich tradition in education and research, NJMS is a young and vibrant school that continues to expand its horizons and grow its success.

As part of NJMS's golden anniversary celebration, a number of events for the NJMS community, including a symposium featuring top researchers and experts in the field of medicine, were planned to celebrate the school's rich history and growth and recognize the promise that NJMS holds for the future.

Click here to read about the events:

Deans of NJMS

Charles L. Brown, MD (1955-59)

James E. McCormack, MD (1960-66)

Arthur J. Lewis, MD (1966)

Desmond Bonnycastle, MD, PhD (acting 1967)

Rulon Rawson , MD (1967-72)

Harold Kaminetsky, MD (acting dean and dean, 1972-74)

Stanley S. Bergen , Jr., MD (acting 1974)

Vincent Lanzoni, MD, PhD (1975-87)

Stuart D. Cook, MD (acting 1987-89)

Ruy V. Lourenço, MD (December 1989-June 2000)

Joel A. DeLisa, MD, MS (interim July 2000- December 2000)

Russell T. Joffe, MD (January 2001-Sept 2005)

Robert L. Johnson, MD (interim October 2005 to present)