Bergen Junior College
Hackensack and Teaneck, New Jersey
1934-1953
E-Travel
I bought the 1950 Saga yearbook on Ebay. “Born of Necessity”: The Two-Year College in New Jersey by James M. Lynch profiled the school. The Bergen Evening Record was one of the newspapers that covered school events.
History
Junior College of Bergen County was founded in 1933 by Dr. Charles Littel to provide the first two years of college at an affordable cost for local youth; thus, it became the first junior college chartered in New Jersey. With an initial enrollment of 50 students, taught by a faculty of 12, Bergen Junior College remained a relatively small school until the end of World War II. Enrollment in 1937 was listed as 400 with a faculty of 35. But in 1946, with the return of veterans, enrollment was1,400 and, according to Lynch, may have reached 4,000. But the 1950 Saga shows a return to pre-war levels. There were 144 graduates, almost all from the New York/New Jersey area. When B.J.C. merged with Fairleigh Dickinson College in 1953 it had 197 day students and 297 evening students.
In its first year B.J.C. had both a Phi Sigma Delta sorority and a Theta Alpha Sigma fraternity. The 1950 Saga shows four fraternities and three sororities with a panhellenic council to coordinate activities. Together they sponsored the Spring Carnival, the Mardi Graas Masquerade and the Queen of Hearts Dance.
A Dramatics Department and a Spanish Club had been organized by 1934. The Saga shows a newspaper staff, a yearbook staff, a student council, ten academic clubs, a glee club, and at least four other organizations of special interest to students.
Cash strapped because of lower enrollment, Bergen Junior College merged with Fairleigh-Dickenson College in 1953.
Pinterest image of the original home of Bergen Junior College
Bricks and Mortar
President Littel rented rooms in the Y-For-All Building at 360 Main Street in Hackensack. The college used all available spaces—including the swimming pool—working around the Y’s regular daily schedule.
In 1936, with increased enrollment, the college purchased Willowbrook, a 15-acre property on River Road in Teaneck. The main building was a 35-room, four-story mansion, part of which was more than 200 years old with hand-adzed beams. Renamed Lyans Hall, it housed classrooms and
laboratories as well as a recreation/reception hall. Other buildings included a barn, a caretaker’s house, and a large hothouse. The caretaker’s house became the administration building. The renovated barn had a 400-seat auditorium and was home to the drama department and the library.
In 1947 B.J.C added a new classroom building, part of which had been the gymnasium at Camp Shanks. The army also provided 26 housing units for veterans attending B.J.C. on the G.I. Bill. The result was that in 1950 the campus had seven main buildings and 13 dormitories in addition to the veterans’ housing. In 1953 the campus became the Teaneck campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Sports
Team name: Indians
Colors: Green and White
Even with an enrollment of fewer than 100 students, B.J.C began men’s and women’s basketball programs in the first year, playing primarily high schools. In the spring a track team was organized, competing against Essex Junior College. But in its infancy, the school lacked the resources to support sports programs. During the second year a fund raiser was organized to buy football uniforms, and the baseball team had to provide its own funding.
Football began in fall 1934 and continued through 1949. Before World War II, teams were built from local talent and played a schedule of high schools, junior colleges, junior varsities, and independent teams. When football resumed in 1946, teams became more successful against a schedule of varsity teams from four-year colleges. In 1948 B.J.C. became the first white school to accept a challenge from a black school, losing 40-12 in the Polo Grounds to Wilberforce (OH) Teachers (Central State). In 1949 the Indians, claimed the national junior college championship, after defeating Panzer, Adelphi, Lincoln (PA), Arnold, Bridgeport, Massachusetts Maritime, Lowell Textile, American International and Fort Monmouth. B.J.C. dropped football in 1950 when four-year schools refused to schedule them.
The 1949-50 Indians had a 19-6 record. Image from the Saga
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