Stockton Committee Will Establish Exhibit For Controversial Namesake

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ — Stockton University’s decision to temporarily remove the bust of Richard Stockton from the entrance to the Richard E. Bjork Library has created “the opportunity to engage in a discussion of the man, his role in America’s history, and how we might remember him today,” Stockton President Harvey Kesselman said in a letter to the community that was provided to the media Monday morning.

The bust was removed last Thursday, and will return as part of an exhibit currently being developed for the library.

“Accounts of the desecration and destruction of historical statues fill our news, and remind us that our nation is struggling with accepting multiple points of view, with interpreting facts, and with finding common ground,” Kesselman said. “We are hopeful that through the development of the Richard Stockton Exhibit we will demonstrate that difficult issues can be dealt with in a way that strengthens and unites us.”

Stockton, a Princeton native, was the son of a wealthy landowner. He owned slaves, but he also signed the Declaration of Independence. He was a controversial figure in his own time, Stockton University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lori Vermeulen said in a letter to students.

The college bearing his name was established by the State Legislature in 1969, with the first classes coming to the school in 1971. It has been known as Stockton State College, Richard Stockton State College, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and now Stockton University.

The university is establishing a Richard Stockton Exhibit Committee, with the steering committee holding its initial meeting to begin the planning process this Wednesday, Aug. 30.

The Steering Committee of the Richard Stockton Exhibit Committee will consist of the presidents of the Faculty Senate, Stockton Federation of Teachers, and Student Senate, and a Student Trustee. It will also include our Dean of General Studies, the university’s Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Associate Provost for Strategic Planning, Academic Planning and Assessment.

The committee will be tasked with finding an appropriate safe and secure public space for the temporary relocation of the Stockton bust. This will include a panel exhibit that explains how and why the university is undertaking this research at this time.

After that, a larger more comprehensive exhibit will be established. The more comprehensive exhibit will include panel discussions, guest lectures, and the creation of a course on Richard Stockton.

“As we move forward, we welcome and encourage the participation of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members in this important endeavor,” Kesselman said. “Many have already volunteered. We hope that you will support us as we embark on this new chapter in Stockton University's history.”

Patch file photo