History of Stockton University in Atlantic City

"When Stockton opened its doors in 1971 at the Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City, there was a real sense that we were embarking on something new, something different."

President Emeritus Harvey Kesselman

From its earliest days, Stockton has been a critical part of Atlantic City. The first classes were offered at the Mayflower Hotel at Tennessee Avenue and the Boardwalk. Students and faculty from that first year proudly identify themselves as "Mayflower" students and faculty. Stockton University's fifth president Harvey Kesselman was one of the first students enrolled in Stockton in Atlantic City. Although the main campus was built in nearby Galloway Township, Stockton maintained a presence in Atlantic City.

Through the years, Stockton has remained involved in the Atlantic City community with food drives, homework completion programs, Campus Kitchen, Community Gardens, school murals and afternoon teas with older adults. Most recently, Stockton also provides poetry classes, basketball skills, and strength and conditioning training for the Atlantic City’s Evening Recreation Program held at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School.