John Martin Thomas's five-year reign as the president of Rutgers Universitry was marked by a period of growth and expansion in student enrollment, academic programs, and physical facilities; it was also a time of increased frustration over relations with the state. In 1925 when he assumed the presidency, Rutgers had 1,343 undergraduates and a total registration of 2,396. By 1930 the undergraduate population had increased to 2,662, and combined enrollment in the University was nearly 17,000 students. In 1925 the University Extension Division was established providing educational service to over 40,000 residents of New Jersey. The following year Dr. Thomas invited the Bureau of Education to conduct an extensive survey of the University and submit a detailed report, which was used to develop long range plans for the institution. As a result of the study, faculty salaries were increased and four-year courses in economics and business administration were added to the curriculum. In January 1927, the New Jersey College of Pharmacy in Newark was incorporated into the University, and in the same year the Bureau of Biochemical and Bacteriology Research was established. By 1930, the University consisted of seven schools and colleges: Arts and Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Education, the New Jersey College for Women, Pharmacy, and Chemistry. With the growth of new academic programs came new facilities. The Dramatic Arts Building was completed in 1925, and one year later, Hegeman Hall, an addition to the Voorhees Library, and Van Dyck Hall. Construction at the Women's College included Recitation Hall and the Voorhees Chapel in 1926, and the Willets Infirmary and the Music Building in 1928. In 1929 three dormitories --Wessells, Leupp and Pell Halls--were begun on the Bishop Campus. Throughout his term, Dr. Thomas and the Trustees deliberated over the University's relationship with the State of New Jersey. State appropriations had not amounted to the levels needed to expand the school into a State University, and the problem remained over the dual private-public role of Rutgers. By 1930, numerous attempts to resolve the differences had failed.
From the description of Records of the John Martin Thomas Administration, 1902-1932, 1925-1930 (bulk). (Rutgers University). WorldCat record id: 760975702
