Edward J. Bloustein

Edward J. Bloustein (born January 20, 1925 in Bronx , New York City , † December 9, 1989 in Nassau , Bahamas ) was an American lawyer , university professor and from 1971 until his death president of Rutgers University in New Brunswick .

Life

The son of Polish immigrants studied after attending James Monroe High School in Bronx with the help of a scholarship, initially at New York University (NYU). He then completed a Fulbright scholarship in philosophy at the University of Oxford , graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA Philosophy). He later earned both a doctorate in law and a doctorate in philosophy from Cornell University .

Bloustein was professor of law at New York University from 1961 to 1965 before he was president of Bennington College in Vermont between 1965 and 1971 . There he initiated the conversion from an all-women college to a co-educational college , which resulted in the number of enrollments almost doubling from 350 to 600 during his presidency. In addition to his work as college president, he was also a professor of constitutional law . As a constitutional lawyer, he was a recognized expert on privacy law and dealt in particular with the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution .

In 1971 he finally became President of Rutgers University and directed its fortunes until his death in 1989.

A keen advocate of academic freedom , Bloustein led the expansion of Rutgers University into many areas of academic research, as well as the college football program. Numerous research centers have opened in the last decade of his tenure as President of Rutgers University, New Jersey's state university . With a $ 90 million grant from the New Jersey state government, the university received centers for applied nutritional technology, fiber optic research, and applied biotechnology and medicine . Despite partial criticism from other university members, he saw the promotion of college sports as an important role for the external presentation of the university. In 1984 the university received a government grant to renovate the football stadium. In 1984 he was also President of the Association of State Universities and Colleges for a period.

The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University was named in his honor.

Web links and sources

• THE NEW YORK TIMES: Edward J. Bloustein, 64, Is Dead; President of Rutgers Since 1971 (December 11, 1989)