Clockwise from top left: Glassblower statue, Bunce Hall at Rowan University, glass bottles from area glassworks, Glassboro Municipal Building, Whitney Mansion, panorama of the Rowan Boulevard downtown area, Glassboro Water Tower, and Historic West Jersey Depot (old train station)
Location of Glassboro in Gloucester County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Gloucester County in New Jersey highlighted in red (left).
What is now Glassboro was originally formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 11, 1878, from portions of Clayton Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Elk Township (April 17, 1891) and Pitman (May 24, 1905). Glassboro was incorporated as a borough on March 18, 1920, replacing Glassboro Township.[25] The borough was named for its glass industry.[26][27][28]
History
Glassboro's early industrial history was built on the manufacturing of glass. The town was first established in 1779 by Solomon Stanger as Glass Works in the Woods. Glass manufacturers over the years since include Heston-Carpenter Glass Works, Olive Glass Works, Harmony Glass Works, Temperanceville Glass Works, Whitney Brothers Glass Works, Owens Bottle Company, Owens Illinois Glass Company, and Anchor Hocking.[29]
Rowan University, formerly Glassboro State College, was founded in 1923. The university was the site of the Glassboro Summit Conference in 1967 between U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin.[30][31]
In 1958, a typhoid fever epidemic broke out in the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Elsmere and Lawns, which was attributed to 20 years of municipal neglect of the sanitary infrastructure in these neighborhoods.[32]
On June 19, 1986, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting president to speak at a high school graduation when he spoke at the Glassboro High School commencement ceremonies.[34]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 9.36 square miles (24.24 km2), including 9.32 square miles (24.14 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of water (0.41%).[2][3]Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Elsemere.[35]
The 2010 United States census counted 18,579 people, 6,158 households, and 3,972 families in the borough. The population density was 2,022.9 inhabitants per square mile (781.0/km2). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 717.5 per square mile (277.0/km2). The racial makeup was 72.25% (13,423) White, 18.67% (3,469) Black or African American, 0.11% (21) Native American, 2.87% (534) Asian, 0.05% (10) Pacific Islander, 3.12% (580) from other races, and 2.92% (542) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.42% (1,378) of the population.[21]
Of the 6,158 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18; 44.4% were married couples living together; 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 22.5% were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.[21]
19.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 26.4% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.0 males.[21]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $54,795 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,793) and the median family income was $67,171 (+/− $9,496). Males had a median income of $49,695 (+/− $4,361) versus $43,489 (+/− $2,608) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,108 (+/− $1,421). About 9.3% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.[47]
2000 census
As of the 2000 census,[18] there were 19,068 people, 6,225 households, and 4,046 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,071.3 inhabitants per square mile (799.7/km2). There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 712.0 per square mile (274.9/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 74.5% White, 19.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.[45][46]
There were 6,225 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.17.[45][46]
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 25.6% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.[45][46]
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,992, and the median income for a family was $55,246. Males had a median income of $40,139 versus $30,358 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,113. About 8.5% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.[45][46]
Parks and recreation
The Glassboro Wildlife Management Area covers almost 2,400 acres (970 ha) in portions of Glassboro, Clayton, and Monroe Township.[48][49]
Government
Local government
Glassboro is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[50] The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[8] The borough form of government used by Glassboro is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[51][52]
Anna Miller was appointed by the borough council in March 2013 from among three candidates offered by the municipal Democratic committee to fill the vacant seat of George Cossabone.[53][54]
In March 2019, Danielle Spence was selected to fill the seat on the Borough Council expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Edward A. Malandro.[55] Spence served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office and won a full three-year term, while Anthony J. Fiola was elected to serve an unexpired term.[56]
As of 2023[update], the mayor of Glassboro is Democrat John E. Wallace, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.[4] Members of the borough council, and the years their terms expire, are Council President Anna Miller (D, 2024), George P. Cossabone Sr. (D, 2025), Joseph M. D'Alessandro (D, 2023), Anthony J. Fiola (D, 2023), Andrew Halter (D, 2024), and Daniele Brida Spence (D, 2025).[57][58][59][60][61][62]
Federal, state, and county representation
Glassboro is located in the 1st Congressional District[63] and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.[64][65][66]
Gloucester County is governed by a board of county commissioners, whose seven members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. At a reorganization meeting held each January, the Board selects a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2025[update], Gloucester County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 9,772 registered voters in Glassboro, of which 3,733 (38.2%) were registered as Democrats, 1,408 (14.4%) were registered as Republicans and 4,617 (47.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 14 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[87]
In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden received 59.9% of the vote (5,162 cast), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 38.5% (3,320), and other candidates with 1.6% among the 8,798 ballots cast by the borough's 11,661 voters, for a turnout of 75.4%.[88][89] In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 56.3% of the vote (4,135 cast), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 37.8% (2,779 votes), and other candidates with 5.9% among the 7,347 ballots cast by the borough's 11,512 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.8%.[90][91] In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 63.7% of the vote (4,578 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 34.6% (2,485 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (128 votes), among the 7,252 ballots cast by the borough's 10,804 registered voters (61 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 67.1%.[92][93] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 62.8% of the vote (4,516 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 35.4% (2,547 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (62 votes), among the 7,195 ballots cast by the borough's 10,312 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.8%.[94] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 58.5% of the vote (3,930 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 40.1% (2,699 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (60 votes), among the 6,723 ballots cast by the borough's 9,801 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.6.[95]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 53.0% of the vote (2,106 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 45.0% (1,786 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (80 votes), among the 4,074 ballots cast by the borough's 10,838 registered voters (102 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 37.6%.[96][97] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 51.7% of the vote (2,198 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 39.0% (1,659 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.7% (287 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (29 votes), among the 4,255 ballots cast by the borough's 9,958 registered voters, yielding a 42.7% turnout.[98]
Guardian Angels Regional School is a K-8 school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden and accepts students from Glassboro.[110] Its PreK-3 campus is in Gibbstown while its 4-8 campus is in Paulsboro.[111] Our Lady of Lourdes in Glassboro is one of the sending parishes; the former St. Bridget Regional School in Glassboro merged into St. Michael in 2008.[112]
Rowan University is a public university with an enrollment of 19,500 undergraduate and graduate students in 2018–2019.[113] The university was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a 25-acre (10 ha) site donated by the borough. The school became New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro in 1937 and Glassboro State College in 1958. Beginning in the 1970s, the university expanded into a multi-purpose institution, adding programs in business, communications, and engineering.[31] Rowan Boulevard is a mixed-use development intended to provide a vibrant downtown district for Glassboro, incorporating university student life into its design as part of an effort to accommodate a student body that has been projected to grow to about 25,000 in 2023.[114]
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 78.43 miles (126.22 km) of roadways, of which 57.61 miles (92.71 km) were maintained by the municipality, 13.29 miles (21.39 km) by Gloucester County and 7.53 miles (12.12 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[115]
Walking is a popular form of transportation especially around the university where many underclassmen are not permitted to have cars.[132]
The Glassboro – Williamstown Trail, also known as the Monroe Township Bikepath, runs for more than 6 miles (9.7 km) between Glassboro and the Williamstown section of Monroe Township. The trail traverses the Glassboro State Wildlife Refuge before terminating at Delsea Drive.[133] Future work will extend this trail along former railroad right of way from Delsea Drive to Rowan U's Bunce Hall. Path links to Elmer and Pitman are also proposed.
^ abFrom Normal to Extraordinary: The History of Rowan UniversityArchived January 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Rowan University. Accessed July 21, 2015. "Rowan University has evolved from its humble beginning in 1923 as a normal school, with a mission to train teachers for South Jersey classrooms, to a comprehensive university with a strong regional reputation.... The University received worldwide attention when it hosted a historic summit conference between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin in Hollybush."
^Gray, Jerry. "Panel Approves Changing Name of Glassboro State to Rowan College", The New York Times, July 18, 1992. Accessed September 29, 2012. "The Soviet leader was attending a session of the United Nations General Assembly, and the southern New Jersey campus was chosen as the site of the meeting because it was roughly midway between New York City and Washington."
^Borough Council, Borough of Glassboro. Accessed February 17, 2023. "The Borough Council is the legislative body of the Borough of Glassboro. The council is made up of six Council Members that represent the entire Borough."
^Full Biography, Congressman Donald Norcross. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Donald and his wife Andrea live in Camden City and are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of two."
^Glassboro Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Glassboro Public Schools. Accessed February 12, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Glassboro School District. Composition: The Glassboro School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Glassboro."
^AdmissionsArchived May 22, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Gloucester County Institute of Technology. Accessed November 7, 2019. "There is no charge to attend. GCIT is a public school.... GCIT is the vocational-technical school for Gloucester County residents. You must live in Gloucester County to apply and attend."
^Schools, South Jersey Catholic Schools. Accessed February 27, 2023.
^Contact Information, Guardian Angels Regional School. Accessed February 27, 2023.
^Giordano, Rita. "After much work, newly merged school opens in Clayton", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 6, 2008. Accessed February 27, 2023. "St. Michael's is about people pulling together and getting it done - the families of the two former schools and others from their other sending parishes, Our Lady of Lourdes in Glassboro, Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman, and Nativity in Franklinville."
^Ng, Katherine. New Jersey’s Hidden Secrets, Preservation New Jersey, July 13, 2020. Accessed August 12, 2020. "In 2013, Wu & Associates was contracted to restore the Glassboro Train Station located in the Borough of Glassboro. Built in 1860, the station was previously a major transportation stop serving the southern New Jersey area. In 1971, the station closed due to the rise in automobile use, leaving the building to slowly deteriorate into a tiny, forgotten ruin nestled on the edge of an ever-expanding college campus."
^Duhart, Bill. "18-mile light rail in South Jersey is coming, but not for another 6 years, at least", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 17, 2019. Accessed November 8, 2019. "The 18-mile commute time by light rail from Glassboro to Camden looks like it’s coming in now at just under six more years. That’s because a long-planned commuter rail project connecting a growing population hub in South Jersey with mass transit into Philadelphia still appears to be a few more years away, despite an old timeline that still says it’d be up and running in 2019."
^Albert, Ashleigh. "In fall 2017, sophomores will no longer be permitted to have cars on campus", The Whit Online, March 29, 2017. Accessed November 8, 2019. "Rowan University sophomores who live on-campus will not be able to bring their cars effective at the start of the 2017-18 academic year. This news came in a recent Rowan Announcer sent to the student body on March 20."
^Hoffenberg, Noah. "Bundy: 410 pounds headed for Adams", North Adams Transcript, September 11, 2004. Accessed September 29, 2012. "Bundy, also known as Chris A. Pallies, 47, of Glassboro, N.J., is going to be bringing the hurt to Turn Hall next Saturday night."
^Lombardo, Matt. "How Glassboro native Corey Clement aims to make Eagles", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 29, 2017. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Glassboro native and Eagles undrafted rookie running back Corey Clement knows what he's up against to make the roster out of training camp."
^CrispinOnline.com. "Joe makes his home in Glassboro, New Jersey, though he usually spends the basketball season playing professionally in Europe." Accessed July 2, 2008.
^Sean F. Dalton Gloucester County Prosecutor, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed October 26, 2017. "A Glassboro native, Sean Dalton graduated from Glassboro High School and is a member of the GHS Distinguished Hall of Fame."
^Clark, Jane Bennett. "Over 40? Say Ouch; You're working hard to stay fit, and therein lies the problem."Archived June 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Kiplinger, December 31, 2007. Accessed July 19, 2017. "Cathe Friedrich, 42, may have been born at the tail end of the baby boom, but she got a jump on joint trouble. A fitness instructor who also makes exercise DVDs (www.cathe.com), she was demonstrating a kickboxing routine about a year ago when she felt a burning sensation in her knee. 'Wrong kick, wrong way -- boom!' says Friedrich of Glassboro, N.J."
^Odenbrett, Austin. "Minnesota Viking and Glassboro grad George Johnson holds football camp", South Jersey Times, July 2, 2013. Accessed October 18, 2017. "Minnesota Vikings defensive end George Johnson’s career has taken him across country playing on the biggest stage, but the NFL veteran will never forget his roots in Glassboro. While he has yet to make a major impact as a professional, Johnson has more than made up for it in his off-the-field contributions, including his signature event giving back to his hometown community — the annual George Johnson Youth Football Camp held at his alma mater, Glassboro High School."
^"The Great Oscar Moore", Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Blog, May 2010. Accessed November 8, 2019. "Oscar Moore has had one of the greatest distance running and coaching careers in the history of US Track and Field. Besides being a smooth runner, Moore now 72 and living in Glassboro NJ is also one of the humblest and “smoothest” people you could meet."
^Williams, Victoria. "Running Man", Gloucester County Times, April 1, 2019, updated May 7, 2019. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Tom Osler, a 69-year-old math professor at Rowan, has logged about 100,000 miles since he started keeping records... A year ago, the 69-year-old Glassboro resident, despite a history of injuries and illness, ran in a mind-altering 79 distance races."
^Bernstein, Jason. "National Signing Day, 2021: N.J. native Keon Sabb makes B1G decision, commits to Michigan", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 16, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2024. "From the moment he arrived in high school, Keon Sabb has generated plenty of buzz. So its only appropriate that on National Signing Day, the four-star safety and Glassboro native would create headlines with his decision to commit and sign to play football at Michigan."
^Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1944, p. 265. Accessed December 16, 2022. "George H. Stanger (Rep., Vineland) Senator Stanger was born in Glassboro, N.J., September 25, 1902. He was educated at Bridgeton High School and Lafayette College."