DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

Srs. Kathleen Sullivan, left, and Eileen O”™Brien celebrated with supporters at Dominican University”™s 49th annual reception. Photo by Kathy Kahn.

Celebrating its commitment to higher education, Dominican University welcomed more than 160 guests to its annual grand reception at Old Tappan Manor in Tappan, New Jersey, on Sunday, Oct. 30.

Dominican”™s original campus has grown exponentially since its founding in Rockland County in 1952.  A number of new buildings have been added, the most recent of which was the expansion of the Hennessy Center with the addition of a new gymnasium and fitness center. A new turf field is anticipated for 2023.  President O”™Brien feted two leaders: Alan Seidman, executive director of the Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley and the Beckerle family, owners of Beckerle Lumber, which was established in 1859 and is one of Rockland”™s oldest family businesses. 

Originally established by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt as a teaching school for religious women who wished to become educators, the college campus expanded over the years to accommodate a growing number of residents. Today, it serves 2,000 students and adult learners through programs in the evenings and online courses.