Type: Exhibition case

Name: University Choir and WRSU Radio

Detail: Between 1918 and 1926, Rutgers College and New Jersey College for Women (NJC) music groups performed together at holiday concerts, the University Concert Series, and with famed orchestras. These performances are amongst a handful of instances in which the student bodies of the two colleges collaborated through a shared passion and existed as one. In 1926, the University Choral Club formed. Comprised of Rutgers and NJC Glee Club members, the Choral Club was the first coed music ensemble at Rutgers University. Although the Club only lasted a handful of years, it was significant because it was the first organized group that united the colleges. It also led way to the creation of more coed groups including the Rutgers University Choir and WRSU– Radio which are still in existence today.

Type: Exhibition caption

Detail: WRSU – Radio Rutgers, one of the oldest college radio stations in the nation, first hit the airwaves in 1948 and ran out of several Rutgers dormitory basements. The student-run station was founded by Charles Brookwell, class of 1949, who also served as the station’s first general manager. WRSU initially aired classical music, campus and contemporary news, educational features, and sporting event coverage to Rutgers and NJC / Douglass campuses. Around 1958, Douglass students began to contribute a significant amount of WRSU programming. They provided news and gossip, hosted quiz bowls, and played jazz and symphony music. Douglass women also gained experience in the technical aspects of radio production. By the 1980s, WRSU broadcasted a better variety of music including oldies, top 40s, and alternative recordings.

In 2013, WRSU had many shows that feature specialty programming. For example, Sundays were devoted primarily to the sounds of world music. On-air personalities include Rutgers students, alumni, and community members who design their own playlists to share with the Rutgers and central New Jersey communities.