Today's Project 100 memory comes from Susan Thomson Scott who was born in Key West, Florida while her father served in the United States Navy. Her parents, high school sweethearts, moved back to New Jersey, and settled in Ridgefield Park, just a few months after Susan was born. Her two younger siblings were born in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Following the service, her father worked for the Continental Can Company in Paterson, where he worked for 40 years. Her mother was a part-time bank teller and secretary. Back in those days, the family had one car, so her mom had to walk to work while Susan and her sister attended St. Francis school through eighth grade. Susan then attended Ridgefield Park High School, graduating in 1974.

During her senior year at Glassboro State College, Susan completed her student teaching at Washington Twp. High School. There she met a first-year science teacher from West Deptford named Michael Scott. After graduating in 1978, she became a US History teacher at West Deptford high school, on a one-year assignment, 1978-1979. She completed a reading specialist certificate in the evenings and, the following school year, became the reading specialist at Paulsboro High School. In 1981, Susan married that Washington Twp. teacher.

In 1982, Susan decided to change her audience to adults, instead of high school students, and moved into teaching doctors about pharmaceuticals with Sterling Drug, as a pharmaceutical sales professional. "Things were very different years ago, especially with hospitals. I remember when I was selling a new heart drug, targeting cardiac surgeons. The surgeons would say, ‘you scrub, come on in, and let's see how well this drug actually works!’" Those opportunities rarely exist anymore with HIPPA, privacy and all the other regulations. She has had a long successful career with several different companies and most recently in neuro/psych rare disease, orphan drug space within Parkinson's disease. She has sampled retirement this year after her company was bought out and she received a package. Susan is currently looking to go back to work.

Susan and her husband had long been interested in the restaurant business because he had done related work at Seaside Heights, New Jersey, during the summers while he was a teacher. In 1984, Susan and Michael Scott entered the restaurant business, buying an established small restaurant and bar following their move to Pennsylvania in January 1983. They renovated the Green Lane Tavern and renamed it Rockwells, for that comfy Americana feeling where everything was made from scratch. Susan remained in the pharmaceutical industry while helping with the restaurant business on the weekends and holidays. Awards were won, recognition acknowledged, reservations were booked, and they were bursting at the seams. It was time to expand. In 1987, the restaurant size grew from 1200 square feet to 4800 square feet. They were now able to do rehearsal dinners, showers, birthday parties and small weddings there. They owned Rockwell's in Green Lane, PA for 18 years.

They did it again when in 2002 they bought a building with liquor license on a large lot and built a 9000 sq ft building with a 200-seat banquet hall, restaurant, and bar names Revivals Restaurant and Banquets, which sold in 2015.

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I decided to go to Glassboro State because I wanted an affordable state college that was far enough away that I would not have any thought of commuting. When my parents and I visited, we both agreed that it was the right choice. The campus was beautiful. We liked the location. It was exactly what I wanted.

I began Glassboro State as an undeclared student. In my sophomore year, I ended up choosing history for several reasons. History was interesting and always came easily to me, but it was primarily because of the professors. In particular, I loved Robert Harper. He was a father figure for me and others who were living away from home for the first time. He was so nurturing and willing to give you advice and make sure that you were taking the right courses at the right time. He was also a fascinating classroom teacher who was very knowledgeable. Another professor that made a great impression on me was Gary Hunter. He was a fantastic teacher. His classes were so enjoyable that they soon filled up with students as we learned of his teaching quality by word of mouth. He had a great style that helped those of us who knew little about his topics, such as Sub-Saharan African history, come alive and make sense. I also have good memories of Aaron Bender and Mary Taney, two other faculty members who looked out for us as students. Outside of the History Department, I had a great experience with Tom Gallo, who taught in Education. He was an advisor for would-be social studies teachers, and he was excellent at his job.  

I made great friends among my fellow history majors. In fact, I long thought I was going to marry fellow history major, Bob Cordero, after dating for over three years. However, I ended up staying in southern New Jersey because my family moved to Milwaukee when my father was transferred, just weeks after graduation. Thus, I had no home in northern New Jersey. When Bob moved back to his parents in northern New Jersey, I had to stay in southern New Jersey as I could not afford the rents there and didn't know any potential roommates, as most of my friends returned home to their families in North and Central Jersey. Michael Scott, who grew up in South Jersey, matched me with one of the gals he went to high school with who needed a roommate, and put in a good word for me at his alma mater to help me obtain my first teaching job. 

I was part of the Student History Association and a founding member of Glassboro State College's new chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society. I thought I would go back for a master’s degree, but that was another plan that was derailed by my parents moving to Milwaukee.

I was 17 when I went away to college. I grew up a lot during my four years at Glassboro State. My social skills were tested, and I truly became an adult. I gained self-discipline over my time there, allowing me to balance socializing and doing my academic work. I got a quality education, and Glassboro was a fantastic place to be. The campus was wonderful. I liked the mix of both new and old buildings. About half of the students were from northern New Jersey like me. It really was the perfect place for me to be. I never felt out of place!

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This is part of the Department of History’s “Project 100,” the collection and sharing of one hundred memories by Glassboro State College and Rowan University alumni and staff in celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Glassboro Normal School, later Glassboro State College, and now Rowan University. 

Register for the Reunion on October 20^th:  alumni.rowan.edu/historyreunion2023.

Link to Project 100 on the Web:  https://chss.rowan.edu/departments/history/alumni_highlights/project_100/

Link to Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/251485937221524. 

Thanks to Laurie Lahey for helping proofread and edit the final versions.  Email carrigan@rowan.edu with questions or corrections.