Today’s Project 100 memory comes from Don Borden.  He was born in Long Branch and grew up in the Toms River and Seaside Heights area.  He attended public schools and graduated from Toms River South in 1974.  His father was an appeals examiner and worked for the State of New Jersey.  His mother took care of Don, his brother, and his two sisters.  After graduating, Don began his studies at the Merchant Marine Academy, but he transferred Glassboro State in the Fall of 1976 to study history education and graduated in 1979.  His father was passionate about history, and he had a great social studies teacher in high school named Vince Heckle.  After graduating, he began teaching social studies and coaching at Audubon High School.  He taught in the classroom for fourteen years, during which time he served as President of the school district’s education association.  He also worked several other jobs during this time because the pay was so low, including managing a liquor store, delivering pizza, tending bar, and managing ice cream sales from Atlantic City to Wildwood.  During this time, he also coached varsity basketball, football, and track.  The Superintendent suggested that he take on more of a leadership role, and he became Athletic Director for the district.  He then became a principal of a K-6 school, then principal of the Junior/Senior high school, and finally Superintendent of the Audubon district.  After retiring, he served as interim principal of Overbrook High School for two years.  In 2015, he then became Executive Vice President of Camden County College.  A year later, he became the fifth President of the College, retiring from that position in 2022.

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My high school social studies teacher, Vince Heckle, was the reason that I wanted to become a teacher.  He involved us in the learning process.  Under him, history learning reached its full potential.  We learned cause and effect and how the past shaped the present.  I had a very memorable experience when our school hosted a model United Nations event under his leadership.  When I got to Glassboro State, the faculty in the history department seemed committed to their craft, which I did not find in other departments on campus.  Lee Kress stood out.  He travelled all over the world and had personal experiences in these places we were studying.  He showed us photographs via slides of these remote places, something that stood out to me then, even though such things would have much less impact in today’s internet-enhanced world.  His passion for history was such that I took every class he offered, even when I might not have been as excited about the topic as another class.  Another memorable course that I took was African American History with another newly hired faculty member, Gary Hunter.  The faculty in the Department took a personal interest in their students.  They invited us to events.  They welcomed us to chat with them outside of the classroom.  I remember several times having a bite to eat with history faculty.  I got involved with the founding of Phi Alpha Theta because of my personal connections with the faculty.  This was not a light decision. I didn’t have a lot of free time because I was paying for 100% of my college education and had to work several jobs.  However, I was happy to give what time I had since the faculty were so willing to give their time. When I became President of Camden County College, Lee Kress contacted me, and we had lunch.  He remembered me all those years later and said how proud he was of all my accomplishments.  That meant a lot to me and still does.

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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.