Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:
If you missed our big announcement last Wednesday about the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music (BSACAM), please permit me to share further details with you.
Together with Bob Santelli ’73, ’14HN, Eileen Chapman, and Bruce Springsteen himself, I announced a new permanent home for the BSACAM on the southeast corner of Cedar and Norwood Avenues, across the parking lot from Woods Theatre. When we launched this initiative in 2017, we envisioned a facility that could house Springsteen’s donated archives, showcase the diverse stories of American music, and serve as an educational resource for both our University and the region. I am pleased to share that this vision will become a reality in 2026.
The 30,000 square foot, visually stunning, environmentally friendly building will feature: exhibition halls for permanent and temporary shows, most of which will be curated by our expert staff; interactive archives for scholarship and research; a 230-seat soundstage and performance theater for lectures, classes, and films; a replica of Bruce Springsteen’s reading room, focusing on the creative songwriting process; as well as offices and other functional space. The landscape plan will place the finishing touches on the project, which will enhance our already beautiful campus in significant ways.
The facility is expected to cost $45 million to construct, and I am pleased to report that we are more than two-thirds of the way to our fundraising goal through the silent phase of our building campaign. When the project is completed, it will have been funded entirely by external gifts, the vast majority of which are from new donors to Monmouth. As a self-sustaining operation that is entirely donor-funded, the BSACAM will further enrich our campus without tapping into any of the University’s financial resources, making it all the more significant for Monmouth.
This building has the potential to transform Monmouth University in many ways. First, it will enhance our already strong position in arts and arts education, providing additional opportunities for student academic programming and faculty scholarship. Second, it will expose our entire campus community—students and employees alike—to a steady stream of musical talent, complementing the incredible work of our Center for the Arts. Third, it will serve as an educational asset for school districts around the state, enhancing our position as a private institution that continues to serve a public purpose. And, finally, it will raise Monmouth University’s stature on a national—indeed international—scale, exposing legions of new people to our beautiful campus and placing Monmouth alongside other fine institutions across the country dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the arts.
I want to thank our Board of Trustees for its unanimous support of this project. I also want to commend BSACAM Executive Director Bob Santelli and his team for advancing the project to this point. I look forward to providing frequent updates on the progress of this exciting project over the next two years. If you have questions or comments in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me directly at president@monmouth.edu. Thank you!
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President