 Six years later , the college 's board of trustees decided to erect a building to house the college 's new scientific programs . At this time , Rutgers was celebrating the centennial anniversary of its second charter ( 1770 ) and college president William Henry Campbell ( 1808 – 1890 ) solicited donations from alumni and other supporters in an extensive fundraising effort aimed at supporting these new programs . With these funds , the trustees commissioned a design for a Geological Hall from Henry Janeway Hardenbergh ( 1847 – 1918 ) , a young architect from New Brunswick . Hardenbergh received these contracts through family connections , as several members of his family were graduates , trustees , or associated with the school . His great @-@ great @-@ grandfather , the Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh ( 1736 – 1790 ) , was Rutgers ' first president and one of its founders , and his grandfather , Rev. Jacob Janeway served as vice president of the college and had turned down the post of president in 1840 . 
