"Realization of Discovery" Drives Alum Alan Delozier as Archivist at Seton Hall University

"Realization of Discovery" Drives Alum Alan Delozier
As Archivist and Professor at Seton Hall University

1/18/11

West Windsor, N.J. - At Seton Hall University, Alan Delozier '89 (A.A.S., Radio/Telecommunications) is an expert at gathering and sifting through information - lots of it. As university archivist, director of special collections and associate professor for the past 12 years, Delozier's all-encompassing duties include teaching, coordinating research requests, acquiring materials, and overseeing public relations outreach to promote the value of Seton Hall's rich history from its founding to today. "I really love my job. All my responsibilities are worthwhile and provide much reward," Delozier said. "The realization of discovery always satisfies me. There are many aspects that are a joy, particularly when constituents' requests are met." Delozier has authored books and articles for scholarly journals. His first book, "Seton Hall Pirates - A Basketball History," was published by Arcadia in 2002, with a second edition, "Seton Hall Pirates - A Basketball History: Centennial Edition," published in 2003. His forthcoming book, "The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark," is scheduled to be released in fall 2011 by Arcadia Publishing.
	Alum Alan Delozier '89

Delozier has not forgotten his roots at MCCC. He is a proud alum, who still displays college memorabilia in his office and at home, and often wears Mercer gear. A graduate of Ewing High School, he came to Mercer for an education that was affordable and close to home. He maintains that Mercer sparked his "enduring fondness for the academic world."

Interested in studying Radio/Communications, Delozier plunged right into the program, excelling in the classroom and working at WMCC, the student radio station, as a host of a weekly music show and as news director. He also served as an announcer for the men's and women's basketball and soccer teams.

Delozier says MCCC communications faculty, particularly Donna Munde and Ralph Tangney, provided him with broad insight into the field. "I greatly valued their expertise and dedication," he recalled. "The lessons they taught skill-wise and from a time management perspective still carry over today."

After graduating from Mercer in 1989, Delozier chose to continue his education at St. Bonaventure University, an institution steeped in Franciscan tradition. The school proved a perfect fit for Delozier, who relishes his Irish roots and greatly values the tenets of Catholicism and its religious orders. Graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Theology, he credits the school with giving him a thorough introduction to theology, philosophy, Latin and Greek.

Landing a position as a librarian at Bell Atlantic in Princeton, Delozier continued to feel the pull of academia. He took history classes at Richard Stockton College, working there part-time as an archivist and gaining a deeper understanding of archival science from "both contextual and practical" standpoints. He went on to Villanova University to earn a master's degree in American History in 1998 and Rutgers University to earn a master's in Library Science in 1999.

Next, Delozier served as a college archivist and consultant at Saint Peter's College and then as an archival technician at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Historical Research Center.

A member of numerous professional boards, Delozier will present a paper at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference in May in Alexandria, Va., on his experiences as an archivist and consultant for Bermuda College, one of his many consultancies.

Delozier's cumulative experiences have prepared him for his current quest - pursuing a Doctor of Letters with a concentration in Irish Studies at Drew University. "Maybe down the road, I would like to explore other facets of the archival world, other teaching opportunities and perhaps foray back into radio work," Delozier said. "I am living the dream. I am very fortunate and happy to be where I am."