The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, located in Galloway Township, New Jersey, an hour from Philadelphia and 20 minutes from Atlantic City, is a public liberal arts and professional studies institution of the New Jersey system of higher education. The College was named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the Declaration of Independence. Founded in 1969, the College accepted its charter class in 1971. At its opening in 1971, classes were held at the Mayflower Hotel in Atlantic City; the campus in Pomona, New Jersey began operating late in 1971. More than 7,300 students are enrolled at the College, which provides distinctive traditional and alternative approaches to education. The college has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1975 and was most recently reaccredited in 2007. In November of 1968, New Jersey approved a $202.5 million capital construction bond issue with an earmarked $15 million dollars designated for the construction of a new state college in Southern New Jersey. In 1969, a 1,600 acres (6.5 km) tract in the heart of the Pine Barrens within Galloway Township was selected for this site.