Rutgers University in Newark is one of three campuses of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the eighth oldest college in the United States and a member of the Association of American Universities. It is located in Newark, New Jersey. Rutgers University, Newark, officially came into existence in 1946, when the New Jersey State Legislature voted to make the University of Newark part of Rutgers University. The roots of Rutgers University, Newark, however, date back to 1908 when the New Jersey Law School first opened its doors. That law school, along with four other educational institutions in Newark — Dana College, the Newark Institute of Arts & Sciences, the Seth Boyden School of Business, and the Mercer Beasley School of Law — formed a series of alliances over the years. A final merger in 1936 resulted in the establishment of the University of Newark. A decade later, Rutgers University in Newark was founded.