[1] Named after William Livingston, the first post-colonial governor of New Jersey, Livingston College opened in 1969 as the first coeducational, residential, liberal arts college at the New Brunswick-Piscataway campuses of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The university states: "Livingston embodied the spirit of social responsibility and cultural awareness demanded by students of the time."

Livingston College established several academic departments at Rutgers University including Journalism, and Urban Studies and Planning.

By the turn of the century, many in the university's community questioned whether these multiple colleges and their disparate academic requirements had become redundant and inefficient.

[1] Livingston College offered its students over 60 majors to choose from, with a focus on liberal arts.