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Happy Birthday, Rutgers! New Jersey University Turns 250

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey's Rutgers University is celebrating its 250th birthday.

The Empire State Building will glow in scarlet in honor of the occasion. There also will be fireworks Thursday evening on the New Brunswick, Newark and Camden campuses as the yearlong celebration concludes with special classes, exhibitions and concerts.

Officials say nearly 80 alumni including scholars, scientists, activists and performers are returning to Rutgers to talk about their work and how their education has aided their accomplishments.

FULL LIST OF EVENTS

The university said it began as a small, mostly white all-male college and has become one of the nation's most diverse and rigorous public research universities.

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President Barack Obama told 2016 graduates that Rutgers reflects America's own evolution in becoming bigger, stronger, more dynamic and more inclusive.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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