Sexton Commons

Sexton Commons (click thumbnails for larger images)

Architect: Rafferty, Rafferty, Tollefson

Contractor:

Dates: 1992, 2001, 2011

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Sexton Commons was built to satisfy student requests for an improved student center.  Architect Lee Tollefson's design plans were approved in March of 1992 by the Saint John's Abbey Monastic Chapter, and construction began in the following months.  The building was blessed and dedicated on October 8, 1993, but construction went into the spring semester of 1994, ending with a week-long grand opening April 23-30, 1994.

The $7.5 million needed to build Sexton Commons was raised through several means. The largest amount was donated by St. John's alumni Bill Sexton in honor of his parents. Sexton Commons was the first building to be named after an alumni. Other funds were raised through 10-year pledges and cash donations.

Students played a role in providing input into the resources Sexton Commons would hold. They worked through the St. John's Senate to present ideas to the Campus Center planning committee, and many of their suggestions were incorporated in the Campus Design plan. Students also had a say in the final furnishings of the building, and were urged to think about Sexton Commons as the "living room" and "hearthstone" of St. John's University.

Original features of Sexton Commons and its link to Mary Hall included a barber shop, a pub (named after Bro. Willie Borgerding), the campus post office, a bookstore and video-rental store, a radio station, a café for students, and space for administrative services offices.

In 2000, renovation plans were made for Sexton Commons. Builders added a fourth floor and finished the Sexton Tower. The student radio station KJNB moved its operating quarters from its original space in Sexton to offices formerly used by Counseling and Career services, and Counseling and Career Services moved out of Sexton Commons to Mary Hall.  The on-campus barber shop The Hair Razor also moved from Sexton Commons to Mary Hall.

The water fountain outside of Sexton Commons was converted to a pond containing water lilies and other plants in the summer of 2011.

Sexton Commons serves as a central part of the St. John's campus, housing the SJU Bookstore, the student-run coffee shop Johnnie Java, a cafeteria, Brother Willie's Pub and administrative offices.

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Bibliography

• Murray, Sean and Tom Dudley. "Two Fires Plague SJU During J-Term," The Record, 18 February 1983, p. 4.
• Perry, Steve. "Progress reported in art center, Engel planning:Campus Center," The Record, 16 March, 1989, p. 5. 
• Klimek, Sarah. "Campus center plans finalized," The Record, 7 March, 1991, p. 4.
• Wilhelmi, Michael. “Abbey Approves Sexton Center Design,” The Record, 26 March 1992, p.4.
• "Ground Broken for Sexton Commons," Saint John's Magazine, Summer 1992, p. 14. 
• Crosby, John. "Sexton Commons Breaks Ground," Saint John's Magazine, Fall 1992, p. 5. 
• Gerrety, Tim. “Sexton Commons cutting costs, three months ahead of schedule,” The Record, 4 December 1992, p.3.
• "Two fires plague SJU during J-term," The Record, 18 February 1993, p. 4.
• Plonski, Maria. “Sexton Commons to replace the Butcher Shoppe,” The Record, 4 March 1993, p.1.
• Dudley, Tom. "Sexton Commons to be Made Student Accessible," The Record, 6 May 1993, p. 6.
• Crosby, John. "Saint John's honored to receive second Kresge Challenge Grant," Saint John's Magazine, vol. 32, no. 3, Summer 1993. p. 11-12.
• Boland, Dann. “New meal contracts mean less autonomy,” The Record, 23 September 1993, p.1, 3.
• Barlage, Ken. “Campus Center nears completion,” The Record, 23 September 1993, p.3-4.
• Schmidt, Katie. “Dedication tomorrow for Sexton Commons,” The Record, 7 October 1993, p.3.
• Crosby, John. "University dedicates Sexton Commons," Saint John's Magazine, vol. 33, no. 1, Winter 1994, p. 13.
• "Sexton Commons Receives Architectural Award," Saint John's Magazine, vol. 34, no. 2, Spring 1995, p. 4-5.
• [Cover photo of interior of Sexton Commons], CSB/SJU Today, Spring 1996.
• "A Campus on the Move," Saint John's Magazine, Autumn 1998, p. 8-9.
• Mitchell, Amanda. "Sexton, Mary Improvements Will Commence This January," The Record, 9 November 2000, p.2.
• Reaves, Taylor. "SJU Refectory struggles for sustainability," The Record, September 16, 2011, p. 3.
• Kilgore, Grace. "Aesthetic, menu changes considered for Sexton," The Record, 7 April, 2017, p. 8.
• Peterson, Landon. "New capital improvements make their debut," The Record, 14 September 2023, p.1

Further Reading about Br. Willie Borgerding, the namesake for Sexton Commons' Brother Willie's Pub

• "Brother William Jerome Borgerding, OSB," Saint John's Abbey Obituary.
• Blatz, Sara "Brother Willie: an SJU institution," The Record, 2 October, 1986, p.9.
• Dominguez, Anne "Br. Willy Warms students' hearts," The Record, 19 April 1990, p. 7, 9 and 10.
• Swenson, Sarah "Words to live by from Brother Willie," The Record, 7 October 1993, p. 7.
• Wolske, Marty "Editor's Column," The Record, 17 February 1994, p. 10.
• "SJU renovations under way," The Record, 22 February 2001, p. 2.
• Tiegs, Megan "'The Night Abbot' still going strong," The Record, 6 April 2006, p. 2.
• Schoenbauer, Lauren "Remembering the history and character behind SJU's prominent on-campus venue," The Record, 20 February 2015, p. 5.