In this week’s installment of our recurring series, students consider adopting distinctive hats, the U.S. President makes a “pilgrimage” to Princeton’s campus, and more.

June 7, 1877—In order to visually distinguish themselves from townies (in Princeton slang, “snobs”), the Class of 1878 is contemplating starting to wear mortarboards as everyday wear.

June 9, 1893—The Class of 1896 has a parade at 7:30 p.m. “to celebrate their entrance into the sophomore class and coming out for the first time in the colors, orange and black, hitherto denied to them as freshman.” Meanwhile, other groups of students have built bonfires to burn copies of Homer, Demosthenes, and Calculus, the Philadelphia Inquirer will later report.

June 10, 1843—U.S. President John Tyler visits Princeton’s campus on what he describes as “a patriotic pilgrimage to the old shrine of Liberty,” Newark’s Centinel of Freedom will report.

June 12, 1979—When Brad Macaleer ’79 graduates today, his family ties a record shared with three other families (the Poes, the Carters, and the Speers) for the highest number of siblings in one family to earn a Princeton degree, as the last in a line that includes five other Macaleers: Richard James Macaleer ’55, William Macaleer ’59, Stephen Macaleer ’63, Dennis Macaleer ’71, and Terrence Macaleer ’72. All six have relied on financial aid and student jobs to pay for their educations.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

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