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This Week in Princeton History for January 9-15


In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a student expresses concern about staff wages, faculty warn seniors that they have to attend classes, and more.

January 11, 1889—A student writes in a letter to the editor of the Daily Princetonian about his concerns about dorm fees not being used to pay staff appropriately.

With such a sum as this for the payment of college servants it would at least seem that the servants might receive fair salaries. But they do not…the pay is entirely disproportionate to the labor involved. It is surely our right to demand that the work in our rooms (for instance) be done in a satisfactory manner, and as the only way of securing this end, that the servants be paid respectable wages.

College of New Jersey (Princeton) servant Dennis “Mickey” Boyle, ca. 1877. Historical Photograph Collection, Individuals Series (AC067), Box 1.

January 12, 1832—The faculty warn the Class of 1832 that they will all be “dismissed from the College” if they continue to refuse to attend recitations with Henry Vethake, professor of natural philosophy and mathematics, as they have been doing on the basis that Vethake had “no right” to reschedule to 9:00AM.

January 13, 1975—The Student Pie-Throwing Agency is making a reported profit from throwing pies on unsuspecting Princetonians. The identities of the clients who have paid for the pie-throwing are protected.

January 15, 1986—A new student magazine, Off Campus, aims to inform students of available activities away from Princeton.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

Fact check: We always strive for accuracy, but if you believe you see an error, please contact us.


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