By April C. Armstrong *14

In this week’s installment in our recurring series, a writer claims strict rules mean fewer Southern students are enrolling, an underdog football team achieves a stunning victory, and more.

October 28, 1883—A letter printed in Nashville’s Daily American claims that locals are troubled that Princeton “faculty lace the boys too tight” and thus many are choosing Yale and Harvard instead, where they can have more freedom.

We’ve lost nearly all the Southern patronage and it hurts the town. Those boys had plenty of cash and they certainly had more honor about paying their bills than the others. You ask any tradesman and he’ll tell you that he hardly ever lost a dollar on a Southern student, but they don’t sing the same song about the Northern boys. Fact is, we’ve been losing our “bloods” for the past few years, ever since the college got so pure and orthodox.

October 31, 1783—Peter John van Berkel, an official speaking on behalf of the Netherlands, addresses Congress in Nassau Hall. The speech “was so gracefully pronounced as to please those who could not understand it, because of its not being in English.” With this, the Netherlands officially recognizes the national sovereignty of the United States. It is the first formal visit by a foreign minister to the U.S. government.

November 2, 1946—In what the New York Times will call the “Upset of the Decade,” the underdog Princeton football team defeats the University of Pennsylvania 17 to 14 with a series of scrappy plays and clever misdirection. A 35-minute riot ensues, and the Philadelphia police call for reinforcements from the mounted calvary. In the confusion, Princeton’s coaches miss the team bus and have to take the train back home. They are given a standing ovation at Penn Station.

November 3, 1897—The move of books into Princeton’s new library is complete. About 90,000 volumes have been moved in six days, partially using wheelbarrows.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

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