By April C. Armstrong *14

In this week’s installment of our recurring series, the Constitution is celebrated, a doctor lectures to students on health, and more.

September 16, 1859—Merely mentioning the name “Princeton” causes Trentonians to warn of a fatal illness, the “Princeton fever.” Locals have never heard of it.

September 17, 1937—More than 2,000 people visit the campus to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, but the ceremony is moved from Nassau Hall to McCarter Theatre due to inclement weather. Former New York Governor Al Smith, the main speaker at the event, says he wished the Constitution was “as rigid as the Ten Commandments.”

September 19, 1880—Dr. Clarke McDermont lectures on hygiene, using humor to make his points and avoiding scientific jargon. “Dr. M. has evidently a great faith in gruel or stir-about…” He encourages students to avoid being infected with typhoid.

September 20, 1957—Prof. Hugh H. Wilson speaks at a rally for the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee in Carnegie Hall, igniting controversy over the institution’s continued affiliation with a “communist” professor. Counterattack will write that Princeton “cannot hide behind its well-tended banks of ivy” and it “will be judged by the court it is sometimes so fond of appealing to: the public opinion of the people of the United States.”

---

Did you read the previous installment in this series?

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