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Five Princeton Alumni Minority Rights Activists from the 18th and 19th Centuries
There are Princeton alumni who were involved with advancing minority rights in the 20th and 21st centuries who are known better today, but Princeton graduates engaged in these activities well before then. Here are five alumni who advocated for Native American, Black, Jewish, and immigrant rights after earning a Princeton degree in the 18th and 19th…
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This Week in Princeton History for October 4-10
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, Esther Edwards Burr mourns the death of her husband, two students are fined, and more. October 5, 1989—Dial Lodge and Cannon Club complete a merger, becoming Dial and Cannon Club. October 7, 1757—Not long after moving with the institution and their family to Princeton, Esther Edwards Burr…
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This Week in Princeton History for September 27-October 3
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, the Board of Trustees approves a plan for French classes, a student is sent home for involvement in a secret society, and more. September 27, 1843—The Board of Trustees vote to require students to pay a $5 deposit in order to study French, which will be refunded…
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A Brief History of Latinx Students at Princeton, 1880s-1990s
Although we are always continuously learning and expect to have more to say on this topic in the future, in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month we are presenting this brief history of Latinx students at Princeton University prior to this century. It’s never clear who the “first” person of a given demographic might be,…
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This Week in Princeton History for September 20-26
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, residents of Baker Rink are asked to notify the Prince of their bunk numbers for subscription deliveries, Americans are questioning Princeton’s decision to hold a funeral for Aaron Burr, and more. September 21, 1999—Peter Singer’s first day of teaching is marked by protest, as 14 demonstrators are arrested and…
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This Week in Princeton History for September 13-19
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a student experiences culture shock, the campus mourns the death of William McKinley, and more. September 15, 1813—Philadelphia’s Tickler reports on the college life of Nathaniel B. Boileau (Class of 1789): At the age of about fourteen he got the notion of going to college to get…
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West Meets East: Japanese Themes in Princeton’s Graphic Arts of the Late 19th Century
If you spend as much time immersed in the University Archives as I do, at times you will see intriguing patterns emerge. I have seen repeated examples of an unusual theme in the graphic arts associated with the College of New Jersey (as Princeton University was named until 1896) in the late 19th century and…
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This Week in Princeton History for August 16-22
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Class of 1845 is suspended, students are treating sick classmates during an epidemic, and more. August 16, 1955—Professor Erik Sjoqvist of the Department of Art and Archaeology lucks out when the first trench…
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This Week in Princeton History for August 9-15
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an earthquake hits campus without negative consequences, the region anticipates a new transportation option shortening trips to and from New York, and more. August 9, 1932—While on a scientific expedition in Wyoming, William Zachary…
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This Week in Princeton History for July 26-August 1
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the ADA takes effect, the Campus Center’s first birthday draws hundreds of guests, and more. July 26, 1993—The Americans with Disabilities Act now protects Princeton employees from discrimination in the job application process and…
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