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Dear Mr. Mudd: Were Workers Killed Installing a Sculpture on Princeton’s Campus?
Dear Mr. Mudd, Is it true that people were killed during the installation of a sculpture the Princeton campus? Is the sculpture still there? Indeed, this occurred, and the story is quite gruesome. In 1970, workers with Industrial Engineering Works, Inc. attempted to install a sculpture by Alexander Calder on campus, then known as “Orange…
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This Week in Princeton History for December 7-13
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, concerns about local residents corrupting undergraduates are expressed, sophomores cancel plans to burn a dean in effigy, and more. December 8, 1835—A new academic year begins. The Class of 1838, which began with 12…
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Techniques for Unmuting Archival Silence: Recovering More of Princeton University’s 19th-Century Black Graduate Students
About two and a half years ago, I wrote about the strategies I had used to uncover African American alumni from the 19th century whose records were absent from the University Archives due to the legacy of institutional racism passed down to us. At the time, I had primarily used the Board of Trustees minutes…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 30-December 6
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Henry Ward Beecher celebrates the football team’s defeat, Patrick Stewart lectures on campus, and more. December 1, 1883—While preaching to his congregation in Brooklyn, Henry Ward Beecher says, “I stood yesterday to see Yale…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 23-29
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a new dress code is approved, a petition urges administrators to address escalating crime on campus, and more. November 24, 1898—Leslie’s Weekly praises Joseph M. Huston, Class of 1892, for his work as a Philadelphia…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Have Orange and Black Always Been Princeton’s Colors?
Dear Mr. Mudd: Have orange and black always been Princeton’s colors? There were no official school colors at the College of New Jersey (better known simply as “Princeton” as early as 1756) until it assumed the name Princeton University in 1896. Students complained about this in the June 1867 Nassau Literary Magazine, then the baseball team wore…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 16-22
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a controversial statue finds a home on campus, ticket scalping for sporting events is causing concern, and more. November 17, 1978—Princeton accepts a statue Kent State University rejected, George Segal’s “Abraham and Isaac,” which…
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Demystifying Mudd: Photo Editing and Digital Enhancement of Images
If you’ve followed us here or on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr), you have seen images that I have edited for use online. I do this for a number of reasons, and with a variety of considerations in mind, always attempting to balance the aesthetic needs of on-screen viewing with keeping images…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 9-15
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a graduate student gets help from the FBI to track down stolen microscopic slides, the YWCA opens a Hostess House for Navy officers in training, and more. November 9, 1959—A graduate student has gotten…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Did Thich Nhat Hanh Attend or Teach at Princeton University?
Dear Mr. Mudd, I’ve read that Thich Nhat Hanh was a Princeton student, and also that he taught there. Do you have records associated with this? In Fragrant Palm Leaves, set for re-release in 2020, prominent Buddist peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh wrote about his time in Princeton, New Jersey in the 1960s. The way…
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