This blog includes text and images drawn from historical sources that may contain material that is offensive or harmful. We strive to accurately represent the past while being sensitive to the needs and concerns of our audience. If you have any feedback to share on this topic, please either comment on a relevant post, or use our Ask Us form to contact us.

Author: April C. Armstrong *14

  • This Week in Princeton History for March 25-31

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Princetonian urges an alumni organization to hire editors with more “integrity”, a new program in electrical engineering is announced, and more. March 25, 1965—Detectives find no explanation for the apparent suicide of lecturer Robert…

  • Natural Philosophy in the 1830s

    By Neha Anil Kumar ’21 Class planning as a Princeton undergraduate today can be difficult to say the least. With a huge variety of distribution requirements I have to take, alongside the major requirements of a STEM concentration, the life of an AB Physics student can get quite busy. So, you can imagine my excitement…

  • This Week in Princeton History for March 18-24

    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 1877 takes a look at the Milky Way, a campus publication urges the institution to examine its own prejudices while continuing to fight bigotry beyond it, and more. March 18, 1932—Campus…

  • This Week in Princeton History for March 11-17

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Jacob Riis lectures on campus, four Princetonians are being held in the same German prison camp, and more. March 12, 1925—The Jewish Student Congregation of Princeton University begins hosting a series of weekly lectures…

  • Restrictions Reduced on Princeton University Administrative Records

    By Dan Linke The old architectural adage that sometimes “Less is more,” can also apply to archives in the right circumstances.  In this case, less, or more precisely, shorter, restrictions on records means more documents are accessible, and that is the case with the Princeton University trustees and administrative records.  After closely scrutinizing our current…

  • This Week in Princeton History for March 4-10

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, competing protests take place on Nassau Street, dormitory phones get voicemail, and more. March 4, 1965—Competing groups of students, faculty, families, and other locals march in Palmer Square, one group to protest escalation of…

  • This Week in Princeton History for February 25-March 3

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Graduate College remains in control of the U.S. Navy following the end of World War I, the local pastors association prays for their colleagues involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and more. February…

  • This Week in Princeton History for February 18-24

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, hazing makes national headlines, McCarter Theater opens, and more. February 18, 1878—During a particularly severe outbreak of hazing, a gunfight breaks out on Nassau Street between freshmen and sophomores, with one student being shot…

  • Caroline Le Count’s Visit to Princeton

    By April C. Armstrong *14 and Iliyah Coles ’22 Caroline Le Count, though not so well known today, was a prominent African American activist and educator in Philadelphia in the 19th century. The Philadelphia Citizen recently referred to her as “Philly’s Rosa Parks” because she worked to dismantle streetcar segregation in the city, a goal…

  • This Week in Princeton History for February 11-17

    In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, African American women express their views of campus, police are on the lookout for stolen silverware, and more. February 11, 1994—A group of students responds to an editorial cartoon with pleas for greater thoughtfulness…