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This Week in Princeton History for March 13-19
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, uniforms become mandatory, the Shah of Iran honors two graduates, and more. March 13, 1971—150 students from the Third World Coalition occupy Firestone Library for nearly three hours after closing to protest Princeton’s plan to…
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This Week in Princeton History for March 6-12
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a professor wins an Oscar, Muhammad Ali talks about race and religion, and more. March 6, 1993—Sharon Stone presents associate professor of computer science Patrick Hanrahan with an Academy Award for Science and Engineering…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 27-March 5
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Colonial Club’s financial pressures force its closure, women march on Washington, and more. February 28, 1946—Princeton University announces that women will live in student housing on campus for the first time, opening Brown Hall…
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Halle Berry on “Women, Race, and Film” (2000)
Fifteen years ago, Halle Berry made history as the first African American woman ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. A year and a half before her Oscar win, Halle Berry was the keynote speaker for a two-day conference at Princeton, “Imitating Life: Women, Race, and Film, 1932-2000.” We’ve recently digitized the video…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 20-26
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a Supreme Court justice visit ignites protest, the women’s squash team completes eight undefeated seasons, and more. February 21, 1920—Princeton University holds a special graduation ceremony for students who missed their own but have…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 13-19
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a professor starts a controversial contraceptive hotline, the campus agrees on a method for resisting the British crown, and more. February 13, 1967—Vassar’s debate team argues the merits of coeducation in Whig Hall. Vassar’s…
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Integrating Princeton University: Robert Joseph Rivers ’53
As we have previously pointed out, Princeton’s first African American undergraduates were not purposefully admitted: they were instead brought as part of a Navy training program during World War II. In 1945, Trustee Laurence G. Payson wrote to fellow member of the Class of 1916 John McFerran Barr to explain the presence of black students…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 6-12
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the first woman ever to enroll defends her dissertation, the town decides not to rely exclusively on students to fight fires, and more. February 6, 1975—The Borough of Princeton installs a traffic light at…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 30-February 5
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an investigation of a masked swordsman begins, a graduate carries the Olympic torch, and more. January 30, 1805—The faculty of the College of New Jersey meet “to make inquiry concerning a mask & sword…
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“A Haven for Radicalism, Intolerance, and Lesbianism”: The Ongoing Struggle for an LGBTQ+-Inclusive Princeton
Mudd Library’s University Administrative Fellow for the fall 2016-2017 semester curated an online HistoryPin exhibit to document the history of minority sexualities at Princeton University. In this post, she provides broader context for the materials she chose to highlight. By Ariana Natalie Myers GS For much of its history, Princeton University students who experienced attraction toward…
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