University Archives

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Author: April C. Armstrong *14

  • Princeton’s Thanksgiving Dinners

    Last year, we shared a typical Princeton Thanksgiving of football rivalry with Yale rather than turkey and trimmings with you on our blog. That Princetonians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries tended toward urban entertainment in preference to a heavy meal does not mean that the meal was wholly unimportant, however. We’ve been collecting…

  • This Week in Princeton History for November 16-22

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the college president boasts about America’s educational system, Billy Joel draws crowds, and more. November 16, 1772—The New York Gazette prints a letter from College of New Jersey (Princeton) President John Witherspoon that asserts…

  • Dear Mr. Mudd: Whose Cannon Is It?

    Dear Mr. Mudd, My friend goes to Rutgers and keeps saying that the cannon in Cannon Green isn’t really Princeton’s. Whose cannon is it?

  • This Week in Princeton History for November 9-15

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the school holds its first Commencement, a “food revolt” causes tension between students and administrators, and more. November 9, 1748—The College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) holds its first Commencement in Newark, where…

  • This Week in Princeton History for November 2-8

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Princetonian laments changes in New Jersey laws, Billy Graham addresses Christianity and the Civil Rights Movement on campus, and more. November 2, 1876—In response to a new state law that banned billiard tables within…

  • Dear Mr. Mudd: Princeton Theological Seminary

    By Spencer Shen ’16 Q. Dear Mr. Mudd, Is Princeton Theological Seminary part of Princeton University? A. In short, no. The two are separate institutions. However, they enjoy a cooperative relationship that began in 1811. In 1810, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church judged that the College of New Jersey (Princeton) had grown too…

  • This Week in Princeton History for October 26-November 1

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the campus suspends mail delivery due to fears of contamination, Coretta Scott King speaks to an audience of more than 500, and more. October 26, 1963—An undetermined number of Princeton undergraduates join an estimated…

  • This Week in Princeton History for October 19-25

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Princetonian suggests the grading “vogue” is a bad idea, the campus mourns Thomas Alva Edison, and more. October 19, 1876—The Daily Princetonian laments that the College of New Jersey (Princeton) has joined in the…

  • Streaking and the Nude Olympics

    In the 1960s and 1970s, streaking became a common prank for students to play on college campuses across America, reaching its zenith of popularity around the mid-1970s.  Princeton was no exception. In fact, the school held onto naked running in public much longer than others; the last major such event at Princeton occurred in 1999. The most…

  • This Week in Princeton History for October 12-18

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, graduates get high praise for writing skills, influenza severely disrupts life on campus, and more. October 13, 1748—The Trustees of the College of New Jersey send an effusive letter of thanks to Governor Jonathan…