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This Week in Princeton History for June 29-July 5
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, head cheerleader Jimmy Stewart ’32 dies, students find themselves paying for a good deed, and more. June 29, 1914—Construction begins on Palmer Stadium.
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Who Are You?
By Spencer Shen ’16 Dear Mr. Mudd: Q: Who are you? A: Actually, I’m Dr. Mudd. I was a practicing cardiologist before joining the faculty of the California Institute of Technology. Later, I became a professor, a member of the Board of Trustees, and the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 22-28
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a math professor receives worldwide acclaim, the school colors appear for the first time, and more. June 23, 1994—Professor Andrew Wiles draws international attention with his announcement that he has found a proof for…
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A Brief History of the Architecture of Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall first opened its doors on November 28, 1756. The College of New Jersey (Princeton) at that time consisted of its president, Aaron Burr, 70 students, and three tutors. Robert Smith, the carpenter-architect who would later construct Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, designed Nassau Hall with the assistance of Dr. William Shippen of Philadelphia and…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 15-21
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 receives an honorary degree, a senior is arrested during civil rights activism, and more. June 15, 1978—Elizabeth “Lisa” Najeeb Halaby ’73 marries King Hussein and becomes Queen of Jordan, taking the name Noor Al-Hussein.
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Can Nathaniel FitzRandolph’s Descendants Attend Princeton University for Free?
Q. Dear Mr. Mudd, I read that Nathaniel FitzRandolph’s descendants get free tuition at Princeton University. Is this true? A. According to legend, an agreement between Nathaniel FitzRandolph and the College of New Jersey (as Princeton was then known) was made in 1753. In exchange for donating the land on which Nassau Hall now resides, the…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 8-14
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Bob Dylan finds inspiration at Commencement, a sitting U.S. President visits Princeton for the first time, and more. June 8, 1976—To raise money for various projects, the Princeton University Library auctions off an “Inverted…
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John Forbes Nash’s Princeton University Academic File Available Online
A lot of interest has been focused on John Forbes Nash *50 in the past several years. We’ve routinely seen high levels of traffic on our web page detailing our archival resources available on the famous mathematician. Astute readers have noted that the restrictions on Nash’s graduate school records would no longer apply following his…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 1-7
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a sitting U.S. president gives the Commencement address, a judge tries to get information about damage to Nassau Hall, and more. June 2, 1851—Thomas Mifflin Hall, Class of 1853, celebrates his sixteenth birthday at…
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African Americans and Princeton University
Dear Mr. Mudd: Q. What information do you have about African Americans and Princeton University? A. Until the twentieth century, Princeton’s history has mostly been dominated by white men, typically from prosperous backgrounds. Though decidedly pro-Union during the Civil War, the campus had strong Southern influences, and its reputation as the “northernmost university town of the…
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