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The history of Princeton University Commencement Ceremonies
Every year leading up to the final weeks of classes, commencement and reunions, we receive questions related to the history of commencement activities. In this post we dive right into that subject! The original commencement of the College of New Jersey was held in Newark, New Jersey on November 9th, 1748. There was a procession, an address from President…
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Mudd Library Awarded Grant to Provide Global Access to Records of the Cold War
by: Maureen Callahan The historian John Lewis Gaddis, author of a 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of George Kennan, has stated that the Mudd Library holds “the most significant set of papers for the study of modern American history outside of federal hands.” This may be true, but is often only relevant to researchers who have the resources…
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Bonfire!!!
On Saturday, November 17th, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., we went back to Cannon Green to re-light a fire that has been dormant for six years, the BONFIRE! The bonfire is one of the oldest traditions at Princeton University. The Princetoniana Committee, part of the Alumni Association, describes the fire as “one of the most memorable–…
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Before Sandy, there was Gloria and David: Hurricane damage on campus.
As many are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy here at Princeton and throughout the east coast we take a look at how the University survived past super storms and hurricanes. Within the Princeton University Archives and the Office of Communications Records (AC168) we found a number of photos from Hurricane David ,which unleashed its fury…
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Editing the world’s online encyclopedia: Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon Three
On October 19th, 2012 staff members of Mudd Manuscript Library once again opened the doors and archives for the purpose of composing and editing Princeton University-related articles on Wikipedia. For this third event of its kind, we decided to hold it during our normal business hours during volunteer weekend with the focus of enhancing Princeton athletics information. We had…
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Access to Higher Education: A National and Princeton Timeline
In light of the Trustees Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity that is working to develop recommendations for strategies to attract and retain more diverse campus community members, (including people of color and women, in areas where the University’s efforts to advance diversity have had more limited success), we offer this historical timeline. The mid to…
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Oldest Living Princeton Undergraduate Dies
Malcolm Warnock the oldest known living Princeton undergraduate alumnus of all time has passed away at the age of ______.
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Fidel Castro visits Princeton University
In 1959, not even three months after he came to power, Fidel Castro was invited to speak to a small group of undergraduate students and faculty members of the Woodrow Wilson School. In a recent donation to the University Archives, we received some key items related to Castro’s visit, including this letter of invitation. This…
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“Princeton: America’s Campus” Lecture with Barksdale Maynard
The author of “Princeton: America’s Campus” will host a discussion with The New Jersey Historical Commission later this month. The book, by Barksdale Maynard, Princeton Class of 1988, features many photographs from the Historical Photograph Collection housed here at the University Archives at Mudd Manuscript Library. His most recent book “Princeton: America’s Campus” is the second book…
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“Your True Friend and Enemy”: Princeton and the Civil War
Civil War exhibition reveals sectional fissures within college and town. “Your True Friend and Enemy”: Princeton and the Civil War, a new exhibition at Princeton University’s Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, examines life at the college and within the town of Princeton against the backdrop of the War Between the States. Through the eyes of…
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