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The CIA’s Quest for Mind Control : Piecing Together Project MK-Ultra and its Princeton Connections, Part II (MK-Ultra at Princeton University)
MK-Ultra was a human experimentation program illegally conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Its intent was to determine the usefulness of various substances for interrogations. Running from 1953-1973, the program employed secret dosing of unsuspecting persons with psychoactive drugs, especially LSD. MK-Ultra activities took place in a variety of settings where ordinary citizens became…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Where Did the Term “Bicker” Originate?
Princeton University’s eating clubs have their own traditions, one of which is “bicker.” Where did this term originate?
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1827 Burn Book
In 1827, someone at the College of New Jersey—now named Princeton University—had a bone to pick.
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WPRB’s 1970s Identity Crisis
Originally known on the AM broadcasts as WPRU, the station’s primary audience was the campus community at the time of its founding. When a new FM license greatly expanded the broadcast range in 1955, questions on WPRB’s identity came to a head: What was WPRB? Was it a college station and extracurricular activity or a…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: What Is the Origin of the “‘Old Nassau’ Salute”?
By April C. Armstrong *14 Dear Mr. Mudd, What is the origin of the “‘Old Nassau’ Salute”? It has a concerning appearance to me, and I wondered if it has any relationship to any 20th-century gestures we might want to avoid today. What your message terms a “salute” looks as it does now because most…
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Racial Segregation Propagandist Carleton Putnam, Class of 1924, Part II: Alumni Perspectives and Upholding Freedom of Speech (1970s)
Integral to Carleton Putnam’s argument on race was the notion that the demographics of students at Princeton should remain genetically analogous to what was represented in the early days of Princeton; that is, Princeton should predominantly be composed of white men, preferably with familial connections to the school.
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Racial Segregation Propagandist Carleton Putnam, Class of 1924, Part I: His Adversaries and Allies at Princeton and Beyond (1960s)
Beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the ’60s, Princeton University underwent drastic social change which reshaped thought about legalized segregation and discrimination against African Americans. During this time, Princeton confronted tensions between maintaining Princeton’s traditional demographics and allowing racially diverse applicants equality of opportunity.
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My Travels with Darley
Last July I spent an hour with Darley Newman, a PBS travel documentarian who has one of the most enviable jobs in the world. She was in Princeton filming “New Jersey: Revolutionary Road Trip” for her Travels with Darley series, and her producer had reached out to me earlier to ask if I would be…
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“I Found a Million-Dollar Bigot in a 5 & 10 Cent Store”: The Weekend Martin Luther King, Jr. Preached in Princeton University Chapel, Part II
The weekend Martin Luther King, Jr. arrived in Princeton proved to be a local flashpoint for national conflicts.
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“I Am Concerned Over Discrimination…In High and Unnatural Places”: The Weekend Martin Luther King, Jr. Preached in Princeton University Chapel, Part I
In 1958, the Dean of Princeton University Chapel, Ernest Gordon, invited Martin Luther King, Jr. to its pulpit.
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