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Category: This Week in Princeton History

  • This Week in Princeton History for August 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 1906 postcard gives a weather update, a Canadian library honors a Princeton president, and more. August 23, 1906—Someone writes and sends a postcard to let a friend know that “The day is hot…

  • This Week in Princeton History for August 15-21

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, final exams ask about America’s future, a sophomore wins an unusual contest involving a bus, and more. August 15, 1945—Future Dean of the Princeton University Chapel Ernest Gordon is freed after 40 months as…

  • This Week in Princeton History for August 8-14

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a sophomore heads to Mississippi for Freedom Summer, a freshman meets Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, and more. August 9, 1850—After a journey of nearly three weeks from Maybank, Georgia, Charles C. Jones,…

  • This Week in Princeton History for August 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 movie featuring the campus premieres, the library implements a new security policy, and more. August 1, 1944—Wilson, a biopic film about Woodrow Wilson of the Class of 1879 partially set and filmed on…

  • This Week in Princeton History for July 25-31

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Presbyterians worry about drinking, the campus operator has a bit less to do, and more. July 27, 1937—William H. Smathers, who represents New Jersey in the U.S. Senate, writes a response to a letter from…

  • This Week in Princeton History for July 18-24

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a group is disciplined for a bovine prank, an alumnus opens the Democratic National Convention, and more. July 18, 1790—Three students are expelled and a fourth is disciplined for an incident the previous June…

  • This Week in Princeton History for July 11-17

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the logistics of emancipation are debated, plans for a School of Science are approved, and more. July 11, 1944—Robert S. Ward ’42, a forward artillery observer, is killed in action in France. July 12,…

  • This Week in Princeton History for July 4-10

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a new mandatory fitness program begins, a professor’s research revises a 50-year-old theory, and more. July 4, 1938—A record-setting crowd of 25,000 turns out to view a fireworks display in Palmer Stadium that includes exploding…

  • This Week in Princeton History for June 27-July 3

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Ulysses S Grant visits the campus, women take classes for the first time, and more. June 27, 1871—Sitting U.S. President Ulysses S Grant visits the College of New Jersey (Princeton) for the first time.

  • This Week in Princeton History for June 20-26

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the first collegiate track contest is held on campus, Japanese visitors ceremonially forgive scientists for their role in the development of the atomic bomb, and more. June 20, 1779—William Richardson Davie (Class of 1776)…