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Category: This Week in Princeton History

  • This Week in Princeton History for August 29-September 4

    In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a basketball player goes pro, a sophomore finds artistic inspiration in town, and more. August 29, 1930—M. Hartley Dodge, Jr. ‘30 dies in a car accident in France. His family will later donate both…

  • 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.