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This Week in Princeton History for December 28-January 3
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a former student defends the institution to the press, the Western Pennsylvania Club gathers in Pittsburgh, and more. December 30, 1991—At the invitation of the Kuwaiti government, two students leave for an all-expense paid…
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When the Great Blizzard of 1888 Hit Princeton
One of the worst storms ever to hit the United States is typically known as “Great Blizzard of 1888,” but you may find it referred to as the “Great White Hurricane.” In it, Princeton students played a historic role in rescuing passengers aboard a train stuck in a snowbank, people were trapped inside for a…
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This Week in Princeton History for December 21-27
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an Ohio newspaper weighs in on a judge’s decision, James McCosh recovers his stolen horse, and more. December 23, 1893—The Cleveland Gazette complains about the decision of a Mercer County judge to fine two…
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This Week in Princeton History for December 14-20
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a protester finds tea in his shoes, potential abuse of women seeking abortions is causing concern, and more. December 16, 1773—Thomas Melville, Class of 1769, joins other protesters at the Boston Tea Party and…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Were Workers Killed Installing a Sculpture on Princeton’s Campus?
Dear Mr. Mudd, Is it true that people were killed during the installation of a sculpture the Princeton campus? Is the sculpture still there? Indeed, this occurred, and the story is quite gruesome. In 1970, workers with Industrial Engineering Works, Inc. attempted to install a sculpture by Alexander Calder on campus, then known as “Orange…
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This Week in Princeton History for December 7-13
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, concerns about local residents corrupting undergraduates are expressed, sophomores cancel plans to burn a dean in effigy, and more. December 8, 1835—A new academic year begins. The Class of 1838, which began with 12…
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Techniques for Unmuting Archival Silence: Recovering More of Princeton University’s 19th-Century Black Graduate Students
About two and a half years ago, I wrote about the strategies I had used to uncover African American alumni from the 19th century whose records were absent from the University Archives due to the legacy of institutional racism passed down to us. At the time, I had primarily used the Board of Trustees minutes…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 30-December 6
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Henry Ward Beecher celebrates the football team’s defeat, Patrick Stewart lectures on campus, and more. December 1, 1883—While preaching to his congregation in Brooklyn, Henry Ward Beecher says, “I stood yesterday to see Yale…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 23-29
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a new dress code is approved, a petition urges administrators to address escalating crime on campus, and more. November 24, 1898—Leslie’s Weekly praises Joseph M. Huston, Class of 1892, for his work as a Philadelphia…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Have Orange and Black Always Been Princeton’s Colors?
Dear Mr. Mudd: Have orange and black always been Princeton’s colors? There were no official school colors at the College of New Jersey (better known simply as “Princeton” as early as 1756) until it assumed the name Princeton University in 1896. Students complained about this in the June 1867 Nassau Literary Magazine, then the baseball team wore…