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Songs of the Freed: The Hampton and Jubilee Singers at Princeton
In the 1870s, Princeton students were exposed to a form of entertainment new to them: African American choirs. Many of the singers in these choirs, who were raising money for Black colleges, had formerly been enslaved. Their performances met with a mixed reception among Princetonians and on balance appear to have been a negative experience…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 1-7
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, house carpentry helps pay student expenses, Joline Hall opens, and more. February 1, 1830—Philadelphia’s Christian Advocate reports that a student “with no relations to aid him, except a brother from whom he receives some…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: How Did Princeton Students Treat Campus Servants?
This post is the second in a two-part series. Dear Mr. Mudd, If Princeton University dormitories could not have housed enslaved persons, why does the rumor persist that they did? What were the experiences of campus servants really like? How did students treat them? Last week, I outlined the factual evidence that proves that…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 25-31
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a photographer finishes a series of images of places and people on campus, an alumni accent is criticized, and more. January 25, 1877—The Princetonian reports that a “female servant” is working in Witherspoon Hall.…
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Did Enslaved People Live in Princeton’s Dormitories?
This post is the first in a two-part series. Dear Mr. Mudd, Rumor has it the dorms at Princeton were designed to allow students to bring enslaved people with them to live in adjoining rooms and serve them. Is this true? Though one often hears a rumor about enslaved people accompanying students to…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 18-24
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a professor explains the language he used in the Army, an anonymous Princetonian writes that “Satan has fallen like lightning from Heaven upon this college,” and more. January 18, 1882—In a lecture in Princeton’s…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 11-17
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a newspaper pronounces the curriculum “fashionable” for including chemistry, rowing wins support at a mass meeting, and more. January 11, 1805—The Albany Register notes that Princeton, among a handful of other colleges, offers students…
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Michelle (Robinson) Obama ’85 in Princeton’s Freshman Orientation Program
By Iliyah Coles ’22 It may be difficult to recognize at first glance, but there is a now-famous face in this photograph. The former first lady, Michelle Obama, then named Michelle Robinson, is on the first row sitting from the top towards the middle of the photograph. This is a picture of the 1981 Freshman…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 4-10
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the cost of attendance is estimated at $250-$300 per year, a sophomore has an unfortunate experience with a squirrel, and more. January 5, 1972—The Anthropology faculty vote to adopt a statement opposing the return…
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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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