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This Week in Princeton History for February 16-22
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, James Brown performs, Jimmy Stewart ’32 reflects on his college days, and more. February 16, 1996—James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” performs in Dillon Gymnasium.
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Princeton Presidential
By Dan Linke Since tomorrow is Presidents Day, we wanted to take the opportunity to share some of Princeton University’s many connections to the presidents of the United States. We note that of the 43 men who have served as America’s presidents, we have confirmed that at least 27 and possibly as many as 30…
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“Princeton College Bought Me”: The Life of a Fugitive Slave in Princeton
Many nearly-forgotten legends surround James “Jimmy Stink” Collins Johnson, who lived in Princeton for most of his life after escaping from slavery in Maryland. Today it is impossible to completely separate fact from fiction, but this is our best reconstruction: The sources tell us that two slaves in Easton, Maryland, welcomed a baby on October 2,…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 9-15
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, underclassmen get a chance to read more books, the College of New Jersey changes its name, and more. February 9, 1999—Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner Wendy Wasserstein speaks on the experiences of a female…
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“Climates of the Past”
These days, most Americans think of PBS when they think of educational television, but in the 1950s, viewers expected commercial networks to offer this sort of programming. In 1952, New York’s WNBT (NBC) offered Princeton University a grant for faculty to develop a variety of shows in their areas of expertise suitable for a mass…
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“Princeton University Does Not Discriminate…”: African American Exclusion at Princeton
Bruce Wright applied for admission to Princeton University in the 1930s, having spent some of his childhood living in its shadow in Princeton, New Jersey. He was excited to be awarded a scholarship, and showed up in the fall ready to start as a freshman. So far as the Dean of Admissions was concerned, however,…
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Mudd Manuscript Library Summer Fellowship Available
The Mudd Manuscript Library, a unit of Princeton University Library’s Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, offers the John Foster and Janet Avery Dulles Archival Fellowship for one graduate student each year. This fellowship provides a summer of work experience for a graduate student interested in pursuing an archival career. The 2015 Fellow will…
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This Week in Princeton History for February 2-8
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a junior saves two friends after an avalanche, Tiger Inn holds its first coed bicker, and more. February 2, 1953—Princeton University junior John K. Ewing ’54 saves the lives of Richard H. Evans ’55…
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Acquiring Digital Archives in the Field at Princeton
As a digital archivist on Mudd’s Technical Services team, I spend a fair amount of my time looking at screens like the one pictured here. I briefly panicked when I came across this screen while processing a restricted University Archives collection last year. The information was the output of the software ClamTK, the default virus…
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This Week in Princeton History for January 26-February 1
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an Oscar winner dies, the University holds a winter Commencement to send students off to war more quickly, and more. January 26, 1992—Jose Ferrer ’33 dies at the age of 80. Though best known…
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