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This Week in Princeton History for April 5-11
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Princetonians join NOW’s rally in Washington, the Board of Trustees urge parents not to send their children too much money, and more. April 5, 1877—Marveling at the possibilities the intention of the telephone has…
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This Week in Princeton History for March 18-24
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Class of 1877 takes a look at the Milky Way, a campus publication urges the institution to examine its own prejudices while continuing to fight bigotry beyond it, and more. March 18, 1932—Campus…
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This Week in Princeton History for August 21-27
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, NASA takes a Princeton telescope to space, a graduate takes Olympic gold, and more. August 21, 1972—A telescope built by Princeton University is on board for the launch of NASA’s Copernicus satellite.
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The Rittenhouse Orrery
Dear Mr. Mudd: Q: What is an orrery, and how did Princeton University come to own one? How was it damaged in the Battle of Princeton? A: An orrery is a mechanical model of the solar system. Orreries were regarded as essential teaching equipment for 18th-century lectures on “natural philosophy” (the physical sciences). Although invented…
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