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Dear Mr. Mudd: War, Epidemics, and Suspended Classes at Princeton
Q. Dear Mr. Mudd, Has Princeton University ever had to close the campus before? Or have a lot of students been displaced and had to leave and/or study at home for some other reason in the past? A. In 2020, Princeton University suspended residential instruction after Spring Break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was…
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“Subsequently Came to Grief”: Evidence and Stories of Corruption in the Autograph Book of Charles P. Stratton, Class of 1848, Part II
By Alec Israeli ’21 This is the second of a two-part series on the autograph book of Charles P. Stratton, Class of 1848, and its relationship to the scandal surrounding the career of William W. Belknap, Class of 1848, Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. Part one closed with the damning testimony of…
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This Week in Princeton History for May 20-26
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, married undergraduates face a housing shortage, two Charter Club officers are sentenced to prison, and more. May 20, 1782—Princeton president Samuel Stanhope Smith signs a receipt for Peter Elmendorf, Class of 1782, for payment…
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This Week in Princeton History for October 29-November 4
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the Art Museum reopens in a modernized environment, the football team’s stunning victory over Penn sparks a riot, and more. October 29, 1966—The Princeton University Art Museum reopens in its new home in a…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 18-24
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, seniors warn underclassmen not to encroach on their singing territory, the School of Science is dedicated, and more. June 18, 1930—Charles H. Rogers, Curator of the Princeton Museum of Zoology, catches a ride with…
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This Week in Princeton History for May 14-20
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the third term of the academic year begins, dining halls begin serving water instead of milk for lunch, and more. May 14, 1975—The Eastern regional conference of Women in Higher Education Administration meets at…
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This Week in Princeton History for July 10-16
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a sword fight breaks out between dorm residents, rumors about Paul Volcker ’49 circulate, and more. July 10, 1804—William Robinson is suspended from the College of New Jersey following a fight that escalated to…
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An Update on the Earliest Records of Jewish Students at Princeton
A few weeks ago, I blogged about the search to find the first Jewish student at Princeton. As I noted, the “first” student in any category is probably impossible to determine. However, I was able to find a record suggesting possible Jewish presence dating back to 1859, when Albert Mordecai of the Class of 1863 arrived to…
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This Week in Princeton History for April 18-24
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the campus mourns Abraham Lincoln, Fidel Castro pays a visit, and more. April 19, 1865—Someone etches “We Mourn Our Loss” into a window on the third floor of Nassau Hall in reference to the assassination…
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This Week in Princeton History for August 31-September 6
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an increase in the cost of food inspires student entrepreneurs, the Civil War fells an alum, and more. September 2, 1975—Prices on most items available at the Student Center go up by five cents.…
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