-
A Brief History of the Architecture of Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall first opened its doors on November 28, 1756. The College of New Jersey (Princeton) at that time consisted of its president, Aaron Burr, 70 students, and three tutors. Robert Smith, the carpenter-architect who would later construct Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, designed Nassau Hall with the assistance of Dr. William Shippen of Philadelphia and…
-
Can Nathaniel FitzRandolph’s Descendants Attend Princeton University for Free?
Q. Dear Mr. Mudd, I read that Nathaniel FitzRandolph’s descendants get free tuition at Princeton University. Is this true? A. According to legend, an agreement between Nathaniel FitzRandolph and the College of New Jersey (as Princeton was then known) was made in 1753. In exchange for donating the land on which Nassau Hall now resides, the…
-
This Week in Princeton History for May 25-31
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the very first classes are held, a scientific expedition photographs an eclipse, and more. May 26, 1888—The Glee Club performs for sitting First Lady Frances Fulsom Cleveland and a crowd of nearly a thousand…
-
Statistical Data Pertaining to Princeton University
With the launch of our new website, we’ve been updating a lot of our online information. Here, Anna Rubin ’15 has updated our table of statistical data pertaining to Princeton University to reflect data from the past few decades. Click to enlarge the table.
-
This Week in Princeton History for May 18-24
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, women’s lacrosse wins it all, a popular professor packs Alexander Hall, and more. May 20, 1963—The Woodrow Wilson School building, renamed Corwin Hall, is moved 100 yards to make way for the new home…
-
This Week in Princeton History for April 20-26
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a member of the original House of Nassau visits campus, emails about Hillary Clinton clog inboxes, and more. April 21, 1920—The Daily Princetonian reports on a new fashion trend: “Blue denim has at last…
-
Princeton Mourns Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. exactly 150 years ago. As Americans did throughout the country, Princetonians immediately went into mourning. The loss was more profound given that the nation had emerged from a devastating Civil War less than a week before. Princeton’s ties to Lincoln are reflected in various collections…
-
“The Present Unsettled State of Our Country”: Princeton and the Civil War
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, a conflict that had implications for every facet of American life. The “unhappy condition of the country,” as the College of New Jersey (Princeton) President John Maclean described it in 1861, had a profound impact on the school. Here we highlight the mass exodus of southern students…
-
This Week in Princeton History for April 6-12
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Prohibition ends, the Board of Trustees urges parents not to send students money, and more. April 6, 1771—The Rittenhouse Orrery, the most noted scientific instrument of its time, arrives in Nassau Hall, where it…
-
This Week in Princeton History for March 2-8
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, juniors take up roller skating when cars are banned, a fire forces the school to start over almost from scratch, and more. March 2, 1927—In order to protest the new “car rule,” which bans student…
This blog includes text and images drawn from historical sources that may contain material that is offensive or harmful. We strive to accurately represent the past while being sensitive to the needs and concerns of our audience. If you have any feedback to share on this topic, please either comment on a relevant post, or use our Ask Us form to contact us.