-
This Week in Princeton History for June 26-July 2
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, more than half of the graduating class is missing, Ulysses S. Grant is on campus, and more. June 26, 1861—At Commencement, The matter of most interest is in inquiries made in regard to old friends, many of whom are now enemies. A very large number of Princeton…
-
Princeton’s “Saturnalia”: Commencement Prior to 1844
2020 brought changes to Princeton University’s academic calendar, some planned, and some in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. This shift to an earlier start and end of Princeton’s academic year is not its first. Its historically most drastic change in the calendar came about for a surprising reason: Moving Commencement from September to June…
-
This Week in Princeton History for June 17-23
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a gas shortage causes headaches in town, the baseball team begins a tour playing against New England colleges, and more. June 18, 1882—Marquand Chapel is dedicated.
-
This Week in Princeton History for June 10-16
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a delayed cookie shipment arrives, Commencement moves to a new home, and more. June 12, 1996—Cookies mailed to Princeton-in-Asia intern Laura Burt on November 1, 1995 finally arrive unopened in Wuhan, China. June 13,…
-
This Week in Princeton History for November 9-15
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the school holds its first Commencement, a “food revolt” causes tension between students and administrators, and more. November 9, 1748—The College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) holds its first Commencement in Newark, where…
-
Princeton’s 250th Anniversary Commencement with speaker President Bill Clinton
On June 6th, 1996, as part of the University’s 250th Anniversary celebration, U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered the principal address at the 249th Commencement ceremonies, a departure from the Princeton tradition of having the University President deliver the ceremony’s major remarks. The video includes the entire commencement program starting with the procession (00:02), then the…
-
Name Dropping: A list of famous Commencement Week speakers at Princeton
In a previous post we discussed the history behind commencement at The College of New Jersey and Princeton University. Here, we highlight the individuals and include links to video and news articles. For the years 2011-2016 each name will link to an individual streaming video courtesy of Princeton University MediaCentral. These are mobile friendly. 2016…
-
The history of Princeton University Commencement Ceremonies
Every year leading up to the final weeks of classes, commencement and reunions, we receive questions related to the history of commencement activities. In this post we dive right into that subject! The original commencement of the College of New Jersey was held in Newark, New Jersey on November 9th, 1748. There was a procession, an address from President…
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.