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This Week in Princeton History for September 25-October 1
By April C. Armstrong *14 In this week’s installment of our recurring series, Lafayette is on campus, a sophomore secures an unusual mode of transportation, and more. September 25, 1824— Marie Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, is on campus to receive an honorary L.L.D. in a “temple” constructed for…
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This Week in Princeton History for July 18-24
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a material shortage forever alters a Princeton tradition, an alum is forced to take charge, and more. July 20, 1943—Due to shortages of the material needed, all members of the Class of 1945 who want beer jackets must have registered their requests already. No unregistered student will…
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This Week in Princeton History for May 9-15
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, Lyndon B. Johnson asks Princeton intellectuals to “cool it,” students mourn the death of a classmate, and more. May 9, 1807—The New York Weekly Inspector identifies the recent rebellion at Princeton as part of larger trends in American society: The conduct of students on this occasion, although…
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Bob Dylan’s Honorary Princeton University Degree
When news of Bob Dylan being honored with a Nobel Prize in Literature broke a few months ago, the Swedish Academy responsible for the award acknowledged that it might appear to be an inappropriate choice. Dylan, as a musician, might not be thought of as an author so much as a composer. “If you look…
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“This Is More Than a School”: James M. Stewart ’32’s Princeton
When we launched our Tumblr page in January 2015, we filled it with a variety of content on the history of Princeton University, but it didn’t take long for us to discover that one alumnus in particular consistently received a lot of attention on the platform: James Maitland Stewart ’32. In honor of this, we…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 15-21
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the first woman receives an honorary degree, a senior is arrested during civil rights activism, and more. June 15, 1978—Elizabeth “Lisa” Najeeb Halaby ’73 marries King Hussein and becomes Queen of Jordan, taking the name Noor Al-Hussein.
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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…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 17-23
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, an alum takes the school flag to the moon, Ella Fitzgerald performs, and more. November 17, 1983—Diplomats from the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Great Britain are in Alexander Hall to commemorate the bicentennial of the…
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Princeton’s African American Honorary Degree Recipients: Activists and Public Servants
Since 1748, Princeton has awarded honorary degrees to individuals who had made significant contributions in various sectors of society including religion, academics, arts and culture, politics, science, military, and finance, among other fields. However, it would not be until 1951 that Princeton would confer this honor upon an African American. Since then, more than forty…
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A Princeton Degree For a Yalie: George H.W. Bush Visits Princeton, 1991
On May 10, 1991, President George H.W. Bush came to Princeton’s campus to receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and dedicate the University’s Social Science Complex. This $20 million dollar project included the newly constructed Bendheim and Fisher Halls, as well as a renovation of Corwin Hall. This Reel Mudd blog post includes video…
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