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This Week in Princeton History for December 26-January 1
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, immigrants are required to be fingerprinted, faculty are investigating mysterious explosions, and more. December 26, 1940—Under the recently passed federal law known as the Alien Registration Act, all local non-citizens must complete registration with the Princeton post office by this date. All will fill out five forms […]
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This Week in Princeton History for January 24-30
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, an alum urges Americans to put the Civil War behind them in order to defeat a new mutual enemy, the local newspaper advocates scrapbooking, and more. January 24, 1817—The New York Commercial Advertiser reports that students at Princeton “are in a state of revolt.” January 25, 1764—Around […]
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This Week in Princeton History for December 27-January 2
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a Hoboken woman endows a professorship in mathematics, Congress faces criticism for tariffs on books imported for higher education, and more. December 29, 1823—The Trenton Federalist expresses shock that any newspaper “should publish such extravagant reports as are stated in some of the Philadelphia papers respecting the […]
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This Week in Princeton History for August 23-29
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, dog-powered butter churns are available locally, Princeton University celebrates an alum’s achievement in a new way, and more. August 23, 2011—Princeton University’s website announces a ban on freshman rush for Greek organizations. August 27, 1835—James Petrie and Donald McCay invite interested residents of Princeton to order dog-powered […]
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Why Do You Have a Piece of a Railroad Track in the Library?
Dear Mr. Mudd, Why do you have a “cross section of railroad” in your Memorabilia Collection (AC053)? In 1855, for the second time in its near-century of existence, Nassau Hall suffered a devastating fire. At the time, Nassau Hall still served in part as one of Princeton’s dormitories. An undergraduate had gone to Maclean […]
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This Week in Princeton History for July 19-25
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, local stations “dim out” to help the state prepare for nuclear attack, the Board of Trustees decides on building materials for Nassau Hall, and more. July 19, 1875—Maine’s Portland Daily Press reassures spectators of […]
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This Week in Princeton History for March 15-21
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, 100 Princetonians picket a local bank for ties to apartheid, an unexpected loss of housing causes financial stress, and more. March 16, 1816—A trunk is discovered open on the lawn of Nassau Hall with […]
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This Week in Princeton History for March 8-14
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, many feel the CPUC’s response to homophobic violence is unsatisfactory, a graduate student vows to sue the town for his disenfranchisement, and more. March 8, 1802—The Philadelphia Gazette reports that, due to a recent […]
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Dear Mr. Mudd: Did Enslaved People Live in Princeton’s Dormitories?
This post is the first in a two-part series. Dear Mr. Mudd, Rumor has it the dorms at Princeton were designed to allow students to bring enslaved people with them to live in adjoining rooms and serve them. Is this true? Though one often hears a rumor about enslaved people accompanying students to […]
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This Week in Princeton History for October 5-11
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, women gather to discuss sexism on campus, a new kind of roof is being installed for Nassau Hall, and more. October 5, 1978—Female students and staff hold an exclusive meeting to discuss sexism on […]