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“I Found a Million-Dollar Bigot in a 5 & 10 Cent Store”: The Weekend Martin Luther King, Jr. Preached in Princeton University Chapel, Part II
The weekend Martin Luther King, Jr. arrived in Princeton proved to be a local flashpoint for national conflicts.
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This Week in Princeton History for April 10-16
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, state law raises the drinking age for college students, a new photography studio opens, and more. April 10, 1846—New Jersey law now prohibits tavern keepers from selling alcohol to college students under the age of 21. April 11, 1935—A total of 13 women’s organizations convene on campus…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 28-December 4
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, tensions over the American flag are escalating on campus, Princeton’s president indicates the need to plan to educate women, and more. November 29, 1824—Micah Hawkins’s The Saw Mill or a Yankee Trick, the first American opera on American themes, is performed for the first time in New…
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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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This Week in Princeton History for March 7-13
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, locals take note of the Gold Rush, the Emperor of Japan honors an alum, and more. March 8, 1882—The Chicago Tribune reports that rumors are circulating that James McCosh will be forced out and replaced by John Hall after losing his temper in chapel when several members…
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This Week in Princeton History for October 25-31
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a visitor is shocked by students expressing political views, faculty deny a petition to begin a college newspaper, and more. October 25, 1797—In Newark’s Centinel of Freedom, an anonymous writer expresses shock and dismay at observed behavior of students in Princeton. “From students at college we expect…
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“Wear ’Em”: Princeton University’s First Gay Jeans Day
The events of October 11, 1989, Princeton’s first “Gay Jeans Day,” reverberated far beyond the confines of a 24-hour period. Both then and much later, the day highlighted attitudes among students and alumni toward the LGBTQIA+ community as they existed in the late 1980s. The Princeton LGBTQIA+ Oral History Project (AC465) further gives us insight…
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This Week in Princeton History for April 5-11
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, Princetonians join NOW’s rally in Washington, the Board of Trustees urge parents not to send their children too much money, and more. April 5, 1877—Marveling at the possibilities the intention of the telephone has…
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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 1-7
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a transit strike stops the Dinky, the state legislature prohibits gaming near Nassau Hall, and more. March 2, 1983—In response to a retroactive pay cut, New Jersey Transit workers go on strike, halting commuter…
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