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Secret Societies at Princeton in the 19th Century
by Iliyah Coles ’22 A couple of decades after The College of New Jersey (which became Princeton University in 1896) was first established, there were only two known social clubs in existence at the school. These were “the well-meaning club” and “the plain-dealing club,” which eventually evolved into the Whig and Cliosophic societies that we…
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This Week in Princeton History for September 27-October 3
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, the Board of Trustees approves a plan for French classes, a student is sent home for involvement in a secret society, and more. September 27, 1843—The Board of Trustees vote to require students to pay a $5 deposit in order to study French, which will be refunded…
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This Week in Princeton History for July 12-18
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, two juniors evacuate their summer program abroad when war breaks out, word is spreading about a ban on secret societies, and more. July 13, 1895—Native Americans are rumored to have raided a party of…
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This Week in Princeton History for December 18-24
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a newspaper’s editorial cartoon satirizes the contrast between the presidential leadership of John Maclean and James McCosh, a Princetonian becomes Senate Majority Leader, and more. December 18, 1772—John Witherspoon writes to the New York…
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