Upperclassmen move in to Witherspoon Hall in September 1948. (Alan W. Richards/PAW Archives)

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Upperclassmen move in to Witherspoon Hall in September 1948. (Alan W. Richards/PAW Archives)
Upperclassmen move in to Witherspoon Hall in September 1948. (Alan W. Richards/PAW Archives)

Princeton upperclassmen arriving back on campus in September 1948 found a couple of significant changes: Firestone Library was nearly complete, while the books at the old Pyne Library had been pulled from their shelves; and the swimming team finally had a new home at Dillon, after being pool-less for four years due to a fire that destroyed the gymnasium. The U-Store, in the midst of a reorganization, had found dusty boxes of silk top hats and canes — relics that, according to PAW columnist William T. Barry III ’50, “drew curious eyes and eager buyers.” But students had more than costumes and frivolity on their minds. At class registration in Dillon Gym, a sign directed them to visit the balcony and register for Selective Service. “These signs reminded all the non-veterans that their college careers are liable to be interrupted by the draft before graduation,” Barry wrote.