In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the school’s president petitions Bill Clinton for an end to a “discriminatory policy,” Nassau Hall gets new tigers, and more.

January 4, 1836—Two students “having been detected in having ardent spirits in their rooms” are asked to withdraw from the College of New Jersey (Princeton).

January 5, 1993—Princeton University president Harold Shapiro signs a letter along with 66 other American university presidents urging U.S. President Bill Clinton to remove the ban on homosexuals in the military as a “discriminatory policy” that “is antithetical to our institutions’ commitment to respect for individuals, as well as for equal access and opportunity.” The action invites intense criticism for Shapiro.

Harold Shapiro, ca. 1993. Photo from the 1993 Bric-a-Brac.

January 6, 1911—The Daily Princetonian reports that Nassau Hall’s lions have been replaced with tigers.

The Class of 1876 poses for a reunion portrait alongside Nassau Hall’s lions. Historical Photograph Collection, Class Photographs Series (AC181), Box LP4.

January 7, 1940—Dr. Wilbur York, Chairman of the Department of Health and Physical Education, ends rumors that a chicken pox epidemic will shut down the Princeton campus.

For last week’s installment in this series, click here.

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