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This Week in Princeton History for June 11-17


In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a journalist notes an increase in the number of graduates who received some form of financial aid, the Board of Trustees approves admitting women to some classes “on an experimental basis,” and more.

June 11, 1933—Trinity Episcopal Church celebrates its centennial.

June 14, 1898—Writing for the Chicago Record, an unnamed journalist reports that of the 211 alumni who graduated with the Princeton University Class of 1898, 38 fully supported themselves with work and scholarships, and roughly a third of the class received some sort of scholarship. “Students who are supporting themselves are classed as ‘poor men’ as distinguished from ‘charity students.’ … The ‘poor man’ is a good fellow and usually proud, perhaps a little sensitive about his position, but he enters thoroughly into the spirit of college life.”

Visualization of data reported in the Chicago Record, June 14, 1898. Today, the University reports that 60% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid.

June 16, 1919—Princeton holds its last “wet” Commencement before Prohibition, attracting 4,500 alumni and guests.

June 17, 1963—The Board of Trustees approves “the admission on an experimental basis of a few, highly qualified and carefully selected women students who will be permitted to take their junior year at Princeton as special students under the Program and not as candidates for Princeton degrees.”

Assistant Dean Allen Kassof talks with two Critical Languages students, ca. 1966-1967. Dozens of women attended classes at Princeton as part of this program prior the University admitting women as undergraduate degree candidates in 1969. Historical Photograph Collection, Campus Life Series (AC112), Box MP19, Image No. 460

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

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