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This Week in Princeton History for April 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 campus documentary wins an Oscar, the Princeton Alumni Weekly appears for the first time, and more.

April 1, 1869—The Class of 1872 celebrates “All Fool’s Day” with a pasteboard band parade. In his senior year, participant Karl Case will later write of this experience, “Freshmen were funnier in those days than they are in these.”

April 3, 1974—A Search for Answers wins an Oscar for “Best Documentary Short.” The film examines education at Princeton University in an era of significant change.

April 6, 1981—Turkey’s foreign minister, Ilter Turkmen, speaks at the Woodrow Wilson School about Turkish foreign policy, but the event is not open to the public, a fact that will draw criticism from the larger Princeton community.

April 7, 1900—The first issue of the Princeton Alumni Weekly appears.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

Fact check: We always strive for accuracy, but if you believe you see an error, please contact us.


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