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This Week in Princeton History for July 22-28


In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, public nudity is ruled to be legal, an alum warns his wife they may need to skip town to avoid a riot, and more.

July 22, 1754—The Board of Trustees of the College of New Jersey approve the construction of Nassau Hall.

Nassau Hall illustration in New American Magazine, 1760. Nassau Hall Iconography Collection (AC177), Box 1.

July 26, 1989—Charges of public lewdness are dropped against a member of the Class of 1992 on the grounds that “the law does not equate nudity with lewdity” and there is no local ordinance against nudity.

July 27, 1944—Unable to find the dorm room for William H. Leary, Western Union leaves a tag on every entry of Witherspoon Hall to alert him that they have a telegram for him.

July 28, 1846—After casting an unpopular tie-breaking vote in the U. S. Senate, Vice President George M. Dallas (Class of 1810) sends a note to his wife for hand delivery by the Sergeant at Arms of the U. S. Senate warning her, “If there be the slightest indication of a disposition to riot in the city of Philadelphia, owing to the passage of the Tariff Bill, pack up and bring the whole brood to Washington.”

George Mifflin Dallas, Class of 1810. Historical Photograph Collection, Alumni Photographs Series (AC058), Box MP06.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

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