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This Week in Princeton History for September 9-15

In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a winner of the Pepsi-Cola Scholarship chooses Princeton, the U-Store opens at 36 University Place, and more.

September 9, 1915—In The Nation, Princeton University philosophy professor Warner Fite warns of the pitfalls of public universities, especially the risk they pose to academic freedom: “Donors may sometimes be exacting, but at length they die, while the Legislature goes on forever.”

September 10, 1945—The Princeton Bulletin announces that one of the recipients of the new Pepsi-Cola Scholarship (“this latest advertising wrinkle”) chose Princeton and is now enrolled.

Edward House ’50, pictured here in the 1950 Nassau Herald, was one of the first recipients of Pepsi’s scholarship program, which lasted only a few years, 1945-1948. House appears to have been the student the Princeton Bulletin wrote about in 1945. A total of nine of the 489 winners of the full-tuition, 4-year scholarship chose Princeton. In addition to tuition, the program covered travel expenses and included a small stipend of $25/month. It made it possible for many students who would not otherwise have been able to afford to attend the college they wanted, or even college at all, to get an education.

September 12, 1958—The U-Store officially opens in its new home at 36 University Place.

The clothing department of Princeton’s U-Store, ca. 1955. Historical Photograph Collection, Campus Life Series (AC112), Box MP191, Image No. 5154.

September 15, 1850—The editors of the Nassau Literary Review decline to print advertisements and urge students to post notices on trees instead. “Notices will have a much wider range if posted on the road to dinner, than they would obtain through our columns.”

Notices posted on trees were a favored way to communicate at Princeton in the 19th century. Here, the most favored of trees for posting notices, the Bulletin Elm, displays Glee Club advertisements ca. 1885. Historical Photograph Collection, Grounds and Buildings Series (AC111), Box SP1, Image No. 102.

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.

April C. Armstrong *14

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