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This Week in Princeton History for April 24-30
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a fight breaks out over fashion, a sophomore dies of a somewhat mysterious illness, and more. April 25, 1964—Two undergraduates deliver 9,000 three-by-five cards to New York radio station WABC in a bid to elect Robert Goheen, president of Princeton University, as “Principal of the Year.” The…
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This Week in Princeton History for March 20-26
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, seniors make a fashion statement, a new discovery is poised to revolutionize medicine, and more. March 23, 1893—The Class of 1893, like the Class of 1892 before them, has chosen to wear caps and gowns throughout their final spring semester. The Princetonian praises this development: There is…
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This Week in Princeton History for November 14-20
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, students are setting fashion trends in nearby New York, alumni are memorialized, and more. November 16, 1928—Lynn Carrick, Class of 1920, observes that current students are now setting fashion trends in New York. Suffice it to point to such obvious departures from tradition as that black socks…
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This Week in Princeton History for June 6-12
In this week’s installment of our recurring series, students consider adopting distinctive hats, the U.S. President makes a “pilgrimage” to Princeton’s campus, and more. June 7, 1877—In order to visually distinguish themselves from townies (in Princeton slang, “snobs”), the Class of 1878 is contemplating starting to wear mortarboards as everyday wear.
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“Wear ’Em”: Princeton University’s First Gay Jeans Day
The events of October 11, 1989, Princeton’s first “Gay Jeans Day,” reverberated far beyond the confines of a 24-hour period. Both then and much later, the day highlighted attitudes among students and alumni toward the LGBTQIA+ community as they existed in the late 1980s. The Princeton LGBTQIA+ Oral History Project (AC465) further gives us insight…
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This Week in Princeton History for April 12-18
In this week’s installment of our recurring series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, women’s tennis plays its first game, violence breaks out over fashion, and more. April 12, 1971—Women’s tennis plays its first game, defeating Penn 5-to-1. April 14, 1947—As the New Jersey telephone workers strike enters…
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