Do you know which building on campus was the first to be named for a woman?
Why did the College of New Jersey (ultimately Princeton University) move to Princeton from Newark?
Where was Picasso’s first home for “Head of a Woman,” and when did it move?
“Postcards to Alumni” is a collection of monthly digital postcards featuring unique facts about Princeton’s history. The postcards were introduced in December 2022 by the Alumni Council’s Princetoniana and Communications and Technology (CAT) Committees who collaborated on the project.
April’s postcard about the “PAW“ was just released:
“Launched on April 7, 1900, as an editorially independent publication, the Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW) replaced the Alumni Princetonian, which was a weekly summary of the Daily Princetonian; after six years in circulation, the Alumni Princetonian had only managed 500 subscribers out of 6,000 alumni. PAW co-founder and inaugural editor, Jesse Lynch Williams 1892, envisioned that the PAW would be “a long-distance telephone, if you will, to keep a live connection between the [University and alumni] for their mutual enlightenment.” The first edition noted that “while the enthusiasm of all Princeton men is splendid, their ignorance of the present Princeton is shameful,” a consequence of the “meagre dissemination of authentic information” about the University’s “external growth, internal development, progress, policy, prospects of the modern Princeton, with its numerous courses, increased facilities, crowds of students, (and) manifold interests.” Williams succeeded in establishing PAW as an important independent resource for that “authentic information,” and it remains the standard today. PAW became a monthly publication in 2020 and is currently circulated to 93,000 alumni.”
The postcards are being shared monthly with alumni around the globe via numerous digital channels.
“Our work as a committee is not only about collecting and archiving history, memorabilia and traditions but also how to share it and engage alumni,” said Jean Hendry *80, former chair of the Princetoniana committee, who is leading this initiative. “We brainstormed projects that would enable us to connect with alumni on a regular basis. At the same time, we didn’t want a project that caused alumni to have to do anything other than feel a connection to the University. ‘Postcards’ seemed to fit the bill.”
To research and collect the facts, Hendry tapped the Princetoniana committee. While Princetoniana members are experts in Princeton history and traditions, they leaned on the CAT Committee’s expertise in technology to help design the digital postcards. Credit for the initial postcard design belongs to CAT Committee member Cindy Drakeman ’02 who sourced images, conceived the nostalgic postcard look and “stamp” designs, suggested using “Dispatch” on the postcard to lend a nostalgic feel, and created many of the postcards. Credit goes to Princetoniana committee member Tom Swift ’76 for designing the initial postcard.
“We were so happy when Princetoniana approached us with the postcard idea,” said Michael Lin ’13, former vice chair of the CAT Committee. “The pandemic brought on an increase and a need for digital communication and initiatives, and this is a great one, much like Orange & Black Day that our committee helped introduce last year. ‘Postcards’ provides yet another opportunity to engage with alumni across the world and share the love of Princeton, while also bringing awareness to the great resource of Princetoniana and its museum.”
“Postcards to Alumni” will appear as a monthly feature in Tiger News and on @PrincetonAlumni social media channels. The postcards will also be archived in the Princetoniana virtual museum.
