Familiar with the Princeton Glacier? You will be soon. In July 1909, George W. Perkins sailed on the S.S. Yucatan, reported by The New York Times as being “elaborately refitted” for “thousands of dollars,” for a trip to “investigate the feasibility of exploring Alaska in (sic) railroad construction.” Perkins, a partner in J.P. Morgan specializing in industrial corporations, included on the voyage 18 family members and friends, among them Henry Moffat ‘1875, Stanley Moffat ’1913 and his son George Jr. ‘1917. J.P. Morgan, though not on the trip, was associated with Princeton through his nephew, Junius Spencer Morgan ’1888. In March 1910, the Daily Princetonian reported from a passenger‘s diary detailing exploration of two adjacent fjords normally closed by ice in Kenai Peninsula’s Prince William Sound Icy Bay: On Aug. 18, 1909, the Yucatan faced “a magnificent, but unknown, great glacier…finer in appearance and coloring than either the Harriman, Harvard or Yale” glaciers — which they “christened” the “Princeton Glacier.” Two smaller glaciers in the fjords were also discovered — one they named “Tiger Glacier,” the smallest “Tiger‘s Tail” — and they named the two fjords “as one, the Nassau Fiord (sic).” Today, the Princeton Glacier has retreated two miles north of Nassau Fjord, no longer a tidewater glacier flowing into the sea, but a glacier terminating in a lake.

“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.

August’s postcard about “The Princeton Glacier” was just released:

“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.