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?
An independent, associated law school of the College of New Jersey was announced at commencement on June 29, 1847. Richard Stockton Field ’1821, grandson of Richard Stockton ’1748, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, donated land and funded construction of the law school, known as lvy Hall, now part of Trinity Church on Mercer Street. On Oct. 13, 1848, the Princeton Whig described the program: Field and fellow attorneys Joseph C. Hornblower and James S. Green were appointed by the trustees as “Professors;” the sole requirement for admission to the three-year program was “testimonials of good moral character; the ”fee“ was $50 per semester; and students were permitted to attend courses at the college. Lacking an endowment, the law school closed after five years during which seven students received law degrees. A Dec. 29, 1974, New York Times article, ”Princeton Weighing Law School Plan,“ noted past ”economic constraints.” The University subsequently adopted a plan to incorporate law courses within existing programs and departments. Today, Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs offers a dual JD/MPA degree program in conjunction with Columbia, New York University, Harvard, Yale, Penn and Stanford law schools; the politics and architecture departments also offer law courses.
“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.
October’s postcard about “Princeton’s Law School” 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.
