“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.

December’s postcard about “Lake Carnegie” was just released:

“In 1902, the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was having his portrait painted by Howard Russell Butler ’1876, a former member of Princeton’s rowing team who told Carnegie that the team disbanded in 1886 due to heavy freight traffic on the Raritan and Delaware Canal where they trained. Butler convinced Carnegie, who had built lochs in Scotland, to finance a lake for the University. Land was acquired, a dam was constructed at the Kingston merger of Stoney Brook and the Millstone River, and Lake Carnegie was created, becoming the first lake built in the U.S. specifically for competitive rowing. On Dec. 5, 1906, The New York Times reported that “Andrew Carnegie will make formal presentation of Carnegie Lake to Princeton today”. As reported in the Dec. 8, 1906 issue of the PAW, Carnegie had planned to “make a tour of inspection around the lake,” but the lake had frozen, so Carnegie “had the pleasure of witnessing the students playing ice hockey.” Today, members of the U.S. National and Olympic teams use the lake for training. Gregory Hughes ’96, head coach of Princeton’s heavyweight men’s rowing, reported that “a number of the crews that raced in Paris (in the 2024 Olympics) trained here on Carnegie for about three months prior to heading to France,” including Nick Mead ’17 and his men’s four teammates who went on to win the gold medal.”

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.