“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.

June’s postcard about “The History of The Daily Princetonian” was just released:

“The Daily Princetonian began publishing 150 years ago on June 14, 1876, as The Princetonian. During a meeting that year of the Class of 1877 to elect editors of the Nassau Literary Magazine, a motion was made to consider “a change in the management of the paper.” The first issue of The Princetonian reported the motion was based on the “need for a larger and more direct medium of discussion of the internal workings of the college, a need which our Literary Magazine, by reason of character and manner of publication, has not been able adequately to meet.” The faculty recommended instead the founding of a separate newspaper, The Princetonian, to provide a “chronicle of college events and sentiment” with the LIT assuming a more “literary character.” In its early years, the paper changed its publication frequency often — originally fortnightly, then once a week in 1883, and as reported in the December 1897 Daily Princetonian, tri-weekly in 1885, and finally printed daily in 1892, when it was renamed The Daily Princetonian. In 1894, it added a new weekly publication, The Alumni Princetonian. In its February 1900 issue, it announced that it “suspends publication until the latter part of March, when it will reappear under the name of The Princeton Alumni Weekly, “an entirely distinct publication” with new management. Today, The Daily Princetonian remains an independent nonprofit student newspaper funded by advertising and donations, published digitally throughout the week with a print edition on Fridays.“

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.