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B Y T H E N U M B E R S
Commencement over the years"A Princeton Companion," the book by Alexander Leitch, offers these insights on commencement over the years: • Princeton's first commencement on Nov. 9, 1748, also served as the inauguration of Aaron Burr Sr., the College's second president. Jonathan Dickinson, who served as president beginning in 1746, died after only four and a half months in office. Burr, who was known for his scholarly endeavors, delivered from memory a 45-minute oration in Latin during the ceremony. • Also at that first commencement, Burr conferred the College's first honorary degree on Jonathan Belcher, governor of the province of New Jersey from 1747 to 1757. According to the book, Belcher "adopted" Princeton soon after his arrival in New Jersey in 1747 and "busied himself in its promotion for 'better enlightening the minds and polishing the manners of this and neighboring colonies.'" He granted the College a second charter in 1748 when the legality of its first charter was questioned. • Alexander Hall was erected in 1892 as a convocation hall for commence-ment exercises and other large gatherings. For 30 years seniors graduated in Alexander, but by 1922 commencement exercises had outgrown the building and thereafter took place in front of Nassau Hall. • Paul Bedford, an 1897 Princeton graduate and a trustee, chaired the commencement committee from 1941 through 1967. "Every spring he entertained the committee at a dinner at the Princeton Inn which he took delight in planning and which, in its sumptuous detail, was reminiscent of the Golden Nineties...," according to the book. "His annual report on commencement was a highlight of the October meeting of the Board of Trustees. He expatiated eloquently on such topics as the 'degustation of food and beverages,' the skill of the faculty marshals in getting the procession to move 'with celerity uncontempered by cunctation,' and the vagaries of the weather." |
June 3, 2002 Contents Commencement Page one Inside Sections
Deadline. In general, the copy deadline for each issue is the Friday 10 days in advance of the Monday cover date. The deadline for the Bulletin that covers June 17&endash;Sept. 8 is Friday, June 7. A complete publication schedule is available at deadlines or by calling (609) 258-3601.
Editor: Ruth Stevens |
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