Wilson College

Wilson College, the first of Princeton's six residential colleges, began in 1957 when a group of students formed the “Woodrow Wilson Lodge.”  Following the ideals of Woodrow Wilson, president of Princeton from 1902-1910, the Lodge advocated a more thorough integration of academic, social, and residential life on campus, and offered students “a place where individuals could be accepted for who they are.”  The next few years saw an increased interest among students in joining this “alternative facility.” To accommodate this interest, the University erected five new dormitories – known at the time of their opening in 1960 as the “New Quad” – and undertook the construction of central dining and social facilities in Wilcox Hall. Over the next decade, New Quad became the locus of the Woodrow Wilson Lodge, which grew to number nearly four hundred students, and was renamed Woodrow Wilson College in 1968. Known affectionately as “The College of Destiny” by its residents, the modern Wilson College has maintained a tradition of student governance and promotion of diversity; it is a tradition that inspired the creation of an expanded residential system which now includes six colleges and serves undergraduates from all four class years.