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Feature: July 2, 1997
Those who wanted to mix serious thinking with merriment could choose from a number of mind-stretchers. The final presentation of the 250th Anniversary series "Great Cases in American Constitutional Law" featured a panel sponsored by the politics department on Roe v. Wade. In the discussion of the landmark case legalizing abortion, writer George Will *68 and Jean Elshtain, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, argued that the Supreme Court's 1973 decision short-circuited democracy. A discussion of the university's future grappled with a range of issues. Thomas H. Kean '57, a former New Jersey governor and the president of Drew University, called for Princeton to remain accessible to people of all income levels in the face of increasing economic disparity. Randall L. Kennedy '77, a professor at Harvard Law School, urged the university to devote more time and resources to its role as a global institution. Others spoke of the importance of the university's keeping pace with technological advances and offering students educational experience beyond the classroom. Before the panel discussion "Disparity of Wealth in America: Is the Gap Between Rich and Poor Inevitable?," in McCosh 10, one alumnus was overheard to say, "These chairs haven't gotten any softer," to the good-natured agreement of all around him. But once the speakers, including Professor of Economics Alan S. Blinder '67, began, the mood became thoughtful. Blinder attributed the income gap, which he noted has long existed but has widened since 1973, mainly to changes in technology and the demand for more highly skilled workers. While government policy, trade agreements, the diminishing role of trade unions, and immigration patterns have contributed to the current disparity, he said, "The market system has turned savagely against the unskilled." Using a football analogy, Blinder added that government policy has been akin to "piling on," exacerbating rather than mitigating the problem. He called for a much greater effort toward compensatory education. Football was on the mind of other alumni as well. Signs, benches, and flags that once outfitted the demolished Palmer Stadium were up for a silent auction conducted by Admiral Awards; income from the mementos is earmarked for the new stadium, now under construction. A spirited bidding war ended when Eric Williams '74, who played freshman football, became the new owner of a framed metal "Welcome to Palmer Stadium" sign for $1,500. "This is what I came down here for," he said. Mark Biderman '67, his colleague at Oppenheimer and Company, an investment firm in New York City, purchased a mounted water fountain for $350. Both intend to display their treasures in their respective offices. Also bidding on memories were Robert and Sue Rodgers '56, who admitted they had toyed with the idea of stealing a stadium sign for Robert's former roommate, ex-football player Benjamin Spinelli '56, before Palmer's demise. Spinelli was unable to attend Reunions but badly wanted a stadium memento, so the Rodgers obliged by purchasing for him an unframed "Welcome to Palmer Stadium" for $700. Members of the 60th-reunion class focused much of their time on honoring one of their own, James Maitland Stewart '32. A Jimmy Stewart Film Festival was held Friday in the theater at 185 Nassau Street, which was dedicated to Stewart. It featured five of his best-known movies, including It's a Wonderful Life. Film historian A. Scott Berg '71 entertained a near-capacity crowd in Richardson Auditorium with a lecture entitled "Mr. Stewart Goes to Hollywood" (a play on a Stewart favorite, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). A highlight of the lecture, which included film clips from Stewart movies, was a segment from The Tonight Show in which Stewart performed the "Princeton 1910" cheer for then-host Johnny Carson. The dedication of the James M. Stewart '32 Theater followed Berg's lecture. The 89-year-old actor could not attend, but his daughter, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, offered his regards: "When I spoke to my father a few days ago, he said 'Please be sure to tell Princeton how sad I am that I am not able to be there. Please tell them from the bottom of my heart how much this means to me.' " Berg brought chuckles from the audience with his observation: "For those of us who have been in the service of the Triangle Club, it is a big honor to consider yourself in the same kickline as Jimmy Stewart. There's not a man who has put on his first set of high heels or snapped on his first brassiere who hasn't asked, 'Did Jimmy Stewart really start out this way?' " The dedication concluded with the Princeton cheerleaders giving Stewart a rousing "Locomotive"-called out on a megaphone once used by Stewart himself-and a rendering of "Old Nassau" by current members of the Triangle Club. Saturday afternoon brought Tigers of all ages together for the annual P-rade. Moments before the ringing of Nassau Hall's bell to signal the start, a cacophony filled the front campus. The twitters and toots of bands warming up mingled with cheers and the buzz of conversations as classes lined up behind their respective signs. Two unsuspecting sophomores enjoying a picnic lunch, Judy Tseng and Katie Miller, were pressed into service to carry the Old Guard standard, with the promise that they'd get more cheers than anyone else. Among the ranks of P-raders were Evan Jones Miller '17, the oldest returning alumnus; John Howard '47, the first African American to earn a Princeton degree; several of the first women admitted to Princeton in the Class of 1972; and Sally Frank '80, whose 13-year lawsuit opened the last all-male eating clubs to women. Placards carried by the various classes brought more than a few smiles. A sampling: - From the Class of 1947, "We're not senior citizens. We're recycled teenagers" and "We prefer the original Madonna." - From the Class of 1962, "Briefs? Boxers? Depends!" and "The older I get, the better I was." - From the Class of 1967, "A little shorter. A little wider. A lot wiser." The class theme for 1947 graduates was "War torn . . . but peaced together." Highlighting the march of the 50th-reunion class was Woodrow Wilson's 1919 Pierce-Arrow and William Cricket '47 on horseback as King George II, the granter of Princeton's charter. The 25th reuners, the Class of 1972, proclaimed themselves "The Great Class" as they led the P-rade through campus. With a nod to their famous classmate, David Duchovny '82 of the hit television series The X-Files, members of the 15th-reunion class sported black windbreakers and T-shirts marked "XV," while their "alien" progeny sported bouncing antennae. (Duchovny-perhaps abducted by a UFO-was a no-show.) Members of the Class of 1987 marched in kilts and berets to celebrate their "Tartan Tenth," and the backs of their T-shirts proclaimed them "Plaid to be Back." Returnees in the fifth-reunion class of 1992 celebrated their theme, "Bouncing Back to Nassau Hall," by pounding the asphalt with mini-basketballs. The Class of 1997 joined the P-rade with the traditional charge and cheers. The merriment was far from over. That evening, a concert by the University Orchestra served as prelude to a spectacular half-hour fireworks farewell to the 250th Anniversary by the Santore Brothers of Garden State Fireworks. The light-and-sound show was musically choreographed to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," "Going Back to Nassau Hall," the hit tune "Celebration," and Barbra Streisand's version of West Side Story's "There's a Place for Us," among other pieces, and finished with a rousing "1812 Overture." -Maria LoBiondo
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