Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/4f16c281h
Sesquicentennial Celebration Records, circa 1887-1993 (bulk 1894-1904): Finding Aid
AC141
Former President Grover Cleveland reviewing the torchlight procession at Nassau Hall, 1896.
65 Olden Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA
Phone: 609-258-6345
Fax: 609-258-3385
mudd@princeton.edu
http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd
Published in 2003
©2006 Princeton University Library
Summary Information
- Creator:
- Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee.
- Title and dates:
- Sesquicentennial Celebration Records, circa 1887-1993 (bulk 1894-1904)
- Abstract:
- The collection consists of materials relating to the three-day Sesquicentennial Celebration in October 1896, at which the College of New Jersey became Princeton University. In addition to ephemera and printed material distributed at the celebration, the collection includes a typescript draft of President Francis Landey Patton's sermon, sesquicentennial memorial books, a published sketchbook, official congratulations from other institutions, and press releases and newspaper clippings reporting the events.
- Size:
- 3.1 linear feet (1 archival box, 1 half-size archival box, 3 flat 11" x 9" x 1.5" archival boxes, and 10 custom boxes).
- Call number:
- AC141
- Location:
- Princeton University Library. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
Princeton University Archives.
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA - Language(s) of material:
- English.
- Storage note:
- This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.
History of the Sesquicentennial Celebration
The celebration of the College's 150th anniversary in October 1896 was an event over two years in the making. By all accounts, it was a great success. Participants long remembered the eloquent speeches made by former U.S. President Grover Cleveland and future U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the procession of torch-carrying Princetonians that marched through town to a Nassau Hall covered with orange electric lights. The culminating announcement came from College President Francis Landey Patton when he declared that “what heretofore for one hundred fifty years has been known as the College of New Jersey shall in all future time be known as Princeton University.”
The three-day Sesquicentennial Celebration included hundreds of undergraduates, thousands of alumni, representatives from universities throughout the world, distinguished European scholars, and delegations of students from other colleges and universities. The College and the town were decorated everywhere with red, white, and blue, and orange and black banners; the College erected an arched gateway at one end of Nassau Street, while the town put up a matching gateway at the other end. Princeton won the sesquicentennial football game against Virginia, 48-0. In addition to Grover Cleveland and then Professor Woodrow Wilson, speakers at the celebration included several European scholars, the poet and professor Henry van Dyke, the president of Harvard, Charles Eliot, and the College's own president, Francis Landey Patton.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in five series as follows:
- Series 1: Celebration Materials, circa 1887-1993
- Series 2: Institutional Congratulations, 1896-1899
- Series 3: Memorial Book Autograph Edition Correspondence, 1896-1904
- Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1896-1897
- Series 5: Memorial Book Engravers' Plates, 1898
- Series 6: Memorial Books, 1898
Access and Use
Access
Collection is open for research use.
Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the University Archivist. Copyright is held by the Trustees of Princeton University.
Acquisition and Appraisal
Provenance and Acquisition
Compiled by the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee and the University Library. The third scrapbook in Series 4 and the contents of Series 3 were donated to the Library in June 1904 by the Rev. George Blackburn Kinkead III, Class of 1899.
Related Materials
Related Archival Material
Other materials relating to the Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration can be found in the P Collection and in the University Library's general catalogue.
Processing and Other Information
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Matthew Reeder in December 2002. Finding aid written by Matthew Reeder in December 2002.
Descriptive Rules Used
Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
Encoding
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Techbooks and Cristela García-Spitz on December 29, 2006.
Finding aid written in English.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Sesquicentennial Celebration Records, Box and Folder Number; University Archives, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
Subject Headings
These materials have been indexed in the Princeton University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
- Princeton University -- Centennial celebrations, etc.
- Princeton University -- History -- 19th century.
- Autographs.
- Scrapbooks.
- Corespondence.
- Printing plates.
- Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908.
- Kinkead, George Blackburn.
- Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:
Contents List
Celebration Materials, circa 1887-1993
Series Description
Celebration Materials, circa 1887-1993, collects invitations, programs, mass mailings, event notices, pins, and correspondence relating to the celebration (similar materials can be found in the first scrapbook in Series 4). A typed draft of President Francis Landey Patton's sesquicentennial sermon with corrections, a photograph album of the event, and a published book of sketches from the celebration by William Silas Whitehead can be found in this series as well. Folders are sorted alphabetically by their content. The photocopied flyer in Box 1, Folder 7 replaces the original, which can now be found in oversized cabinet 6, drawer 8.
Clippings, circa 1887-1946
Box 1, Folder 1 Commemorative Medal Information, 1900-1993
Box 1, Folder 2 Handbook of Princeton, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 3 Invitations, Programs, and Tickets, 1896 Sep-Oct
Box 1, Folder 4 Memorabilia, undated
Box 1, Folder 5 Patton, Francis L. “Religion and the University.” Sesquicentennial Sermon, Original Typescript Copy with Corrections, 1896
Box 1, Folder 6 Pennsylvania Railroad Excursion Tickets Flyer Photocopy, 1896 Oct
(Original in Oversized Cabinet 6, Drawer 8)
Box 1, Folder 7 Preparation for the Events, 1894 Nov-1896 Aug
Box 1, Folder 8 Publication Information, 1896? Dec
Box 1, Folder 9 Torchlight Procession Information, 1896 Sep-Oct
Box 1, Folder 10 Van Wagenen, George A. Sesquicentennial Photograph Album, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 11 Whitehead, William Silas, Jr. Sketches: Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration, 1896
Box 1, Folder 12 Institutional Congratulations, 1896-1899
Series Description
Institutional Congratulations, 1896-1899, includes official congratulations issued to Princeton by colleges, universities, and academic societies around the world. While some were written in Latin, on vellum, or in calligraphy, others were merely written longhand to acknowledge receipt of an invitation from the sesquicentennial organizing committee. Congratulatory documents from Athens, Dartmouth, Paris, Rutgers, Tokyo, and Zurich are especially notable. Documents are sorted alphabetically by institution.
List of Institutional Congratulations, undated
Box 1, Folder 13 Aberdeen, University of, 1896 Jun
Box 1, Folder 14 Alliance of Reformed Churches, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 15 Athens, University of, 1899
Box 1, Folder 16 Bombay, University of, 1896 Jul
Box 1, Folder 17 Brussels, University of, 1898 Dec
Box 1, Folder 18 California, University of, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 19 Christiania, University of, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 20 Colonial Wars, Society of, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 21 Copenhagen, University of, 1896 Mar
Box 1, Folder 22 Dartmouth College, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 23 Erlangen, University of, 1896 Mar
Box 1, Folder 24 Giessen, University of, 1896 Jun
Box 1, Folder 25 Groningen, University of, 1896 July
Box 1, Folder 26 Haverford College, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 27 Heidelberg University, 1896 Jun
Box 1, Folder 28 Hobart College, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 29 Jena, University of, 1896 Sep-1898 Dec
Box 1, Folder 30 Kaiser Wilhelms Universitat, 1896 Aug
Box 1, Folder 31 Koniglich Wurtembergischen Universitat, Tubingen, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 32 Lick Observatory, University of California, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 33 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 34 Melbourne, University of, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 35 New York University, 1896 Nov
Box 1, Folder 36 Paris, University of, undated
Box 1, Folder 37 Pennsylvania College, 1896 Mar
Box 1, Folder 38 Queen's College, Belfast, undated
Box 1, Folder 39 Queens College and University, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 40 Rostok, University of, 1896 Sep
Box 1, Folder 41 Rutgers College, 1896 Nov
Box 1, Folder 42 Southwestern Presbyterian University, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 43 Swarthmore College, 1896 Jun
Box 1, Folder 44 Syrian Protestant College, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 45 Texas, University of, undated
Box 1, Folder 46 Tokyo, University of, 1897 Sep
Box 1, Folder 47 Union University, 1896 Aug
Box 1, Folder 48 United States Military Academy, 1896 May
Box 1, Folder 49 United States Naval Academy, 1896 Apr
Box 1, Folder 50 Vanderbilt University, 1896 Sep
Box 1, Folder 51 Victoria University, 1896? Mar
Box 1, Folder 52 Washington University, Missouri, 1896 Oct
Box 1, Folder 53 Washington and Lee University, 1896 Mar
Box 1, Folder 54 Western Reserve University, undated
Box 1, Folder 55 Williams College, 1896 Jun
Box 1, Folder 56 Wisconsin, University of, undated
Box 1, Folder 57 Zurich, University of, 1896 Mar
Box 1, Folder 58 Memorial Book Autograph Edition Correspondence, 1896-1904
Series Description
Memorial Book Autograph Edition Correspondence, 1896-1904, consists of the correspondence between the Rev. George Blackburn Kinkead III, Class of 1899, and participants in the Sesquicentennial Celebration for the purpose of acquiring their signatures. Kinkead pasted the autographs in a Sesquicentennial Celebration memorial book (Box 15) and donated it to the Library in 1904. Material in this series is sorted according to the last initial of the correspondent.
A, 1900 Jan-1903 Sep
Box 2, Folder 1 B, 1896 Oct-1904 Apr
Box 2, Folder 2 C, 1899 Mar-1904 May
Box 2, Folder 3 D, 1899 Oct-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 4 E, 1896 Oct-1903 Sep
Box 2, Folder 5 F, 1902 Sep-1904 Feb
Box 2, Folder 6 G, 1896 Mar-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 7 H, 1899 Nov-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 8 I, 1903 Jun
Box 2, Folder 9 J, 1899 Dec-1903 Sep
Box 2, Folder 10 K, 1899 Sep-1904 Jan
Box 2, Folder 11 L, 1896 May-1903 Dec
Box 2, Folder 12 M, 1899 Sep-1904 Oct
Box 2, Folder 13 N, O, 1899 Nov-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 14 P, 1899 Mar-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 15 R, 1899 Oct-1904 Jun
Box 2, Folder 16 S, 1896 May-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 17 T, 1899 Jul-1904 Feb
Box 2, Folder 18 V, 1902 Oct
Box 2, Folder 19 W, 1899 Oct-1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 20 Y, 1904 Mar
Box 2, Folder 21 Indecipherable, 1896 Sep-1904
Box 2, Folder 22 Scrapbooks, 1896-1897
Series Description
Scrapbooks, 1896-1897, contains seven volumes stored in boxes. The first contains ephemera relating to the celebration, such as invitations, tickets, notices, class newsletters, and press releases. The other volumes hold newspaper clippings about the celebration. These volumes are repetitive because most newspapers chose to reprint the news releases in full. There are, however, some original articles, illustrations, and notices regarding the Sesquicentennial Celebration; and clippings from newspapers throughout the country are represented.
Volume 1, 1896 Feb-1897 Feb
Box 3 Volume 2, 1896 Aug-Oct
Box 4 Volume 3, 1896 Aug-Oct
Box 5 Volume 4, 1896 Oct
Box 6 Volume 5, 1896 Oct
Box 7 Volume 6, 1896 Oct-Dec
Box 8 Volume 7, 1896 Sep-1897 Mar
Box 9 Memorial Book Engravers' Plates, 1898
Series Description
Memorial Book Engravers' Plates, 1898, consists of the engraved plates used to print the illustrations in the memorial book published in that year. Illustrations include portraits of the College's presidents, prominent or new buildings, and an image of the sesquicentennial torchlight procession with former U.S. President Grover Cleveland in the foreground. The plates are arranged alphabetically by subject. The boxes containing the plates are very heavy. Researchers should use care when handling.
Alexander Hall, 1898
Box 10, Folder 1 Blair Hall, 1898
Box 10, Folder 2-3 Brown Hall, 1898
Box 10, Folder 4 Burr, Aaron, 1898
Box 10, Folder 5 Carnahan, James, 1898
Box 10, Folder 6 Chancellor Green Library, 1898
Box 10, Folder 7 Davies, Samuel, 1898
Box 10, Folder 8 Dickinson, Jonathan, 1898
Box 10, Folder 9 Edwards, Jonathan, 1898
Box 11, Folder 1 Finley, Samuel, 1898
Box 11, Folder 2 Green, Ashbel, 1898
Box 11, Folder 3 Lower Pyne Dormitory, 1898
Box 11, Folder 4 Maclean, John, 1898
Box 11, Folder 5 Nassau Hall, 1898
Box 11, Folder 6 Patton, Francis Landey, 1898
Box 11, Folder 7-8 Prospect House, 1898
Box 12, Folder 1 Pyne Library, 1898
Box 12, Folder 2-3 Pyne Library Courtyard, 1898
Box 12, Folder 4 Smith, Samuel Stanhope, 1898
Box 12, Folder 5 Torchlight Parade (October 20, 1896), 1898
Box 12, Folder 6 Upper Pyne Dormitory, 1898
Box 12, Folder 7 Whig and Clio Halls, 1898
Box 12, Folder 8 Witherspoon, John, 1898
Box 12, Folder 9 Memorial Books, 1898
Series Description
Memorial Books, 1898, includes three memorial books whose purpose was to document the Sesquicentennial Celebration. The first volume is unaltered. The second has been enhanced with original documents, particularly those containing the autographs of the College's former presidents and officials involved with the Sesquicentennial Celebration. Hundreds of autographs (almost entirely by people present at the celebration) have been added to the third volume.
Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration Memorial Book, 1898
Box 13 Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration Memorial Book, with Documents Added until 1907, 1898
Box 14 Princeton Sesquicentennial Celebration Memorial Book, with Autographs Added until 1904, 1898
Box 15
Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/4f16c281h