Princeton University - Bric A Brac Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

Page 18 text:

fire on some radical group of students, and this version got widespread publicity, which immeasurably detracted from Princeton ' s reputation. The facts seem to prove, however, that the fire started through natural causes. The alumni and trustees began to se- cure funds for the reconstruction. They were met with great success, and by 1803 they had not only rebuilt Nassau Hall, but had enough money to start construction on the present day Stanhope Hall, and oppo- site to it, a philosophical building. For- tunately, the presence of the walls pre- vented the architect, Benjamin H. La- Trobe, from converting Nassau Hall into a Greek Temple, for the classical revival was the predominant movement in the ar- chitecture of the day. As it was, the build- ing was but slightly modified, for only measures to make it more fireproof were undertaken. Smith believed in being firm at all times with the students and would allow no breach of discipline. Under him were gathered the tutors whose duty it was to en- force discipline. Through a long tradition, tutors needed only to stamp their foot out- side a student ' s room to gain immediate admission. A student who imitated this system was subject not only to the wrath of his fellows, but, if caught, to punishment by the college authorities. This was a period of rugged living on the national scene, and the effects of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy were reflected in the life of the college. Despite all attempts at control, the tempo of the times and the imreasonableness of the college authorities led to many clashes. The students had but few outlets for their exuberance. Smith forbade any form of athletics as being ungentlemanly. Fi- nally, when several students tried to drown their sorrows at John Joline ' s Nassau Tav- ern and overindulged in alcohol, they were suspended. This precipitated the first of the great riots. Dr. Smith called a meeting in the Prayer Hall to discuss the situation, for a great number of students claimed these men were suspended on the basis of preju- diced evidence. Smith ' s explanation failed to satisfy them, and over 125 students walked out. These, too, were declared sus- pended. That night the rioting began. Win- dows and doors were smashed and the students barricaded the building, standing guard at the doors with their flintlocks. Realizing that the situation was almost im- possible. Smith declared a five week holi- day, and the rioters dispersed. The trus- tees met in the interim and refused admis- sion to those students who would not repent. Among these students was Abel P. Upshur, who later exhibited similar firm- ness as President Tyler ' s Secretary of State. The next decade was marked by spo- radic rioting and rowdyism. Two more large-scale riots took place. The first oc- curred in 1814 when a group of students set off a huge firecracker near the entrance of Nassau Hall. This blew out several win- dows, cracked the walls, and brought forth 14

Page 17 text:

beneath a harsh exterior beat a kindly heart. This is evidenced by the three day holiday he granted the college when he re- married; his wife had died, and two years later, he wed a widow of twenty-four. This created a sensation among the Presbyte- rians, and also caused quite a celebration on the part of the students. Incidents such as these however, were rare in the life of the students, who were forced to spend long hours memorizing Greek and Latin, and learning lo ng dis- courses on religion, philosophy, and the sciences. But the teaching was sound and thorough, and the fame of Witherspoon ' s college spread through the colonies to at- tract young men from all sections. It was a sad day for the college when, on November 18, 1794, John Witherspoon was buried in the President ' s lot in the Princeton cemetery. He had died as his attendant was reading him the newspaper. Withers{X)on had rendered a great service to his college and his nation. The school of his day brought forth no less than seven Senators, seventeen Congressmen, two Su- preme Court justices, and one United Sutes attorney-general. Though these men were representatives of the Witherspoon era, the contributions of earlier presidents were esf ecially impressive; for they, too, provided many influential men, and colo- nial leaders— among them James Madison, Benjamin Rush, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Patterson. Indeed, over sixteen per cent of the members of the Constitu- tional Convention were Princeton gradu- ates. As Princeton completed her first fifty years, the founders might well have been proud of the achievements of the tiny dis- senting college which they had the vision to establish. In May 1795, Dr. Smith was elected to succeed Witherspoon, thus becoming president in name as well as in fact. An extremely capable scholar, he had many visionary plans for making Princeton America ' s leading college. Yet he failed in his aims and his administration represented the beginning of a period of decline that Avas to continue for over three decades. Smith, and his successors were thwarted in most of their plans to institute reforms by the ultra-conservative trustees. The fire in Nassau Hall was perhaps an ill omen and certainly presaged the overall difficulties that were to follow. On March 6, 1802, as the students were gath- ering for lunch, the fire was discovered. A flame had apparently worked through the chinks in the chimney and set fire to the attic. With a strong southwest wind blow- ing, the flames shortly got out of hand. The students saved what valuables they could, but the fire was too intense to re- cover very much. By ten o ' clock that night all that remained of the building were the charred walls. President Smith blamed the 13

Page 19 text:

a wrathful President Green in his night shirt. The facuky finally tracked down the perpetrators, but not before several nights of revelry and excitement. Eleven students were found guilty, and five expelled. Grad- ually the rioting tapered off. Three years later trouble broke out anew. On January 19, 1817, the students began Princeton ' s worst riot in protest against unduly long reading assignments. They nailed every entrance shut and locked the tutors and religious students in their rooms. To add to the confusion, they yelled Rebellion and Fire! as they raced through the halls. The bell was rung violently for minutes at a time. Vice-Presi- dent Slack sneaked into the building through a basement entrance, but after a glass decanter flew past his head he retired hastily, crying, Ah! you missed your aim! When the riot quieted down. President Green dismissed fourteen students. Forth- with, the violence flared up again. Again the building was barricaded, the Prayer Hall practically wrecked, the walls scrib- bled with charcoal, and the hallways ob- structed with firewood. Some of the less violently inclined students escaped the building, and those remaining prepared for a siege. They threw firewood down on a posse of citizens, and President Green was hit by a piece of flying ice. The riot was finally broken with the injudicious arrest of seven rioters, who were ultimately expelled and were almost subsequently jailed. This was the last of the great riots. There were some later outbreaks, but the growing interest in athletics, the tradi- tional cane-spree and cannon rushes, and the increasing age at matriculation of the typical student accounted for the gradual let-down. But the rioting was not the only prob- lem of the college in this period. President Smith was succeeded by Ashbel Green in 1812. At the same time that this change was taking place, the dispute over the teaching of religion reached a climax. There had been an active movement since 1808 for the establishment of a separate theological seminary. In 1812, just at a time when the college needed unified sup- port, a grant was received and a separate Seminary was approved. Thus the college lost a great number of religious students, and the Church separated its interest into two distinct parts. Green ' s administration was character- ized by the riots and considerable difficulty with the trustees. Many fine teachers left the college for more lucrative positions elsewhere. Phillip Lindsley, an extremely capable teacher and administrator, left Princeton after he felt the trustees were completely apathetic toward the improve- ment of the college. He accepted the third oflFer from the University of Nashville, but he had previously been offered ten chances to become president of other colleges. Ul- timately, the trustees grew tired of their wranglings with Green, and eased him out of the pre sidency in 1821. On May 28, 1823 James Camahan was elected as the ninth president of the Col- lege of New Jersey. In the three decades during which he served as at least nominal head of the college, much of the ground lost under Smith and Green was recovered. Camahan knew how to recognize and fol- low out good advice. This ability ac- counted for much of his success. Soon after he took office, he was faced with the riot of 1823. He dealt firmly and fairly with the participants, and was not bothered by any more serious riots during his administration. He exerted every efiFort to build up an endo vment and create a scholarly faculty. In both these aims he succeeded. Joseph 15