Colonial Club
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Colonial Club is one of the eleven current eating clubs of Princeton University in
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
,
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. Founded in 1891, it is the fifth oldest of the clubs. It is located on 40 Prospect Avenue. A private social club for undergraduates at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, the club was referred to as "flamboyant Colonial" in
F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
's
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
, ''
This Side of Paradise ''This Side of Paradise'' is the debut novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920. It examines the lives and morality of carefree American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive ...
'', and was defined as being one of the "top five" clubs along with
Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...
, Cottage, Cap & Gown, and Tiger Inn. As the first eating club to both abandon the selective bicker process and become coeducational in 1969, Colonial Club has been heralded for its progressive legacy. Colonial Club has been affiliated with over 7 Rhodes Scholars and several Valedictorians of Princeton University. Among the Princetonians who were involved in the World War II code-breaking at
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes ( Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years followin ...
, some were allegedly from Colonial Club. The club has served as the primary social scene for several notable alumni during their undergraduate years, including former Colonial Club Vice President
Joseph Nye Joseph Samuel Nye Jr. (born January 19, 1937) is an American political scientist. He and Robert Keohane co-founded the international relations theory of neoliberalism, which they developed in their 1977 book ''Power and Interdependence''. Togethe ...
'58, co-founder of the
international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...
theory of
neoliberalism Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
,
Pete Conrad Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. (June 2, 1930 – July 8, 1999) was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer and aviator, and test pilot, and commanded the Apollo 12 space mission, on which he became the third person to ...
'53, third man to walk on the moon, Eric Schmidt '76, executive chairman of Alphabet Inc. and former CEO of
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, and
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
'92, U.S. Senator and candidate for the Republican nomination for
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in the 2016 election.


Clubhouse

The club occupies a large mansion on the north side of Prospect Avenue in Princeton, NJ. The building is easily recognizable by its four large white columns fashioned in Colonial style. The current building has served as the clubhouse for Colonial since 1906. After originally occupying several locations farther away from campus, the current house was built during a time of strong rivalry between eating clubs, across the street from rival clubs Ivy and Cottage. Colonial's first clubhouse was located on 306 Nassau Street and served as the club's residence for only one year. In 1892, the club moved to a house on 186 Nassau Street fashioned in the period's cottage architecture, featuring a front facade in the Queen Anne style. The club subsequently moved to Prospect Avenue in 1897, taking over the old Ivy Club house and changing the exterior by adding decorative columns and enlarging the lower floor. This third clubhouse lasted 9 years until the current clubhouse was built, funded by the issuance of bonds to graduate members and alumni. The new clubhouse was designed by associated architects Robert W. Gibson and Francis G. Stewart of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. The current clubhouse features a wide variety of facilities, including a large foyer, cloak room, dining hall, kitchen, library, home theatre, game and billiards room, taproom, computer cluster, offices, various study rooms, and over a dozen bedrooms. The club's undergraduate officers reside in the mansion's third floor.


History


Early history


Foundation

Founded in 1891 under the presidency of H.P. 'Bert' Fisher '93, the club was formed by a group of 13 Princeton University juniors, who originally called themselves the "Plug and Ulster Club." The club's founders initially encountered opposition by the president of the college, Reverend Francis L. Patton, who opposed to the establishment of a boy's club adjacent to Evelyn College, Princeton's coordinate women's college. After agreeing to several provisions, Colonial Club was founded and situated itself in an old Virginian, three-story veranda house. The original section consisted of several notable students including Booth Tarkington, founder of the Princeton Triangle Club. The club later was formerly incorporated in 1896 as The Colonial Club of Princeton University.


Great War Era

After the sinking of the Lusitania, military training became the principal activity on campus. Only a few of the eating clubs remained open during this time. Colonial Club temporarily considered combining with Tiger Inn until the full membership of the various clubs returned to college after the war. Almost the entire 1917 section left college to enter various branches of service, and the entirety of the 1919 section was drafted, leading to the closing of the club. Several club members perished during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, including John G. Agar Jr. '14, Joseph M. Duff Jr. '12, Gordon C. Gregory '18, and Samuel F. Pogue '04. Colonial Club's 1920 section managed to revive the club after the war, under the guidance of W. Irving Harris '20 and Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. '20, who later was chairman of the board of the
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is a tire company founded by Harvey Firestone (1868–1938) in 1900 initially to supply solid rubber side-wire tires for fire apparatus, and later, pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheele ...
.


Great Depression and WWII

Surprisingly, Colonial Club enjoyed its biggest years in the thirties. The original 1933 section of thirty men was the largest that had ever entered the club up to that time, most of whom were students in the university's Politics Department. According to the Colonial Club 100th Anniversary Book, the most striking feature of the club proved to be the members' "bland unawareness of the significance of outside events in those days...few believed that the invasion of Manchuria or
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's rise to power carried a personal threat to us." Colonial Club's tradition of having its formal club dinners in New York began in 1934 in an effort to bring together graduate and undergraduate members. The tradition has continued into the 21st century, with member and alumni dinners commonly held at the Princeton Club of New York. In the 1940s, Colonial Club continued to hold its place as one of the "Big Five" socially prominent eating clubs, along with Ivy, Cottage, Cap & Gown, and Tiger Inn. At the time, 80% of the members came from private preparatory schools, largely in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, with the primary campus activity being Triangle Club and crew. Membership dropped during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, with over 18 members ranging from the 1914 section to the 1941 section perishing in the conflict.


Cold War Era

After the world war, however, Colonial's extravagant style and activities returned to the club's normal affairs. Nearly $15,000 (around $150,000 in 2016) was once spent to hire
Lester Lanin Nathaniel Lester Lanin (August 26, 1907 – October 27, 2004) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader. He was famous for long, smoothly arranged medleys, at a consistent rhythm and tempo, which were designed for continuous dancing. Lanin ...
's Orchestra, and parties reminiscent of those in the
Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the ...
became a staple of club life. By the end of the 50s, many of the traditional social amenities of earlier eras began to fade; buffet style became fashionable in lieu of the club's traditional white tablecloths, linen napkins, and waiters. In the 60s, the club experienced several changes. The clubhouse's third floor bedrooms, which long held the staff of waiters, were renovated into rooms for members. Variable section sizes and a drop in alumni financial support occasionally led to tough financial situations for the club. During this time, Colonial became the first of the clubs to go non-selective in 1969. This move, strongly encouraged by university officials, coincided with the club's admittance of female members. Unlike some of the other eating clubs including Ivy Club, which did not allow women until a lawsuit in 1991, Colonial permitted women to join once Princeton University began to admit women as undergraduates in the same year. The inclusion of women in the club's daily life noticeably led to more small parties and events around the clubhouse. The club's financial difficulties gradually continued into the 70s and 80s, during which the club's Graduate Board of Governors considered closing the club. Efforts by several of the undergraduate officers, including president Jaime Isbester and vice president April Gilbert, kept the club afloat via a fundraising campaign that raised more than $650,000 (over $2 million in 2016). Graduate members including Jack Dorrance '41, then chairman of the Campbell Soup Company, single-handedly donated over $100,000 in the club's Centennial Campaign.


Modern history


2000s

Interest in the club reached a low point in 1999 when only 26 members of the class of 2001 signed into Colonial. Aggressive event planning by the classes of 2000 and 2001, along with generous alumni support and an enthusiastic and dedicated class of 2002, brought the club back from the brink. This was at least the third time the club had been rescued from near-oblivion; 1982 and 1988 also had seen very low sign-in numbers. In 2010, however, Colonial managed to recruit only 13 members in the first round of sign-ins; this was a massive drop from the 87 first round sign-ins from the previous year. The club was still able to attract a substantial number of new members during the second round of sign-ins that same year. In 2011, a huge turnaround occurred when over 130 sophomores signed into the club, which was the largest number of sophomores to join any of the eating clubs. Throughout this period, the club has seen both the size and demographics of each section shift drastically. Nonetheless, the openness of the club, as demonstrated in 1969, remained a hallmark of the club's culture and shaped the club into the next decade.


Club Culture


Activities and Traditions

Continuing its established traditions originating from the Roaring Twenties, Colonial frequently hosts events for its members and guests including game nights, intramural sports, semiformals, and winter and spring houseparties. The club also participates in events such as trivia night, club field days, bonfires, outdoor BBQs, and therapy dog study breaks. As with other the eating clubs, Colonial has participated in the university's annual Lawnparties, hosting artists such as
Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
and Lil Dicky. Traditions at Colonial include its annual medieval feast and thesis phrase, where members attempt to insert a humorous line into their Princeton University senior thesis. Colonial's large, white columns are often seen illuminated by lights on Friday nights, when the club is open to students of Princeton University and other members of the Princeton community. As an eating club, Colonial members often have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the clubhouse daily, with brunch served on the weekends. The club's buffet-style meals often feature an open grill, smoothie station, and panini bar. Other popular options include the club's fresh oysters, BBQ ribs, udon, fish tacos, Korean short ribs, and pork buns. In the 1960s, Colonial was the second of the eating clubs to offer a vegetarian contract, which was slightly cheaper than the regular meal plan offered to members.


Academics and Community Service

Colonial has been committed to maintaining a rigorous scholarly community and providing professional opportunities to its members. The club's Professor Dinner Series allows members and guests to debate and discuss various topics with university professors, who are invited weekly to the club to discuss their research or engage in conversation. Furthermore, the club manages a student-run portfolio of over $100,000 in assets under management (AUM) and hosts its own in-house software development team. Colonial Club has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with the Princeton-Blairstown Center, a program founded in 1908 by Princeton University students and faculty that attempts to transform the lives of young people through character-building experiences. The club holds an annual charity talent show in order to raise money for a variety of nonprofit organizations including HomeFront NJ. In addition, Colonial Club is noted for its enthusiasm towards influenza vaccines, leading all Princeton eating clubs in flu shots for H1N1, H5N1, and every major flu strain seen since 1975. This was sparked by Colonial's loss of 90% of its members to the
1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...
.


Management

As with the past century, Colonial Club is managed by the Graduate Board of Governors, composed of graduate members of the club, and the Undergraduate Officers, who are elected each December. Colonial Club's executive chef, Gilberto Ramirez, has been in post for over 11 years. Ramirez graduated from the French Culinary Institute and previously worked at TPC Jasna Polana. The club is also directed by a club manager, Kathleen Galante, who oversees day-to-day affairs. Colonial Club celebrated its 125th anniversary under graduate president Joseph Studholme '84, who has led the board since 2009, and undergraduate president Christopher J. Yu '17. Continuing its 1934 tradition of having formal member-alumni dinners, the club held its 125th Anniversary Celebration with a cruise dinner aboard the Atlantica Yacht on the New York Harbor.


Notable alumni

Pete Conrad Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. (June 2, 1930 – July 8, 1999) was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer and aviator, and test pilot, and commanded the Apollo 12 space mission, on which he became the third person to ...
'53, the third man to walk on the moon, was a Colonial member. Conrad carried five Princeton flags to the moon; he later gave one to the club. This memento was destroyed in a fire while it was being framed for display at Colonial's "Burn Baby Burn" Pyrotechnic extravaganza. Other famous Colonial alumni include the late
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
senator
Claiborne Pell Claiborne de Borda Pell (November 22, 1918 – January 1, 2009) was an American politician and writer who served as a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island for six terms from 1961 to 1997. He was the sponsor of the 1972 bill that reformed the Basic ...
'40, famous for creation of
Pell grant A Pell Grant is a subsidy the U.S. federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree, or who are enrolled i ...
s in 1973; novelist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
Booth Tarkington Newton Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 – May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels '' The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1918) and '' Alice Adams'' (1921). He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitz ...
, who was a member of the original "Ye Plug and Ulster," which became Colonial;
Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian minister who achieved fame as a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. Early years Thomas was the ...
1905, the chief Socialist in the United States and Socialist candidate in every presidential election from 1928 to 1948; noted Princeton illustrator William B. Pell 1898; Eric Schmidt '76, former CEO of
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; and Edward F. Cox '68, who married
Tricia Nixon Patricia Nixon Cox ( Nixon; born February 21, 1946) is the elder daughter of the 37th United States president Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and sister to Julie Nixon Eisenhower. She is married to Edward F. Cox and is the mother of Chri ...
in the Rose Garden at the White House in 1971. Texas Senator
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
is an alumnus of Colonial Club from the class of 1992. Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education and the wife of U.S. Senator and 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee
Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...
is an alumnus of Colonial Club from the class of 1980.


Historic photographs

Founding Class of Colonial Club, 1891.png, Founders of Colonial Club, 1891 Colonial Club Dinner, 1920.png, Colonial Club Dinner- Delmonicos, N.Y., March 27, 1920 Colonial Club Dinner 1923.png, 1925 Colonial Club Section Dinner Colonial Club Houseparties 1938.png, Houseparties at Colonial Club, 1938 Members of Colonial Club in the Film "Life of Woodrow Wilson".png, Members of Colonial Club as 'extras' in the film "The Life of Woodrow Wilson" in the early 1940s Colonial Club Members during the height of WWII.png, Colonial Club Members during the height of WWII. Several members perished during the war. Colonial Club Members in '78.png, Colonial Club members in 1978, nearly 10 years after allowing women to join Wedding Picture at Colonial, 1981.png, Wedding Picture at Colonial, August 1, 1981 Colonial Club 1992 with Ted Cruz.png, Colonial Club members in 1992, featuring Rafael 'Ted' Cruz Pete Conrad.png, Colonial Club Member, Charles "Pete" Conrad '53, presents Princeton University flag taken to the moon on Apollo Flight XII to Colonial Club


See also

*
Cannon Club Cannon Dial Elm Club, also known as Cannon Club, is one of the historic Eating Clubs at Princeton University. Founded in 1895, it completed its current clubhouse in 1910. The club closed in the early 1970s and later merged with Dial Lodge and Elm ...
*
Cap and Gown Club Cap and Gown Club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Colloquially known as "Cap", the club is one of the "Big Four" eating clubs at Princeton (the others are The Ivy Club, Unive ...
* Cloister Inn *
Ivy Club The Ivy Club, often simply Ivy, is the oldest eating club at Princeton University, and it is "still considered the most prestigious" by its members. It was founded in 1879 with Arthur Hawley Scribner as its first head. Ivy is one of the "Big Four ...
*
Princeton Charter Club The Princeton Charter Club is one of Princeton University's eleven active undergraduate eating clubs located on or near Prospect Avenue in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Club history The Princeton Charter Club was organized in the fall of ...
*
Terrace Club Princeton Terrace Club is one of eleven current eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Terrace Club was founded in 1904 and is located at 62 Washington Road. It is the sole Princeton eating club located off ...
* Tiger Inn *
Tower Club Princeton Tower Club is one of the eleven eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on ...
*
University Cottage Club The University Cottage Club or simply Cottage Club is one of eleven current eating clubs at Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is one of the six bicker clubs, along with The Ivy Club, Tiger Inn, Cap and Gown Club ...
* Quadrangle Club


References


External links

*
Colonial Club Website
{{Princeton Eating clubs at Princeton University Historic district contributing properties in Mercer County, New Jersey