The Clubs and Organizations category contains books and other printed materials pertaining to Princeton students' participation in clubs and other extracurricular activities. The most eminent title in this category is the annual Bric-a-Brac yearbook, which contains lists student organizations, athletic teams, and their members, as well as many photographs. A few select items such as those relating to the Princeton Engineering Association are dedicated to a single club or organization.
Princeton Engineering Association Newsletter
P19.728
1921-1930
See also The Princeton Engineer (P19.738) which is a similar publication. Note that the Princeton Engineering Association is an alumni organization, while the Society of Princeton Engineers which publishes the Engineer is an undergraduate group. The newsletters contain articles detailing developments within the Engineering departments, as well as new trends in the field.
Student Life and Customs
P68.502 to P71.66
This is a set of books, pamphlets, and other ephemera which is produced by or aimed towards the students of Princeton, primarily in the early years of the 20th century. Roughly half of the works (P68.502 to P68.896) pertain to the Graduate School and related topics. Included are notices of the opening of the Graduate College, pamphlets on the Quad system, and other bulletins released by the Committee on the Graduate School. The other materials here are more focused on undergraduate life, and include works such as B.H. Hall’s 1851 College Words and Customs (P70.427), possibly the first written etymology of the term “campus.” Also in this section is The Dink, a 1930s freshman newspaper, and its mid 19th century predecessor Memorabilia Sophomorum. Other items of interest include A Gem from Nassau’s Casket, an 1840s student literary publication, and The Log, newsletter of the NROTC program.
Bric-a-Brac
P71.210
1875-1944; 1946-2008
The Bric-a-Brac is a yearbook published annually by the junior class of Princeton University. The Bric-a-Brac's focus is on student life, particularly on student participation in clubs and organizations. It is one of the most useful resources for determining membership in eating clubs or athletic teams, as well as for tracing the development of various student organizations. In select years entries for the athletic teams and larger clubs such as Triangle feature a yearly summary of activities including game or production schedules. Starting in 1899, the Bric-a-Brac also contains photographs, typically consisting of a group shot for each club and game shots for athletic teams.
The Princeton Pictorial
P71.734
1913-1922
The Princeton Pictorial was a bimonthly publication of the students of Princeton which was intended to “give a complete pictorial record of Princeton’s life and growth.” The numerous black and white photographs (mostly submitted by students) were supplemented by brief descriptive articles and editorials. Athletics is a particularly common subject but faculty and student activities are also included.
Societies and Fraternities
P71.752 to P76.993
This section contains works related to societies and fraternities which have existed (or in some cases which still exist) at the University. Typical works include Beam’s history of the American Whig Society, and the Proceedings and Addresses of the Cliosophic Society. Some lesser known clubs are also represented in works such as The Book of the Tuesday Evening Club. There are also several items of an unrelated nature, such as “Prayers of the Princeton University Chapel” and “Constitution of the University Dining Halls.” Also prominent in this section are the yearbooks and quarterly magazine of the Chi Phi fraternity, which had a chapter at Princeton in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Athletics
P78.68 to P781.737
A modest selection of books and pamphlets regarding athletics at Princeton, including the intercollegiate athletic calendar (1899-1908) and several football programs, including the 1893 thanksgiving football game. Also in this section are the constitution and by-laws of the Athletic Association as well as several pamphlets which deal with highly specific topics such as the use of athletic insignia, and the University’s policy regarding athletic injuries.
