Making of Princeton University

James Axtell is Kenan Professor of Humanities at the College of William & Mary. A graduate of Yale and Cambridge universities, he is the author or editor of seventeen books, including the prize-winning "The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures in Colonial North America" and "The Pleasures of Academe: A Celebration & Defense of Higher Education". He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

• Illustrations xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xxv Abbreviations xxxi CHAPTER ONE: The Dream Realized 1 CHAPTER TWO: From Gentlemen to Scholars 27 CHAPTER THREE: Getting In 111 CHAPTER FOUR: In Class 178 CHAPTER FIVE: Beyond the Classroom 238 CHAPTER SIX: A Charming Turbulence 310 CHAPTER SEVEN: Higher Learning 373 CHAPTER EIGHT: The Bookish Heart 436 CHAPTER NINE: The Tiger's Eye 487 CHAPTER TEN: Coin of the Realm 530 Conclusion: She Flourishes 593 Selected Bibliography 615 Index 623

Winner of the 2007 Honor Book Award, New Jersey Council for the Humanities "Do we really need another 600-plus pages about the University? The answer is yes--if the book in question is as good as this one is... [I]t's appeal transcends the alumni market. Besides being arguably the most readable account of Princeton ever written, this overview of college life is so illuminating on such a wide range of subjects, including administration, faculty, admission standards, scholarship, and life inside and outside the classroom, that it stands not only as the definitive work on its specific subject but as an invaluable study of the university experience in general."--Stuart Mitchner, Town Topics "Axtell's retelling is vivid, particularly as he tracks larger societal changes alongside the university's transformation. His explanation of Princeton's changing politics, style and patois serves as a fascinating guidebook to understanding the university through all its various permutations."--Iris Blasi, ForeWord Magazine "Mixing scholarly excellence with subtle humor, Axtell is both an excellent historian and storyteller... The Making of Princeton University is more than a mere institutional history: It is the story of the transformation of an American icon."--J. Gregory Behle, Journal of American History "An excellent and exceedingly well-written book... It is hard to imagine a better book on a single university. The Making of Princeton University is engagingly written, judicious in its use of materials, exceptionally well researched (here Axtell had the advantage of an outstanding archival collection), and wise in its understanding of how Princeton has become what it is."--Marvin Lazerson, Academe "Here we have finally an outstanding historian writing about a significant institution. The writing is lively; the case study is connected to the larger domains of American higher education. It provides an antidote to the familiar reasons that institutional history has been maligned or ignored. Axtell's story gets off to a great start due to his historical candor... Thanks to James Axtell's exciting, thorough history, a reader moves steadily to consider that it is daring for a university to be different and distinctive."--John R. Thelin, Journal of Higher Education