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Keeper of Princetoniana Records
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Held at: Princeton University Library: University Archives [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: University Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
A graduate from Princeton in 1939, Frederic Ewing Fox went on to serve in the Army in World War II under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. His articles in the New York Timeson American community life brought him to the attention of then President Eisenhower. He served as an assistant in the White House till 1961. In 1964 he became the Recording Secretary at Princeton University.
Described by University President William G. Bowen as a "cross between a curator, a ringmaster, and a storyteller," Frederic Fox was the only person ever to occupy the office of Keeper of Princetoniana at Princeton University. The unique position involved corresponding with students, faculty, and alumni; collecting memorabilia; meeting with potential donors and receiving gifts; and representing the University tradition publicly, among a bevy of other informal duties. A member of the Class of 1939, Fox served as recording secretary of the University for 17 years and became a well-known figure on campus. In 1976 he was made Keeper of Princetoniana, and he held the position until his death in 1981. Concern for the preservation of Princeton's traditions and memorabilia is carried on by the Princetoniana Committee, a group comprised of alumni and other individuals dedicated to the same mission.
The collection consists of Fox's correspondence with alumni, faculty, and administrators during his tenure as Keeper of Princetoniana. Also included are a position description and assessment in which Fox outlines his duties, newspaper clippings, photographs, yearly budget files, and a cassette tape recording of Fox's memorial service.
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
A container list for this collection was created by Christie Peterson with assistance from Eleanor Wright '14 in November 2011. Finding aid updated by Christie Peterson in November 2011.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- University Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Christie Peterson
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.
For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
The files in Series 1: Keeper of Princetoniana Records, 1956-1981 remain in the original order in which they were received in the archives.
Series 1: Keeper of Princetoniana Records, 1956-1981 consists of Fox's correspondence with alumni, faculty, and administrators during his tenure as Keeper of Princetoniana. Also included are a position description and assessment in which Fox outlines his duties, newspaper clippings, photographs, yearly budget files, and a cassette tape recording of Fox's memorial service.
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