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William K. Selden Collection on Eating Clubs
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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
William Kirkpatrick Selden (1911-2009) was an American educator.
As Princeton's student population expanded in the middle part of the 19th century, eating clubs were established to provide sufficient dining services. Eating clubs filled a social vacuum created when Greek-letter fraternities were banned in 1855 and became the dominant social influence among undergraduates. Throughout their history, the restricted clubs were criticized for their exclusivity and for creating artificial barriers among the student population. Membership declined in the years following the Second World War, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s when students sought more egalitarian social institutions. In 1969 the admittance of women into the University caused a stir among the clubs, but many embraced the change and opened membership to women. In 1979 Sally Frank, a third-year student, filed a lawsuit with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights when she was denied membership in three of the exclusive clubs. The final verdict, announced in 1992, forced all clubs to admit women to their ranks. There are presently 14 active clubs on campus, the oldest of which is the Ivy Club, established in 1879.
The collection contains primarily clippings, arranged chronologically, from The Daily Princetonian as well as clippings from Princeton Alumni Weekly and Princeton Weekly Bulletin documenting the activities of Princeton University's Eating Clubs. Topics found within this collection include the University's Bicker policy and women's rights in the Eating Club system. Relevant reports, such as the Report on Undergraduate Residential Life, and personal correspondence are also found.
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.
This collection was processed by Theresa Marchitto in January 1995. Finding aid written by Theresa Marchitto in January 1995.
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- University Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Theresa Marchitto
- Finding Aid Date
- 2001
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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