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Course Examinations Collection

Notifications

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

The course examinations collection consists of examination questions administered to applicants, undergraduates, and graduate students at Princeton University. With the exception of Series 4: Graded Examinations, only the questions are represented; no answers accompany them. The collection spans a wide range of dates, however the bulk of the examination questions date from the late 19th through mid 20th centuries, and nearly every academic department at the University is represented.

Course examinations are continually added to this collection as they are donated to the University Archives.

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 Christie Peterson with assistance from Suchi Mandavilli '14 in March 2011. Finding aid edited by Christie Peterson in March 2011. Finding aid updated by Lynn Durgin in June 2016.

No information on appraisal is available.

Publisher
University Archives
Finding Aid Author
Christie Peterson; Lynn Durgin
Finding Aid Date
2007
Access Restrictions

Series 1 through 3 are open for research. All files in Series 4: Graded Examinations, 1935-1956 contain student records that are restricted for 75 years from date of creation or for the lifetime of the student.

Use Restrictions

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

Series 1: Admission Examinations, 1876-1911. 1 box.
Scope and Contents

Series 1: Admission Examinations, 1876-1911 consists of examinations administered for admission to Princeton University and one Announcement of Revised Entrance Requirements from January 1893.

Arrangement

Series 1: Admission Examinations, 1876-1911 is arranged chronologically.

Physical Description

1 box

Arrangement

Series 2: Examinations Arranged by Subject, 1833-1998 is arranged alphabetically by subject as indicated on the examinations themselves.

Scope and Contents

Series 2: Examinations Arranged by Subject, 1833-1998 consists primarily of examinations for Princeton undergraduate courses. It also contains a small number of exam schedules, graduate examinations, and instructions.

Physical Description

16 boxes

Architecture, 1927-1928. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Art and Archaeology, 1883. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Astronomy, 1841-1895. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Biology, 1833. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Chemistry, 1871-1943. 1 item.
Physical Description

1 item

Classics, 1942-1951. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Economics, 1878-1942. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Economics, 1902-1916. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

General, 1918-1944. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Civil, 1892-1938. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Electrical, 1916-1918. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

5 boxes

1871-1912, 1871-1912. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1913-1938, 1913-1938. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1939-1972, 1998, 1939-1972. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Junior and Senior Examinations, 1925-1973. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Junior and Senior Examinations, 1928-1976. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Ethics, 1871-1914. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Exam Schedules, 1871-1931. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

2 boxes

1871-1938, 1871-1938. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1942-1959, 1942-1959. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

German, 1878-1915. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Geography, 1879-1915. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Geology, 1878-1931. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Graduate Examinations, 1881-1915. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

2 boxes

1856-1879, 1856-1879. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1880-1942, 1880-1942. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

2 boxes

1871-1933, 1942-1947, 1871-1933. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

undated, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

History of Philosophy, 1871-1911. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Italian, 1919-1957. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Law, 1872-1920. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

2 boxes

1841-1951, 1841-1951. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

undated, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Logic, 1856-1914. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

M.F.A. Examinations, 1951-1983. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Card Catalog of M.F.A. Examination Questions, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Mathematics, 1839-1942. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Military Science, 1917-1937. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Miscellaneous, 1871-1883. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Miscellaneous Instructions and Regulations, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Music, 1938-1948. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Oriental Languages and Literature, 1947-1948. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Philosophy, 1871-1934. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physics, 1878-1956. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physics, 1992-1994. 1 box.
Scope and Contents

Also contains an examination for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Physical Description

1 box

Politics, 1863-1952. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Portuguese, 1942-1957. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Psychology, 1870-1946. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Religion, 1869-1901. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Rhetoric, 1857. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Sociology, 1896-1900. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Spanish, 1913-1957. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Arrangement

Series 3: Bound Volumes of Examinations, 1844-1967 is arranged approximately chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Series 3: Bound Volumes of Examinations, 1844-1967 consists of Princeton undergraduate examinations that have been bound together in volumes. Each volume generally contains examinations in a variety of subjects. Some were represent the examinations taken by a single student, while others are of unknown origin.

Physical Description

6 boxes

Throckmorton, Edmund M.. 1844, 1844. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Willson, Frederick Newton (1855-1939). 1869, 1869. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Libbey, William (1855-1927). 1870-1890, 1870-1890. 1 box.
Libbey
Biographical / Historical

William Libbey (Princeton Class of 1877) was a professor of physical geography at Princeton University. Libbey also served in the New Jersey National Guard, evenutally advancing to the rank of colonel, and was twice a member of the U.S. Olympic Rifle Team, winning a silver medal at the 1912 Olympic Games.

Libbey
biographical statement
Physical Description

1 box

1870-1872, 1870-1872. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Allen, Charles Claflin (1855-1927). 1872, 1872. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1872-1876, 1872-1876. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1874-1876, 1874-1876. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Halsted, George Bruce (1853-1922). 1875, 1875. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1881-1884, 1881-1884. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1884-1888, 1884-1888. 1 volume.
Scope and Contents

Endpaper inscribed by F.A. Waterman '80.

Physical Description

1 volume

1882-1892, 1882-1892. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1889-1895, 1889-1895. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1895-1906, 1895-1906. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Gerstell, Robert Sinclair. 1896-1904, 1896-1904. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1897-1908, 1897-1908. 1 volume.
Physical Description

1 volume

1899-1903, 1899-1903. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Armstrong, Sinclair Howard. 1898-1903, 1898-1903. 1 box.
Armstrong
biographical statement
Physical Description

1 box

1900, 1900. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1902, 1902. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Galt, George McFarlane. 1907-1910, 1907-1910. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1925-1935, 1925-1935. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1936-1963, 1936-1963. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1936-1967, 1936-1967. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Arrangement

Series 4: Graded Examinations, 1935-1956 is arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Series 4: Graded Examinations, 1935-1956 contains graded examinations from Princeton students.

Physical Description

1 box

1935, 1935. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1936, 1936. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1938, 1938. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1940, 1940. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1941, 1941. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1943, 1943. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1944, 1944. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1946, 1946. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1947, 1947. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1948, 1948. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1949, 1949. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1954, 1954. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1955, 1955. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

1956, 1956. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

William G. Chaffee '1930 Course Examinations, 1926-1929. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Charles Stone (Class of 1949) Course Examinations, circa 1940s. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Print, Suggest