Call Number:

AC416

Repository:

Princeton University Library: University Archives

Extent:

2 boxes

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Community House Records, Box and Folder Number, Princeton University Archives, Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Date:

1968-2012 (inclusive)

Creator:

Princeton University. Community House.

Abstract:

The Princeton University Community House is a student-led organization that was established in 1969 by seven undergraduate students to provide academic and social enrichment programming to black youth and adults living in low-income Princeton neighborhoods. The Community House Records document the origins and activities of the organization since its inception and through its first three decades.

The Princeton University Community House is a student-led organization that was established in 1969 by seven undergraduate students to provide academic and social enrichment programming to black youth and adults living in low-income Princeton neighborhoods. The House received its initial funding through a two-year grant of the Danforth Foundation and initially operated out of a house located at 164-166 Witherspoon Street. During its early years, Princeton undergraduates constituted the chief staff of the program, which then reported to the Director of Special Education Programs in the Office of the Dean of the College.

In 1973 the Community House relocated to the Youth Center (later the Paul Robeson Cultural Arts Center) at 102 Witherspoon Street. The House led tutoring initiatives for local high school students, provided SAT training and college preparation programming, and organized summer camps, most notably Blairstown Summer Camp in northwestern New Jersey. In addition, the House sponsored classes for arts and crafts, theater, sports and film. Recurring program series in the 1970's included "Blacks in America" and the Children's Dance Theater.

Tutoring programs in the 1980's occurred on site at local schools, community centers, and churches in Princeton, Trenton, and Newark. In 1982, the House moved from its 102 Witherspoon Street location to the Third World Center (later the Carl A. Fields Center) on the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Olden Street. It remained in this location, with the oversight of the House transferring from the Dean of the College to the Pace Center for Civic Engagement in 2007.

The Community House Records document the origins and activities of the organization since its inception and through its first three decades. The collection consists primarily of meeting minutes, correspondence, and annual reports that provide information about House staff members, volunteers, and ongoing initiatives. Also reflected in the records are notes from past directors that give insight into the organizational change of the House through the many shifts of its physical location and administrative management. The collection is particularly useful for demonstrating student response to civil and social unrest of the late 1960's and early 1970's.

The records maintain the order in which they were transferred to the University Archives. No order has been placed on them.