Quadrangle Club

The Princeton Quadrangle Club, often abbreviated to "Quad" is one of the ten eating clubs at Princeton University that remain open. Located at 33 Prospect Avenue, the club is currently "sign-in," meaning it permits any rising junior or senior to join. The club's tradition of openness is demonstrated as far back as 1970, when Quadrangle became one of the first coeducational eating clubs (Princeton University itself began admitting women in 1969, and the last eating clubs to include women did so in 1991).

History

The club was formed in 1896 in a house built on the south side of Prospect Avenue. In its early years, it changed its location several times. In 1901, it moved to the north side of "the Street," and in 1903 it moved back to the south side, where the Princeton Tower Club now stands. In 1910 it moved to a house built in 1887 for James McCosh, the eleventh president of Princeton University. In 1915, Quadrangle Club sold the McCosh house and built its own house, designed by Henry Milliken, Princeton Class of 1905 in a classic brick Georgian Revival structure. The club has existed in this building since 1916.

F. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned Quadrangle Club in his quintessential Princeton novel, "This Side of Paradise", describing it as "Literary Quadrangle." Fitzgerald later commented that he might have felt more comfortable in "Literary Quadrangle" with contemporaries such as John Peale Bishop, an American poet. [Tumball, Andrew. "Scott Fitzgerald". New York: Grove Press, 2001: p. 57] [ [http://fitzgerald.narod.ru/crackup/047e-princeton.html Princeton by F. Scott Fitzgerald ] ] Despite changing membership over the past 100 years, the club has largely managed to keep its tradition of playing host to more intellectual members. In recent years, though, the membership has become increasingly rambunctious.

Musical Tradition

The Quadrangle Club has become played host to some of the biggest concerts on Princeton's campus, including Barenaked Ladies in 1993. In recent years it has only strengthened its tradition of hosting famous musical acts, with performances by Lifehouse, and Maroon 5 [ [http://engineering.princeton.edu/eqnews/summer04/feature5.html The E-Quad News, Princeton University ] ] [ [http://prince-web1.princeton.edu/archives/2004/05/03/news/10505.shtml Images from Lawnparties - The Daily Princetonian ] ] in 2003, and 2004, respectively. These concerts have been documented as having drawn more than half of the university's entire undergraduate population. Below is a listing of the groups that have performed at the club in recent years at the semiannual University-wide festival called "Lawnparties". It is also of note that the club played host to Welbilt several times over the past few years at smaller events, befriending the band and being honored with one of their final performance before their break up.

Notable alumni

* R. W. Apple, Jr. - New York Times editor [ [http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2006/10/05/news/16079.shtml 'Prince' Elects Apple Chairman, Motland Voted Business Manager - The Daily Princetonian ] ]
* John Peale Bishop - writer, poet [Tumball, Andrew. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Grove Press, 2001: p. 57]
* Jeff Bezos - founder of Amazon.com [ [http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/85/bezos_1.html Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos | Fast Company ] ]
* Ralph D. Denunzio - investment banker and chairman of the New York Stock Exchange [ [http://www.princeton53.org/ Princeton Class of 1953 ] ]
* [http://tigernet.princeton.edu/~ptoniana/fredfox.asp Fred E. Fox] - collector of Princeton traditions known as "Keeper of the Princetoniana"
* [http://wtpcapital.com/team_barry_glick.html Barry Glick] - founder of Mapquest.com
* Robert F. Goheen - president of Princeton University and U.S. Ambassador to India [ [http://www.princeton.edu/~paw/archive_new/PAW06-07/04-1108/features_goheen.html PAW November 8, 2006: Features ] ] [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,867436,00.html?iid=chix-sphere One of the Ablest - TIME ] ]
* J. Robert Hillier - prize-winning architect
* Neil L. Rudenstine - president of Harvard University
* Adlai Stevenson - governor of Illinois, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and Democratic Party nominee for President in 1952 and 1956 [ [http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/97/q3/0808-stevenson.html Princeton - News - Mudd Library Completes Catalog, Preservation of Adlai E. Stevenson Papers ] ]
* Gordon Wu - entrepreneur and engineer

References

External links

* [http://quad.princeton.edu Princeton Quadrangle Club undergraduate website]
* [http://www.quadrangleclub.org/ Princeton Quadrangle Club alumni website]
* [http://etc.princeton.edu/Campus/text_Quad.html Quadrangle Club history]