Princeton College during the eighteenth century

Published in 1872 by A.D.F. Randolph & Co., this volume was authored by Samuel Davies Alexander as a historical account of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University. Alexander, an alumnus of the institution, aimed to preserve the legacy of the college during its formative colonial and post-revolutionary years. The work serves as a biographical record of the students who matriculated at the college during the eighteenth century, providing a window into the academic and social landscape of the era.

The book is a piece of late nineteenth-century institutional historiography, reflecting a broader trend of American colleges cataloging their early histories to establish prestige and continuity. Alexander’s approach provides detailed sketches of the student body, capturing the professional trajectories of those who attended the institution during a period of significant national development. It remains a primary reference for those researching the educational history of the American colonies and the subsequent influence of Princeton’s early graduates on the country’s political and intellectual foundations.