FitzRandolph Gate
Fitzrandolph Gate | |
Location | 91 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ |
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Coordinates | 40°20′58.6″N 74°39′35.0″W / 40.349611°N 74.659722°W |
Built | 1905 |
Architect | McKim, Mead & White |
Architectural style | Georgian ironwork |
Part of | Princeton Historic District (ID75001143) |
Designated CP | 27 June 1975 |
FitzRandolph Gate is a wrought-iron structure that serves as the official entrance of
At commencement each year the graduating seniors process out of the gates to mark the completion of their time at Princeton. A widespread legend exists on campus that students who walk out of the gates before graduation will not finish their degree.[1] In 2004 a tradition was added at Princeton's opening exercises called the Pre-Rade where the matriculating freshmen march into the gates behind the banners of their residential colleges to mark their entrance into Princeton.[2]
History
Nathaniel FitzRandolph (1703–1780) was a son of one of the original 17th-century
Nathaniel FitzRandolph died in 1780 and was buried nearby in his family plot. In 1909, during the construction of Holder Hall, 32 family graves were discovered. At Woodrow Wilson's direction, the remains were re-interred under the eastern arch of the new hall and a plaque was erected to commemorate FitzRandolph. It is inscribed with the Latin phrase:
In agro jacet nostro immo suo,
In our ground he sleeps, nay, rather in his own.[5]
Gallery
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A secondary gate, near Joseph Henry House
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Inscription commemorating the Princeton class of 1970, whose efforts led to the opening of the gates on a permanent basis
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Undergraduates avoid exiting the central gate, instead using the flanking gates
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A plaque in the eastern archway of Holder Hall commemorating the burial place of Nathaniel FitzRandolph
See also
- Van Wickle Gates, the official entrance of Brown University, also funded by Augustus Van Wickle
References
- ^ Brickman, Madeline (May 14, 2004). "Students debate FitzRandolph Gate graduation legend". The Daily Princetonian. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ "Pre-rade". Princetoniana. Princeton University. Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
- ^ Mitchell, Martha. "Van Wickle Gates". Encyclopedia Brunoniana. Brown University. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ "FitzRandolph Gate". Princetoniana. Princeton University.
- ^ McGee, Kristine Marconi. "Can FitzRandolph descendants attend Princeton University for free?". Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. Princeton University. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2016-03-31.