Colonial Club

Colonial Club is one of the ten current eating clubs of Princeton University. Founded in 1891, it is the fifth oldest of the clubs.

Related Topics:
Eating clubs - Princeton University

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The club occupies a large mansion on the north side of Prospect Avenue in Princeton, NJ. The building is easily recognizable by its four large white columns fashioned in Colonial style. After originally occupying several locations farther away from campus, the current house was built during a time of strong rivalry between eating clubs, across the street from rival clubs Ivy and Cottage. In very recent years, Colonial's closest rival has been Quadrangle Club.

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Colonial is one of the five current non-selective, or "sign-in" clubs. The other five clubs are selective or "bicker" clubs. Colonial is known among current students for its openness in both membership and in admission to festivities and events. The club usually refuses to go "on pass" (a method of restricting admission to an event to only members and holders of colored cards obtained from club members) and instead allowing all students to attend. Formerly a bicker club (as all eating clubs were), the club went non-selective in 1969 under pressure from Nassau Hall which at the same time opened the door for women to join the club.

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Interest in the club reached a low point when only 26 members of the class of 2001 signed-in to Colonial. Aggressive event planning by the classes of 2000 and 2001, along with generous alumni support and an enthusiastic and dedicated class of 2002, brought the club back from the brink, and by 2001 it was once again one of the most popular of the sign-in clubs. For the past three years (2003-2005) Colonial has "filled" all available memberships within the first round of sign-ins http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2005/01/31/news/11848.shtml solidifying the club's current position as one of the most popular on "the street".

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Pete Conrad '53, the third man to walk on the moon, was a Colonial Member. Conrad carried five Princeton flags to the moon; he later gave one to the club. Unfortunately, this memento was destroyed in a fire while it was being framed for display.

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Other famous Colonial alumni include former Rhode Island senator Claiborne Pell '40, famous for creation of Pell grants in 1973 and Eric E. Schmidt '76, CEO of Google.

Related Topics:
Rhode Island - Claiborne Pell - Pell grant - 1973 - Eric E. Schmidt - Google

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