Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.
As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.
Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,000 undergraduate students and 2,500 graduate students. The University’s generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.
Academics: Overview
Undergraduate students at Princeton benefit from the extraordinary resources of a world-class research institution dedicated to undergraduate teaching. Princeton faculty have an unparalleled reputation for balancing excellence in their fields with a dedication to their students, through both classroom instruction and independent study advising.
Undergraduates fulfill general education requirements, choose among a wide variety of elective courses, and pursue departmental concentrations and interdisciplinary certificate programs. Required independent work is a hallmark of undergraduate education at Princeton. Students graduate with either the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.).
The Graduate School offers advanced degrees spanning the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.
Doctoral education available in all disciplines emphasizes original and independent scholarship, while master’s degree programs in architecture, engineering, finance, public affairs and public policy prepare candidates for careers in public life and professional practice
Arts: Overview
At Princeton University, creative and performing arts are central to the educational mission, and all students are encouraged to explore their artistic interests and talents. Through the Lewis Center for the Arts, the arts opportunities for students, as well as the entire campus community, are reaching new levels of creative possibility.
The Lewis Center gives renewed focus to the Princeton Atelier, creative writing, dance, film and video, music, theater and the visual arts. It also enjoys close links to the University Art Museum and many other academic initiatives across the curriculum that inform, and are inspired by, the arts.
In support of arts-intensive learning at Princeton is an extensive and diverse arts calendar. World-class — often premier — performances and exhibits shine the spotlight on creative expression.
Throughout the academic year, the Lewis Center provides students with unique opportunities to learn directly from practicing artists through the Princeton Atelier. Further, there are a variety of fellowships that bring to campus exciting artists, performers and arts scholars, who infuse studios, workshops and theaters with first-person accounts of the arts world.
Students who want to engage with the arts can readily integrate their academic pursuits with artistic passions. Dozens of extracurricular student groups, literary journals and ensembles in dance, music and theater offer inspiration and creative expression to Princeton students.
Library: Overview
Princeton University Library, one of the world’s most distinguished research libraries, consists of the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library and 10 special libraries in 11 buildings across campus.
The library’s collections include more than 6.9 million books, 6 million microforms, 35,000 linear feet of manuscripts, and impressive holdings of rare books, prints, archives and other material that require special handling. The library’s extensive electronic resources include databases and journals, statistical packages, images and digital maps.
Exhibitions from the library’s rich collections are free and open to the general public.
Research at Princeton
One of the world’s great research centers, Princeton University is the site of pioneering work across all academic areas, from nanotechnology to politics. Today’s research increasingly transcends disciplinary boundaries, and Princeton excels in this new environment, with leading research centers in fields such as neuroscience, materials science and genomics.
Princeton researchers benefit greatly from the University’s longstanding ties with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and the Institute for Advanced Study. In 2008-09, Princeton received approximately $232 million in research funding from government agencies, foundations and corporate partners. Since the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February 2009, Princeton scholars have been awarded stimulus funding to support more than 60 research projects; descriptions of these grants may be viewed at Princeton’s Recovery Act Awards website.
The dean for research is the senior University officer responsible for advancing research at Princeton. Learn more about the Office of the Dean for Research.
Administration & Services
People who work in the University’s Administration and Services are essential to supporting the mission of Princeton University. These employees deal with everything from the University’s human and financial resources to health and safety matters.
The employees of Princeton University are one of its most valuable resources — the campus is full of talented and dedicated people who together make important contributions to the life and fabric of the community.
Campus Life
A vast range of cultural, educational, athletic and social activities are available to Princeton students, faculty and staff. Getting involved in campus life is the quickest way to become a part of the University community, and to create one’s own Princeton experience. Campus life activities are built around the concepts of encouraging each community member to express his or her talents and to respect all members of our pluralistic community.
One of the University’s most distinctive characteristics is its closely knit and integrated residential community. Housing is guaranteed for undergraduates, and nearly all students live on campus. The residential experience is central to Princeton’s educational program, and the residential colleges offer students a supportive and enriching environment full of opportunities for personal growth.
Visiting Campus: Overview
Princeton University, located in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey, welcomes visitors to its historic campus. Each year, Princeton hosts numerous visitors who are interested in the many educational, scholarly, cultural, recreational and athletic activities that enrich this University and its community.
An excellent transportation network of bus, rail and highways puts Princeton within easy reach (an hour or less) of major urban centers: Philadelphia and Trenton to the south, Newark and New York to the north. International airports are located in Philadelphia, Newark and New York. Bus and train stations to these cities are adjacent to campus.
Undergraduate Admission – What’s Distinctive About Princeton
Princeton’s 5,000 undergraduate students benefit from studying in one of the world’s foremost research institutions, where faculty devote much of their time and energy to teaching and advising undergraduates. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth oldest college in the nation. It is located in a cosmopolitan town (population 30,000) in central New Jersey, with easy access by train to Philadelphia and New York City, each about 55 miles away. Visitors often remark upon the natural and architectural beauty of the 500-acre campus.
Princeton University is a community of learning that is enriched by the wide variety of experiences and perspectives of its students, faculty and staff. The University is committed to building a diverse campus community to ensure that students explore their interests, discover new academic and extracurricular pursuits, and learn from each other. More than ever, Princeton is making its distinctive education accessible to students from a broad range of cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds.
Academic Programs
Our curriculum encourages students to explore many disciplines and to develop a deep understanding in one area of concentration. In the words of Princeton’s president, Shirley M. Tilghman, at the heart of a Princeton education is the “idea that learning should be an act of discovery.”
Students apply to Princeton University, not to individual departments, programs, or schools. Once enrolled, students may pursue either the bachelor of arts (A.B.) or the bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.) degree. Students in the A.B. degree program choose a concentration (major) by the end of their sophomore year in one of 29 departments in the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, including undergraduate programs in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the School of Architecture.
During their first two years at Princeton, students in the A.B. degree program are encouraged to explore the curriculum. They are required to complete 1 or 2 courses in each of seven general areas: epistemology and cognition, ethical thought and moral values, historical analysis, literature and the arts, quantitative reasoning, laboratory science and technology, and social analysis. All A.B. students must demonstrate proficiency in English composition through a one-semester writing seminar. They also must become proficient in a foreign language. Princeton offers courses in more than 18 foreign languages.
The B.S.E. degree is granted by the School of Engineering and Applied Science. About 15-20% of each class is enrolled in the B.S.E. program. At the end of their freshman year, engineers choose to concentrate in one of the six engineering departments.
In their first two years, students in the engineering program fulfill requirements in mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science, as well as taking a freshman writing seminar. Engineering at Princeton is taught within the context of a liberal arts approach to education. Engineering students are required to complete at least seven Princeton courses in the humanities and social sciences. Because engineering disciplines evolve and change, much of the teaching of engineering and applied science at Princeton is directed toward mastering fundamental principles: the why and not just the how to.
Whether they are in the A.B. degree program or the B.S.E. program, during the junior and senior years all students conduct independent research in their home department, working one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Some students conduct their research in the library or the lab. Others travel to do field research or undertake a creative project such as a novel or a series of paintings.
The freshman seminars and the preceptorial system are two defining components of a Princeton education. Limited to 15 students and led by some of our most distinguished professors, approximately 70 freshman seminars are offered yearly, each hosted in one of our six residential colleges.
Most lecture courses at Princeton include a preceptorial, a small discussion group that meets weekly to further explore the topics from a course’s lectures and readings. In preceptorials, students are encouraged to voice their views and challenge each other to look at issues and ideas from new perspectives.
The student to faculty ratio at Princeton is 5:1. From freshman seminars to senior theses, faculty are deeply engaged in undergraduate teaching, and they are readily available to students outside the classroom for individual conferences and informal conversations.
Residential Campus
Princeton guarantees students on-campus housing for all four years and 98 percent of students live on campus. During their first two years all students live on campus in one of six residential colleges. With the opening of Whitman College in September 2007, the college system now includes more options for all students, enabling juniors and seniors to remain within a residential college, should they choose. The new plan for Princeton’s residential community was developed by faculty, students and administrators, who were charged by President Tilghman to create “a residential experience that takes the fullest possible advantage of the diversity and educational opportunities at Princeton.” The residential colleges are the center of residential life and an important focus of academic, social, cultural and recreational activities for all students.
Financial Aid
Committed to equality of opportunity, Princeton admits students without regard to their financial circumstances. This policy applies to both domestic and international applicants. We provide grants and campus jobs to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all students offered admission. Our groundbreaking no-loan financial aid program makes it possible for students to graduate from Princeton with little or no debt.
More than half of Princeton undergraduates receive aid. Careful consideration is given to each family’s financial circumstances as presented in Princeton’s free online aid application. The amounts parents are expected to contribute toward the cost of attendance vary according to their resources. Families with lower incomes are asked to make relatively small contributions, in some cases zero, and receive the largest grants. Middle- and higher-income families will pay more toward Princeton’s costs; however, they still benefit from grants based on their individual level of need. Students also meet a portion of their college expenses through summer and term-time earnings; no student is required to take a loan to pay Princeton’s costs. Individual need-based grants awarded by the University range from $5,000 to over $50,000. For the 2009-10 academic year, Princeton expects to award grants totaling more than $103 million.
Members of Our Community
The University provides its students with academic, extracurricular and other resources—in a residential community committed to diversity in its student body, faculty and staff—that help them achieve at the highest scholarly levels and prepare them for positions of leadership and lives of service in many fields of human endeavor. Through the scholarship and teaching of its faculty, and the many contributions to society of its alumni, Princeton seeks to fulfill its informal motto: “Princeton in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations.”
We invite you to meet some members of the Princeton community in the student,faculty and recent graduate profiles and to learn more about the many features of a Princeton education.
Princeton Athletics
The Princeton Tigers have a long-standing tradition of excellence in the Ivy League. Luckily, it doesn’t take being a varsity athlete to participate in this legacy. Princeton is a very active campus, and most students do some kind of physical activity — even if it’s just cheering on their athlete friends from the stands.
Princeton teams are almost universally strong, and often very entertaining. The best-attended sports are basketball, football, hockey and lacrosse. We also tend to be extremely competitive in the less publicized sports, so if you’ve ever wanted to see a good fencing or squash match, you’re in luck. Your PUID gets you into any regular-season University sporting event for free, so there are no excuses.
The men’s teams include:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Heavyweight and lightweight crew
- Cross-country
- Fencing
- Football
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Sprint football
- Squash
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- Wrestling
The women’s teams include:
- Basketball
- Open and lightweight crew
- Cross-country
- Fencing
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Squash
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Water polo
Baker Rink
Courtesy: Princeton Athletic Communications
The spirit of Hobey Baker lives on in the rink bearing his name.
Some seven decades ago, in December 1921, it was announced that Princeton would build a hockey rink and name it after its greatest athletic hero, Hobart A.H. Baker ’14. As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to hockey excellence, Baker Rink has undergone major renovations. Based upon a multistage project initiated by the Princeton University Hockey Association in the mid-1970s, the rink has been transformed into a modern facility retaining much of its original architectural charm.
The enthusiasm that came along with Princeton’s surge to prominence has been evident in the last two years with the raising of four new banners, an ECAC quarterfinal series and win No. 400 for the Tigers at home. The Tigers defeated Merrimack 4-1 for the milestone victory, and they pulled out a dramatic victory over Cornell in the ECAC postseason to advance to Lake Placid for the fourth time in the last five years. The excitement and noise generated in the building during that series was second to none. Before this season opens, Princeton will raise its 1998 Ivy League championship, which will stand nicely next to a trio of banners raised the year before. Those recognized the 1941 and 1953 championship teams and the 1997-98 ECAC championship.
In recent years a giant, orange ‘P’ has been painted at center ice, and an etching of the rink itself is painted outside the blue line. A new refrigeration system was installed, making it easier for the rink to remain open year round. State-of-the-art tempered glass was installed, which is difficult to mark and allows spectators a clearer view of the action. High-quality fiberglass boards with an eye-catching Princeton orange dasher and a powder-blue base were set into place. New fans were installed to allow for better air circulation and limit condensation. A new weight room utilized by the men’s and women’s hockey teams is located adjacent to the newly carpeted men’s varsity locker room. Improvements also were made in the press box, bench and scorer’s areas.
Prior to the recent construction, nearly $3 million had been spent on improvements that were completed in 1981. First, the ice-making machinery was improved. A locker-room wing was then added, including four spacious locker rooms with adjoining showers, an athletic training room, a changing room for coaches and officials, a skate-sharpening room and humidity-controlled rooms for the storage of sticks and other equipment.
In 1984 new lighting and public address systems were installed along with a new scoreboard and press box. Spectator comfort improved dramatically with the addition of new seats and circulation galleries, which permit easier access to seating areas.
These improvements, made possible by the generosity of several donations by alumni and friends, have made Baker Rink one of the finest skating facilities anywhere.
CLARKE FIELD
Clarke Field has been the home of Princeton baseball for 40 years and is named for Bill Clarke, a former Major League catcher for the Baltimore Orioles who became Princeton’s first head coach upon his retirement in 1909. Clarke coached on-and-off through 1944, compiling a record of 564-322-10 in 36 seasons.
The field took the place of University Field, which stood where the E-Quad stands today. The first game played at Clarke Field came early in the 1965 season when the Tigers faced Army and won 3-2. Since that game, Princeton has played to a 391-248-5 (.611) record at Clarke Field and has had only six seasons below .500 at home in that span.
The field is a sunken diamond with hills along both the first and third base lines. Permanent seats are built into the first-base line berm and bleachers are located atop the third-base line berm. Behind the plate, there is an indoor press box with a new public address sound system.
In Princeton’s continuing effort to keep the field in top condition, a brand new infield was installed and the outfield fences were repositioned in the fall of 2005. In the infield, the old grass and dirt was pulled up, tilled, and laser graded, then new sod and infield dirt was put down.
In the outfield, the fences were moved in to make the field a little more fair for hitters. However, even with fences moved in, Clarke Field is still one of the biggest in the Ivy League. Along the outfield fence are signs commemorating Princeton’s Gehrig Division titles, Ivy League titles and NCAA tournament appearances. Princeton’s Clarke Field scoreboard site is just over the wall in left-center field.
Last season, a pair of outdoor batting cages were built just outside the left-field line. The cages have field turf on the bottom and have provided the team with more areas to work while outside.
THE JADWIN PIT
The Princeton baseball and softball teams have been using the pit in Jadwin Gym for many years as an indoor training facility, but thanks to a major renovation during the fall of 2004, the teams know have a top-notch indoor training location.
To begin the project, the ground was leveled and state-of-the-art field turf was installed over the whole surface. The turf features a baseball diamond complete with bases, home plate and batters boxes, which will allow the team to simulate hitting and fielding situations while indoors.
The pit also contains pitching mounds and batting cages to allow players from different positions to work on their skills at the same time.
Class of 1952 Stadium
The Class of 1952 Stadium, home to the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team, is one of the great settings in all of college lacrosse. The parking lots adjacent to the stadium are filled early on gamedays with tailgaters, and the facility, with its six NCAA championship banners hanging behind the east goal, is often filled to capacity for the games themselves.
Princeton has drawn at least 4,000 fans in a home regular season game 10 times in the last six seasons, including a Class of 1952 Stadium record 6,325 for the 2005 Johns Hopkins game.
Class of 1952 Stadium also serves as the home field for Tiger field hockey and women’s lacrosse. The facility opened for the 1996 season, and its three tenants have combined for 21 Ivy League championships, 14 NCAA Final Fours and six NCAA championships.
The stadium features an artificial turf field, which enables the lacrosse teams greater flexibility for early season outdoor practice. There is a press box, lights, concessions stands, team rooms and rest rooms.
Princeton men’s lacrosse also practices and plays certain games in 27,800-seat Princeton Stadium.
Class of 1895 Field
Courtesy: Princeton Athletic Communications
In 2010, the Princeton softball team will play its 26th season at Class of 1895 Field. It is just the second home of Princeton softball since it gained varsity status for the 1982 season.
The field took the place of Broadmead Field, which is located adjacent to Clarke Field, home of the Princeton baseball team. In 25 seasons at 1895 Field, the Princeton softball team has a 303-114-1 record (.726). The first game at the facility was a 14-0 win over Lehigh in 1985.
Bleacher seating is available for several hundred fans down either side past each dugout. The team seating areas are adorned with distinctive orange and black awnings, making Princeton’s colors an eye-catching part of the field.
The field is spacious by collegiate softball standards. The field’s measurements are 205’ down the lines and 208’ to straight-away centerfield. Along the outfield fence are signs commemorating Princeton’s 16 Ivy League titles, seven NCAA Tournament appearances and two Women’s College World Series appearances. The scoreboard site is just over the fence down the left-field line.
Two outdoor batting lanes and bullpens, one for each team, are beyond the foul fences on either baseline. The view from home plate beyond outfield fence in springtime is of verdant trees, and those standing on the path behind the outfield fence look back at Bloomberg Hall, a recently constructed student-housing facility, and the Poe intramural fields. Lourie-Love Field, home of the Princeton soccer teams, is beyond the third-base line, placing 1895 Field in the heart of both the academic and athletic areas on Princeton’s campus.
DeNunzio Pool
DeNunzio Pool was constructed in 1990 with state-of-the-art design and technology, making it among the fastest pools in the nation. The facility is located east of Jadwin Gymnasium. The pool measures 50 meters by 25 yards with a minimum depth of nine feet and a maximum depth of 17 feet. The pool has two movable bulkheads which allow for various course configurations for swimming and water polo. The facility features a fully automatic Colorado timing system with electronic scoring for diving and water polo. The pool building includes complete facilities for diving (one and three meter springboards as well as a 10-meter platform with intermediate towers.)
There are bleachers to accommodate 1,700 spectators, men’s and women’s locker rooms, an exercise room, offices, and a conference room in the building. The building and pool are ADA accessible. Caldwell Fieldhouse connects to DeNunzio Pool at deck level and houses additional locker rooms for visiting teams and an athletic training room as well as a connecting tunnel to Jadwin.
The facility has recently undergone a complete renovation and expansion of both the varsity locker rooms and the construction of new recreational and visiting locker rooms. The lobby and concourse were upgraded as part of this renovation as well with historic photos and All-America honors, several of which can be seen on this page. Also installed during the renovation was a brand new state-of-the-art sound system which compliments the new 9’x 17’ Colorado full color LED video and scoreboard truly making DeNunzio one of the finest competition pools in the nation.
DeNunzio hosted the 1999 Ivy League swimming and diving championships as part of the League’s 25th anniversary of women’s athletics. A sellout crowd of an estimated 1,700 people packed the bleachers for the final night of competition of one of the most exciting meets in recent history. The pool has hosted several Ivy and EISL championships since.
The facility has also played host to the men’s and women’s Southern, Eastern and ECAC Championships in water polo and an exhibition between the Princeton women’s water polo team and the U.S. National Team preceding the 2004 Olympics. In addition, DeNunzio Pool will enter the national spotlight as it has been selected as the host site of the NCAA Division I men’s water polo championships in 2009.
Dillon Gymnasium
Dillon Gymnasium is the intramural sports and physical education headquarters with four basketball courts, 19 squash courts, an extensive fitness center and a pool. It also serves as the home arena for the men’s and women’s volleyball teams and the wrestling team. Dillon Gym, the former home of the basketball teams before Jadwin Gym was constructed, has a capacity of approximately 1,500
L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium
The L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium is a multipurpose athletic facility that has a 
combined floor space of approximately 250,000 square feet, more total area than eight football fields. Formally dedicated in 1969, the main entrance opens into a lobby and a spacious refreshment area, located under the reinforced concrete balcony of 3,500 permanent seats. Beyond the lobby extends the main gymnasium floor, with one exhibition basketball court adaptable to four practice courts. With permanent seating for 6,854 spectators around the main court, it is the second-largest on-campus college basketball arena in New Jersey.
Beyond the basketball courts are facilities for track. An eight-laps-per-mile track and a separate 310-foot straightaway are laid out on a new tartan synthetic surface.
The newly renovated sublevels beneath the main grandstand hold one of the largest fencing rooms in the world, 10 international-sized squash courts with spectator galleries, tennis courts and a baseball diamond. The versatility of Jadwin Gym is pointed out by the variety of events that have been held there over the years. In addition to competition in both men’s and women’s basketball, tennis, fencing, squash, track and wrestling, Princeton has hosted professional basketball exhibitions, the U.S. men’s and women’s collegiate squash championships, the women’s national volleyball championships, the NCAA fencing championships, NCAA and EIWA wrestling championships and countless track meets. The building served as the home for the World Junior Squash Championships in the summer of 1998, which marked the first time the event had been held in the U.S. Jadwin also serves as an indoor practice facility for many outdoor sports on days of bad weather.
The Tigers have compiled a 277-63 (.815) record at home since Jadwin Gym was built in 1969. Princeton has posted perfect home records six times in the building’s history-1968-69, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1997-98. In the past nine years Princeton has won 98 of 111 games on its home court.
Stanley Sieja Fencing Room
The Stanley Sieja Fencing Room, one of the largest facilities of its kind, is housed within the sublevels beneath the main grandstand.
Princeton Squash
The L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium serves as the home for Princeton squash, boasting 10 international-sized courts with spectator galleries, including a 175-seat glass backed exhibition court.
Recently, Princeton was honored as the site for the 1998 World Junior Squash Championships, which marked the first time the event had been held in this country. A temporary glass-walled court was constructed on the main level of Jadwin Gym so that spectators could view the competition from all four sides
Lenz Tennis Center
The pagoda at the Lenz Tennis Center
Consisting of eight lighted courts and seating for 700 spectators, the Lenz Tennis Center has served as host for numerous collegiate championship events. As the main hub of Princetons’s 35 courts, the center also boasts a clubhouse with office facilities. Princeton also has the use of six indoor courts on the E level of Jadwin Gymnasium.
Princeton Stadium
Welcome to Princeton Stadium, a combination of high-tech, intimacy and modesty that together has created a venue perfectly suited to the University.
Built in 1997, Princeton Stadium is a facility simplistic in goals and complex in structure.Princeton Stadium was built with more than just football Saturdays in mind. Instead it stands as an extension of the campus, and its goal is to be integrated into the daily life of the University. The stadium concourses are always open, and the facility has served as a meeting and banquet place for many constituents.
Through a generous gift from alumnus William C. Powers ’79, FieldTurf was added to the stadium to provide an ideal playing surface for both games and practices. The new “Powers Field” at Princeton Stadium was dedicated in the fall of 2007. A state-of-the-art video scoreboard, which offers in-game replays, interactive fan entertainment and a professional-style pregame introduction, was also introduced last year. Since the introduction of FieldTurf, Princeton is 7-3 on Powers Field.
Princeton Stadium stands on the site that was once Palmer Stadium, though the new stadium is approximately 70 feet closer to Nassau Street than its predecessor. Palmer Stadium was the home to Princeton football from the time it was built in 1914 until it closed after the 1996 season.
Princeton Stadium has a seating capacity of 27,800, with room for more than 30,000 in the building. To get a good feeling for the facility, consider these two facts: Princeton Stadium sits 15 feet higher from the turf to the top point of the stadium than Palmer did; yet, Princeton Stadium’s closest seats are merely 17 feet away from the field.
The wall-building, which surrounds the seating area on three sides, is one of the most unique features of the stadium. It was built from 3,500 precast pieces of concrete, the heaviest of which weighs 80,000 pounds, or the size of 56 offensive lines.
There are two main purposes of the wall-building. First, it helps the stadium maintain Palmer’s historic horseshoe design while still allowing seating on four sides. Second, the wall-building houses the press box, a lounge, concession stands, rest rooms and an auxiliary scoreboard.The lighting provides 80 foot-candles uniformly over the playing area, which allows for night games not only in football but also in lacrosse or soccer.
The public address system is a Turbosound Flashlight loudspeaker system, the same system that has been installed in NFL stadiums in both Oakland and Green Bay. There are fall mums planted around the old Palmer Memorial Stadium stone, which has been preserved and placed in the center of the northern concourse.
Palmer Stadium
Princeton University’s Palmer Stadium, the second-oldest football stadium in the United States, was torn down last summer. The stadium was built in a four-month period of 1914 and was the home for Princeton football and track and field for 82 years.
The new facility, Princeton Stadium, is being built on the same site as Palmer, and will have separate venues for track and football. It is scheduled for completion in time for the 1998 football season.
Palmer Stadium opened (on Oct. 24, 1914) and closed (on Nov. 23, 1996) with football games between Princeton and Dartmouth. In all Princeton played 461 football games in the stadium and had a record of 283-161-17.
Palmer also played host to memorable moments in many other sports, most notably track and field. The end of the stadium ensures that Jesse Owens will forever have the Palmer record for the long jump, which he set in 1936. Other Olympians to have competed at Palmer include Al Oerter, Edwin Moses and Lynn Jennings.
The new stadium will have a smaller seating capacity of 30,000, as compared with Palmer’s 45,750. Unlike Palmer there will be seating in the new stadium’s east end zone, though there will be a wall-building attached to the structure on three sides to simulate Palmer’s traditional horseshoe design.
A common structure in the east end zone will join the two facilities and have seating for football and track and field, thus creating the new athletic complex.
Roberts Stadium • Home of Princeton Soccer
Photos of the Construction of Roberts Stadium
Roberts Stadium opened September 2, 2008 with a 2-1 comeback win for the Princeton women’s soccer team over Boston University. The stadium was formally dedicated October 4, 2008 in a 1-0 win for the women’s team over Dartmouth. Princeton’s women went 7-1-1 in the first season in their new home.
The facility has seating for 2,356 spectators on three sides of the grass game field, called Myslik Field. On the sideline opposite the team benches is the bulk of the seating and one of three permanent buildings at the site, an enclosed press box atop a ticket office that can be used to facilitate ticketed events. All regular-season Princeton soccer games are free.
Behind the north goal, adjacent to the Poe Intramural Field, is one of two sets of permanent restrooms with a plaza featuring Princeton soccer history and the banners recognizing the men’s and women’s teams NCAA tournament appearances, Ivy League titles and twin College Cup appearances, in 1993 for the men and 2004 for the women.
On the opposite side of the stadium, along with another set of permanent restrooms, is a concession stand open at all Princeton soccer games. Those facilities stand atop locker rooms for the home and visiting teams, complete with showers and restrooms, as well as rooms for the athletic trainer and game officials.
Roberts Stadium, named for Thomas S. Roberts ’85, a Princeton goalkeeper and the project’s lead donor, also features Plummer Field, a turf practice area adjacent to the grass Myslik Field. Princeton’s game field is named in memory of Robert H. Myslik ’90, a soccer alumnus and assistant coach who passed away in 2003.
Princeton’s new home replaced Lourie-Love Field, which stood on the same site but had no permanent seating. Lourie-Love, which was named in 1986 for football alumni Donold B. Lourie ’22 and George H. Love ’22, saw its largest crowd when 2,504 fans watched Princeton advance to the 2004 College Cup with a win over Washington. During the 2007 season, the Princeton soccer teams played at Princeton Stadium while Roberts Stadium was being constructed.
Directions
If coming from Alexander Street: Turn left onto Faculty Road. Enter the traffic circle and take your second right onto Elm Road. At the next traffic circle take your first right and this road will lead you directly to the parking lot for the stadium.
If coming Rt. 1: Take Washington Road to your first traffic light and turn left onto Faculty Road. At the first traffic circle make your first right onto Elm Road. At the next traffic circle take your first right and this road will lead you directly to the parking lot for the stadium.
If coming from Nassau Street: Take Washington Road through campus and at the bottom of the hill you will reach a traffic light. At that light, turn right onto Faculty Road. At the first traffic circle make your first right onto Elm Road. At the next traffic circle take your first right and this road will lead you directly to the parking lot for the stadium.
For GPS users, please note there is no address for the stadium. Please use the following satellite coordinates to program your GPS: N 40° 20’ 46.1” W 74° 39’ 23.9
Shea Rowing Center On Lake Carnegie
Shea CenterPrinceton University will use a gift of $4 million from Irene C. Shea of Pittsburgh, Pa., to expand and renovate its landmark boathouse and crew facilities on the banks of Carnegie Lake. The gift will be used to create the C. Bernard Shea Rowing Center, honoring 
Mrs. Shea’s late husband, a member of the Class of 1916 and a rower during his college career. Princeton’s crews have participated in intercollegiate rowing competitions since 1872, and the crew program has been housed in the picturesque Class of 1887 Boathouse since 1913. Today the University has one of the premier rowing programs in the country, and it is the largest varsity sports program at Princeton. But with more than 200 student participants, the program has outgrown the somewhat antiquated space and facilities of the Boathouse. The new Shea Rowing Center will include state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, such as a new rowing tank, larger locker and shower rooms, better heat and ventilation systems and improved handicap access, as well as offices and weight training areas. Additional launches, dockage and boat racks also will be installed.
“We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Shea for this generous gift,” said Princeton President Harold T. Shapiro. “Bernard Shea was himself an enthusiastic oarsman at Princeton, and generations of Princeton rowers will remember him and benefit from this tribute to his memory.” When boating sports began at Princeton, the team practiced on the nearby Delaware and Raritan Canal – a difficult process since the canal still had a steady stream of commercial traffic. It was not until 1906 that Andrew Carnegie, from the Sheas’ hometown of Pittsburgh, funded the construction of a dam, creating what is now called Carnegie Lake. Having the lake for both practices and competitions greatly strengthened the University’s rowing program, which grew continuously in strength and variety.
Lightweight crew was introduced in 1922, women came on board in 1972 and women’s lightweight crew was added in the fall of 1997.
“I have wonderful memories of returning to campus with my husband in the 1950s to watch the crew races,” said Mrs. Shea, “and it is especially meaningful to me to help the many students who love rowing and Princeton, just as my husband did.”
Mr. Shea, who died in 1961, served with the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps during World War I and was vice president and director of the Joseph Horne Co. of Pittsburgh. A member of the Graduate Council of Princeton University, he was a director and trustee of many charitable institutions, including Shadyside Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Fairview Hospital of Great Barrington, Mass.
Buoyed Six-Lane Course
Princeton recently completed construction on a 2000-meter, fully bouyed, six-lane straight course on Carnegie Lake. This summer the course hosted the U.S. Rowing national team trials.
Springdale Golf Club
In the fall of 1895, the Princeton Golf Club (now Springdale Golf Club) was formed by alumni, faculty and undergraduates of Princeton University. A nine-hole course was laid out in a large field known as “Stockton Woods” to the west of the old race track at the lower end of Bayard Lane.
Golf was first played there in 1896, and the first tournament was held a year later. 
Work was started on a new nine-hole course that opened for play in March 1902. The old course on “Stockton Woods” was then abandoned, and the existing 18-hole course was opened on June 1, 1915.
In the summer of 1922, the name of the club was changed to the Springdale Golf Club, with all responsibility for its operation borne by the members of the club and not the University.
The course is 6,380 yards from the championship (blue) tees and 6,017 yards from the men’s (white) tees, with par at 71 for each. From the women’s (red) tees the course is 5,655 yards and is a par 72. In the past few years, the course has seen renovations to the green-side and fairway bunkers. The entire driving range was upgraded in 1997. These renovations have improved the teams’ practice capabilities.
In August 2007, Springdale saw its clubhouse move from one end of the course to the other with the opening of a beautiful new facility with a pro shop, locker rooms and dining area.
Weaver Track & Field Stadium
The state-of-the-art stadium for outdoor track and field sports provides available 
seating for nearly 2,500 spectators. The innovative design was crafted by Don Paige, formerly the best half-miler in the world. The oval is eight lanes across, with each lane 1.22 meters in width, and it features an impressively long radius of 36.5 meters on the turns. It is made of durable brick red full-depth polyurethane, the safest, fastest and most comfortable surface available. It meets the highest standards of track and field’s world governing body, the International Amateur Athletic Federation.
Cross Country Course
2006 witnessed the opening of Princeton’s new Cross Country Course, located entirely on campus. The new course begins on the West Windsor Fields, located just over the Washington Road bridge over Lake Carnegie. The course then winds through soybean fields towards U.S. Route 1 and back around to the open soccer fields. The manicured grass loop measures one-and-a-half miles and varies quite a bit in terrain. At the 1,000-meter mark, runners get a beautiful elevated view of Princeton’s campus. The men’s course measures 8,000 meters while the women race over a 6,000-meter course. With its even footing, it is also an absolutely terrific place to do longer interval training
Source: Princeton University