The Chapel Of Princeton University

The Chapel of Princeton University

The classic guide to one of America's architectural treasures—now with magnificent new color photos and a foreword by Princeton's dean of religious life Like the medieval English cathedrals that inspired it, the Princeton University Chapel is an architectural achievement designed to evoke wonder, awe, and reflection. Richard Stillwell's The Chapel of Princeton University is the essential illustrated guide to this magnificent architectural and cultural landmark. Now with new color photos throughout, The Chapel of Princeton University traces the history of the chapel and describes its architecture, sculpture, woodwork, and furnishings. Stillwell knew the building from its planning stages through its construction, dedication, and long use. In this book, he offers unique insights into the vision of architect Ralph Adams Cram and the artistry of Charles J. Connick, who designed the chapel's breathtaking cycle of stained-glass windows. Stillwell's thoroughly researched account of the glorious stone, wood, and glasswork gives readers and visitors an opportunity to enjoy the chapel as both an aesthetically beautiful structure and a moving religious statement. Stillwell reveals how the building's composition is meant to provide spiritual access to as many seekers as possible and instill in them an extraordinary message of hope. Featuring a foreword by Alison Boden, Princeton's dean of religious life, The Chapel of Princeton University is a guided tour of an inspiring structure that has served as the spiritual home to one of America's leading universities.

The Making of Princeton University

In 1902, Professor Woodrow Wilson took the helm of Princeton University, then a small denominational college with few academic pretensions. But Wilson had a blueprint for remaking the too-cozy college into an intellectual powerhouse. The Making of Princeton University tells, for the first time, the story of how the University adapted and updated Wilson's vision to transform itself into the prestigious institution it is today. James Axtell brings the methods and insights from his extensive work in ethnohistory to the collegiate realm, focusing especially on one of Princeton's most distinguished features: its unrivaled reputation for undergraduate education. Addressing admissions, the curriculum, extracurricular activities, and the changing landscape of student culture, the book devotes four full chapters to undergraduate life inside and outside the classroom. The book is a lively warts-and-all rendering of Princeton's rise, addressing such themes as discriminatory admission policies, the academic underperformance of many varsity athletes, and the controversial "bicker" system through which students have been selected for the University's private eating clubs. Written in a delightful and elegant style, The Making of Princeton University offers a detailed picture of how the University has dealt with these issues to secure a distinguished position in both higher education and American society. For anyone interested in or associated with Princeton, past or present, this is a book to savor.

The New Chapel for Princeton University