New-York tribune., 1907-06-25
WOULD BANISH CLUBS.
President UilsOn Plans Social ReUo-
lutiOn at Princeton.
LRv TeIegraph 70 The rrihure

Princeton. y J.. June 24-According TO Presi
dent Woodrow Wilson's plan for the social re-
organization Of Princeton University. as an
nounCed at the alumni luncheon here to-day.
the existence Of the large and wealthy eating
clubs of tho upper class men in Princeton is
threatened. Several Of these clubs have ex-
pensive clubhouses, where the members take
their meals and where alumni of the univer-
sity who belonged to the clubs as students may
stay when they come back TO Princeton one
the Cottage Club has just completed a club
house costing $4,000. The Ivy Club house
cost about $4,000. while there are eight or ten
others. valued at from $4,000 TO $4,000 each
Counting grounds and houses the clubs prob
ably represent an investment of 100000
President Wilson'S plan is 10 do away with
these clubs altogether and 10 draw the mem
berS Of all the classes together in uuadS Nhera
they NAV eat we'll as lodge For this pur.
pose" says President Wilson. 1T will be neces-
sary to build dining halls Kitchens serving
rooms and handsome common room near the
dormitore= Every undergraduate will be re-
quired 'tually 10 live In his quad. and the
residents Of each quad would be- according to
my plan made up nearly possible of men,
bers OF all classes The self f-gOvernment Of the
quads would be vested in the seniors and
juniors
This is because il is clear 10 every one that
the life of the university cal be best regulated
and developed when the under class men are as
sociated with the upper class men upon such
terms TO be formed and guided bv them
Under the present social conditions, the younger
classes are at no point made to realize the in
terests of the university whole"
The adoption of the plan would make it neces-
10 be absorbed by the university. by the natural
process of becoming themselves residential
quads, at the same time retaining their hstori-
cal identity. In commenting the change
President Wilson, in a circular letter sent ~
the presidents of the upper class clubs saws he
sees no reason why graduate members ~ tLo
several clubs could not retain all the privileges
they now enjoy with respect to the clubs on their
visits to Princeton. He adds that 1t is not the
plan to prevent club life In Princeton
The news OF President Wilson's pIan creatod
a stir at the Princeton Club last night One Of
the alumni said that he thought the trustees of
Princeton would never accept the plan for the
reason that a number of them belonged to the
them They always enjoy, he said staying in
them when they go back to the university.
The reported action of President Wilson is
probably his most radical ATTEMPT TO change
the course of undergraduate life at Princeton
The club system started mainly rs = pro
test against the poor food and accommodation
provided IN the eating houses. 20 which n one
time practically all students were compelled 10
go for their meals Usually I'm those davs about
a dozen men of one class formed an eating cIub
each man paying on average about 81
week. out of the desire for better fare better
rooms and opportunities for comfort and rec
reation came the clubs. The Ivy was the first
one founded. next the Cottage. and after 1890
the organizations of this sort multiplied Among
those founded in this year and the years close
ly following were the Cap and Gown. Colonial
Tiger Inn and Cannon. The clubhouses con-
tanned libraries, billiard and pool rooms and
baths. They intended TO supply what the
students could not obtain I'm the dormitories
and to afford comfortable places of leisure
-E1, %Sg,,, 10
societies in any sense. They merely asso-
Citations Of congenal students. chosen for the
most part from the sophomore classes by the
club members of the two upper classes An
interclub agreement provides rules governing
cases where one man is elected by one or mora
clubs The control of the organizations in all
Continued second page.