For the entertainment of Princeton alumni who are planning to go to Washington for the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson ’79, the Princeton Alumni Association of the District of Columbia has prepared a programme which will be much appreciated by the visiting Princetonians. This Association is sending out invitations to all alumni to attend a smoker and reception in honor of the President-elect, to be held the night before the inauguration, March 3rd, beginning at eight o’clock, at the New Willard Hotel. Also, a “Princeton stand” has been reserved for the use of Princeton alumni and their families, for the inaugural parade on March 4th. The “Princeton stand” will be covered, and will be placed opposite the White House and the President’s reviewing stand, which, of course, will be an excellent position from which to see the big parade.
Ever since his election to the Presidency Governor Wilson has been an object of special solicitude to the United States Secret Service. The Secret Service men have built a small house immediately opposite his Princeton residence on Cleveland Lane; when he is at home, they are in the little house opposite, which has a window in the door, so that they can keep their eyes on the Wilson residence and its surroundings; when he goes out, the Secret Service men follow, - wherever and whenever he goes. They stick closer than a brother, - and they will be his constant guardians during his term of office.
Owing to the requirements of the United States Secret Service for this protection of the President, admission to the Princeton reception and smoker at Washington in his honor will necessarily be by card only, and the Secret Service also requires an advance list of those who will attend. Acceptances must therefore reach the Secretary of the Association (Frank B. Fox ’05, Washington Loan and Trust Building, Washington, D. C.,) by February 20th.
A place has been reserved at the Shoreham Hotel, Fifteenth and H Streets, for the identification and registration of visiting alumni, between four and six p.m., March 1st and 2nd, and between ten a. m. and five p. m., March 3rd. The cards for the reception and smoker and tickets for the “Princeton stand” will be distributed there at those hours.
At the reception and smoker the visiting alumni will be the guests of the Princeton Alumni Association of the District of Columbia, - the Washington alumni generously providing this entertainment free of expense to the visitors. The price for seats at the inaugural parade are fixed by the General Inaugural Committee, and are $5, $4, and $3, according to location. The seats will be reserved at cost by the Princeton Association. Each alumnus may reserve one seat for himself and three in addition for his family. The tickets are not transferable. The application blanks for the seats are to be sent with the invitations to the reception and smoker, and these applications are to be retuned to the Secretary, with remittance, by February 20th.
The Association has found it impossible to make arrangements for rooms or meals for visiting alumni, and recommends application either to one of the Washington hotels or to the Committee on Public Comfort, Pennsylvania Avenue and Tenth Street, Washington. Those who go to Washington as early as March 1st will have an opportunity of seeing a relay race between Princeton and Yale, at the indoor track meet of Georgetown University, Convention Hall, 7:30 p.m. A block of seats ($2 each) has been reserved for Princeton alumni.
This was originally published in the January 29, 1913 issue of PAW.