Reunions Quiz: Can You Tell Fact From Fiction?

Among the most widely shared — and poorly sourced — scraps of Princeton trivia is that Reunions used to be among the largest beer orders in the country, second only to the Indianapolis 500. If it were ever true, it seems unlikely to be the case today: A 2024 Golf Digest story reported that the PGA’s Phoenix Open and the Indy 500 each sell more than a million beers annually. But fear not, reuners. Some of what you’ve heard about Reunions is true. Test your knowledge below.

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1. Reunions traces its history back to 1896, the year that the College of New Jersey formally became known as Princeton University. 

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2. Before animals were formally barred from the P-rade, alumni marched alongside horses, elephants, and tigers.

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3. A fictional student was admitted to Princeton’s Class of 1968 — and he frequently returns for ’68’s reunions.

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4. You can help your class win a prize just by showing up at Reunions.

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5. Princeton’s proprietary weather machine ensures that the P-rade is never interrupted by thunderstorms.

ANSWERS:

1. Fact! The Princetoniana Committee points to Princeton’s sesquicentennial as the launch of the modern Reunions phenomenon. About 2,000 alumni returned to celebrate the College’s 150th anniversary, and the grand procession for the event is considered the first alumni P-rade.

2. Fact! Animal guests were typically associated with a class’s reunion theme (say, the circus). In other cases, the reasons are lost to history. For instance, the Class of ’33 casually mentioned in Class Notes that its 1978 order of march included “two prize young heifers from the Rutgers farm.”

Editor’s note: Richard Brown ’65, whose father was in the Class of ’33, confirmed that cows were a recurring theme grounded in its motto that there was “no udder like it.” The class beer jacket stencil featured a cow with two 3’s disguised as udders. 

3. Fact! Joseph David Oznot, an impressive applicant created by four Princeton sophomores, successfully navigated the admission process in 1964. After the hoax came to light, the Class of ’68 adopted Oznot as a mascot/imaginary friend. He frequently is listed among ’68’s reunion attendees.

4. Fact! The Alumni Association rewards classes for their Reunions turnout. For example, the 1901 Cup goes to the class with the largest percentage of attendance at a major reunion, and the 1894 Bowl goes to the class with the largest percentage of attendance at an off-year reunion.

5. Fiction! In the 2010s, The Daily Princetonian credited blissful weather on campus to President Shirley Tilghman’s “weather machine,” but when lightning forced a P-rade cancellation in 2018, that rumor was put to rest. Old Nassau does seem to get more than its share of sunshine, and even when it does rain, Princetonians press on: Only two P-rades have been called off due to weather in the last 75 years.