In response to: They Called Him ‘Mr. Princeton’: Frederic Fox ’39
Current issue
November 2024
Princetonians lead think tanks; the perfect football season of 1964; Nobel in physics.
Your July 10 Princeton Portrait of Fred Fox ’39 evoked one of my favorite early memories of Princeton, from freshman orientation week in September 1978. The Class of 1982 was gathered together as a group in Alexander Hall for maybe the first time ever as Freddy introduced us to Princetoniana, ranging from some of the school’s history to the proper way to sing “Old Nassau.”
Early in his remarks, he sought to allay our nervousness about entering such an elite institution. “I’m sure many of you have concerns about how well you’ll be able to handle the workload at Princeton,” he said, “but there’s no need to worry. Look at the person seated to the right of you.” We all dutifully turned to the right. “Now look at the person on your left.” We turned left. “You’re smarter than both of them!”