In December 1985, I was a junior who had an idea for a potential senior thesis comparing China’s Sun Yat-sen and India’s Mahatma Gandhi, but I knew I needed to know much more about Indian history in order to develop it. I went to talk to the then-chair of the history department, Robert Tignor, about whether there was a professor who could supervise an independent study for me. Professor Tignor said that he didn’t currently have a faculty member in history to suggest, but perhaps I could talk to President Goheen, who had served as ambassador to India. I did, and President Goheen agreed to supervise a reading course. It was an extraordinary experience to learn about India from someone who loved and knew India so well, and such a privilege to take the time of such a prominent member of the faculty. It is still one of my favorite stories to tell about Princeton’s commitment to undergraduate students. I would love to see President Goheen’s name on the building where I met with him, every two weeks in the spring of 1986.
In December 1985, I was a junior who had an idea for a potential senior thesis comparing China’s Sun Yat-sen and India’s Mahatma Gandhi, but I knew I needed to know much more about Indian history in order to develop it. I went to talk to the then-chair of the history department, Robert Tignor, about whether there was a professor who could supervise an independent study for me. Professor Tignor said that he didn’t currently have a faculty member in history to suggest, but perhaps I could talk to President Goheen, who had served as ambassador to India. I did, and President Goheen agreed to supervise a reading course. It was an extraordinary experience to learn about India from someone who loved and knew India so well, and such a privilege to take the time of such a prominent member of the faculty. It is still one of my favorite stories to tell about Princeton’s commitment to undergraduate students. I would love to see President Goheen’s name on the building where I met with him, every two weeks in the spring of 1986.