A Lesson Learned

Although neither widely recalled nor recognized in Princeton’s official records, the mischievous Princeton cheerleaders, seeking to promote an obvious advantage that coeducation would bring to the University, invited a few of the young women working at the U-Store to dress the role and upgrade the cheerleaders' appeal and effectiveness for one of 1961’s football games. Dean Lippincott, apparently chastised by a number of unhappy, older alums, would have none of it, his reprimand so discouraging a leader of this early advocacy effort to transfer to Stanford the next year to better enjoy the opportunities provided by coeducation. It is speculated that President Goheen learned from this rebuff and so cleverly chose the rather obscure and, importantly, national security-related area of Critical Languages to later advance the cause. At least all but the last sentence is true.