Jump to Navigation

Search form

CLOSE
  • Inbox
  • News + Features
    • Features
    • On The Campus
    • Sports
    • Research
    • History
    • President's Page
  • Princetonians
    • Alumni News
    • Alumni Around The Web
    • Tiger of the Week
    • PAW Podcasts
    • Class Notes
  • Memorials
  • Books
  • Archive
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • About PAW
  • Reader Services
  • Web Exclusives
  • Advertising
  • FAQ

Inbox Retroactive Morality

By Richard L. Handelsman ’67
Published online June 28, 2020
0
SEND A RESPONSE TO INBOX

In Response to: Princeton Renames Wilson School and Residential College, Citing Former President’s Racism

Re: Damning Woodrow Wilson for his “racist thinking and policies.”

The Constitution prohibits Congress and the states from passing ex post facto laws: Sadly, the same ban applies neither to private institutions nor to morality.

Richard L. Handelsman ’67
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Current Issue

Reunions 2022; Commencement times two; Alumni role: Has it changed?

View Current Issue

Advertisement

Featured Content

Alumni News

Three Thrillers for Dark and Stormy Summer Nights

Alumni News

With Roe Overturned, Physician Alums Anxious About Women’s Health Care

‘How can I take care of patients when my hands are tied?’
On the Campus

Tigers Take First Place in New Jersey’s World Series of Birding

The first time Princeton students entered the 24-hour competition, they won
Alumni News

PAWcast: Leo Damrosch *68 on the Life of Giacomo Casanova

‘It is just a whole fascinating multilayered world that he gives us access to’
Alumni News

Scenes from Reunions 2022

Tiger of the Week

Katherine Clifton ’15 Is Listening to the Stories of Refugees

‘Ultimately it reinforces my faith in humanity’
Tiger of the Week

Martin Eichelberger ’67 Is Helping Doctors Treat Injured Children in Ukraine

Eichelberger’s Triaj app gives doctors in-the-moment treatment guidance
On the Campus

Princeton Is Gradually Accepting More Transfer Students

Entering its fifth year, reinstated program pushes through growing pains to expand

Submit a Letter to the Editor

Join the conversation by sending a letter using our online form.
Submit

Related Inbox Letters

Wilson and the Peace of Paris
John P. Hyde ’59
Being Mestizo
Gary R. Walters ’64 *75
Wilson’s Party
Charles S. Rockey Jr. ’57
History as ‘More or Less Gray’
Jean-Pierre Cauvin ’57 *68
What Would Woodrow Do?
Charlie Bell ’76
With Wilson, It Was More Than Racism
Laurence C. Day ’55
At Last
Andrea M. Matthews ’78
On Respectful Listening and Change
Joe Illick ’56
Flippant Cover Line
John Brittain ’59
Removing Wilson’s Name
James B. Fletcher ’54
Example of Presentism
J.W. Donner ’49
Wilson’s ‘Body of Work’
Richard W. Corkhill ’53
Princeton’s Early Presidents
Richard Schimel ’75
A Tempest But Not in a Teapot
Norman Ravitch *62
Wilson Is Not Alone
Bob Hazard ’56
An Elegant Solution
Charles Scribner III ’73 *77
Oppose Racism Through Actions
William Hannum ’54
Progressives and the War on History
Ken Buck ’81
The Board’s Obligation
Paul Firstenberg ’55
Symbolic Gestures and the Need for Change
Mimi Stokes (formerly Katzenbach) ’76
Seeking More Information About the Wilson Decision
Chester S. Logan ’51
A ‘Lasting Memorial’
David Nimick ’46
On Eliminating Historical Figures
Richard L. Hames *67
Where Princeton Is, Where It Is Going
Tony Tolles ’73
Imperfect Leaders
Mark I. Davies ’65 *71
Feeble Excuses
Eric Geller ’83
Scholars’ Views of Wilson’s Legacy
James W. Anderson ’70
Applauding the Dropping of Wilson’s Name
Chris Douglas ’88
Wrong Issue in the Wilson Case
Norman Ravitch *62
On the Ethics of Naming
Benjamin Lehrer ’03
Service and Today’s Princeton
John A. Gardiner ’59
No Leader Is Without Sin
Larry Leighton ’56
Telling the Whole Story
L. Marc Zell ’74
Great Contributions and Just Criticism
Lemoine Skinner III ’66
Honoring Edith Wilson
Paul Hertelendy ’53
Wilson’s Influence on University History
Nicholas Piacente ’13
Another Naming Suggestion
Vijay Thadani ’76
‘Change Has Finally Arrived’
Michael A. Watkins ’77
‘No Nation Chooses Its History’
John D. Puskas ’82
Judging Our Forefathers
Georgia Breen-Clapham ’79
Naming Suggestion
George Heitmann *63
Retroactive Morality
Richard L. Handelsman ’67
Support From a Wilson Lodge Alum
Roy Neil Graves II ’61
Another Example of Wilson’s Social Injustice
James (Jim) Lane ’92
Surrender to the Mob?
Martin Sklar ’81
Political Correctness at Princeton?
James O. Ward ’77
Changing the Name of Wilson College and the School of Public and International Affairs
Randy Nichols ’73 *81

Web Exclusives

Sports

Trio of Tiger Golfers Compete in USGA Amateur Championships

Catherine Rao ’26 reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Women’s Amateur
Tiger of the Week

In a New Book, Dan Bouk *09 Finds Stories in the U.S. Census

‘I look at numbers and databases the way people look at poems and paintings’
Sports

Football Preview: Tigers Seek Second Consecutive Ivy Championship

Princeton turns to fresh talent after departure of a remarkable senior class
Sports

Famed Basketball Coach Pete Carril Changed the Game

The hard-nosed creator of the ‘Princeton offense’ has died at the age of 92
Alumni News

PAWcast: Tom Szaky ’05 on the World’s Overwhelming Waste Problem

‘The real question for humanity is, can we rise above our basic animalistic desires to consume?’
Alumni Around the Web

Aug. 10: Loretta Mester *85 Says We Aren’t In a Recession

Advertisement

Current Issue

Reunions 2022; Commencement times two; Alumni role: Has it changed?

View Current Issue

Advertisement

Featured Content

Alumni News

Three Thrillers for Dark and Stormy Summer Nights

Alumni News

With Roe Overturned, Physician Alums Anxious About Women’s Health Care

‘How can I take care of patients when my hands are tied?’
On the Campus

Tigers Take First Place in New Jersey’s World Series of Birding

The first time Princeton students entered the 24-hour competition, they won
Alumni News

PAWcast: Leo Damrosch *68 on the Life of Giacomo Casanova

‘It is just a whole fascinating multilayered world that he gives us access to’
Alumni News

Scenes from Reunions 2022

Tiger of the Week

Katherine Clifton ’15 Is Listening to the Stories of Refugees

‘Ultimately it reinforces my faith in humanity’
Tiger of the Week

Martin Eichelberger ’67 Is Helping Doctors Treat Injured Children in Ukraine

Eichelberger’s Triaj app gives doctors in-the-moment treatment guidance
On the Campus

Princeton Is Gradually Accepting More Transfer Students

Entering its fifth year, reinstated program pushes through growing pains to expand

Submit a Letter to the Editor

Join the conversation by sending a letter using our online form.
Submit

Related Inbox Letters

Wilson and the Peace of Paris
John P. Hyde ’59
Being Mestizo
Gary R. Walters ’64 *75
Wilson’s Party
Charles S. Rockey Jr. ’57
History as ‘More or Less Gray’
Jean-Pierre Cauvin ’57 *68
What Would Woodrow Do?
Charlie Bell ’76
With Wilson, It Was More Than Racism
Laurence C. Day ’55
At Last
Andrea M. Matthews ’78
On Respectful Listening and Change
Joe Illick ’56
Flippant Cover Line
John Brittain ’59
Removing Wilson’s Name
James B. Fletcher ’54
Example of Presentism
J.W. Donner ’49
Wilson’s ‘Body of Work’
Richard W. Corkhill ’53
Princeton’s Early Presidents
Richard Schimel ’75
A Tempest But Not in a Teapot
Norman Ravitch *62
Wilson Is Not Alone
Bob Hazard ’56
An Elegant Solution
Charles Scribner III ’73 *77
Oppose Racism Through Actions
William Hannum ’54
Progressives and the War on History
Ken Buck ’81
The Board’s Obligation
Paul Firstenberg ’55
Symbolic Gestures and the Need for Change
Mimi Stokes (formerly Katzenbach) ’76
Seeking More Information About the Wilson Decision
Chester S. Logan ’51
A ‘Lasting Memorial’
David Nimick ’46
On Eliminating Historical Figures
Richard L. Hames *67
Where Princeton Is, Where It Is Going
Tony Tolles ’73
Imperfect Leaders
Mark I. Davies ’65 *71
Feeble Excuses
Eric Geller ’83
Scholars’ Views of Wilson’s Legacy
James W. Anderson ’70
Applauding the Dropping of Wilson’s Name
Chris Douglas ’88
Wrong Issue in the Wilson Case
Norman Ravitch *62
On the Ethics of Naming
Benjamin Lehrer ’03
Service and Today’s Princeton
John A. Gardiner ’59
No Leader Is Without Sin
Larry Leighton ’56
Telling the Whole Story
L. Marc Zell ’74
Great Contributions and Just Criticism
Lemoine Skinner III ’66
Honoring Edith Wilson
Paul Hertelendy ’53
Wilson’s Influence on University History
Nicholas Piacente ’13
Another Naming Suggestion
Vijay Thadani ’76
‘Change Has Finally Arrived’
Michael A. Watkins ’77
‘No Nation Chooses Its History’
John D. Puskas ’82
Judging Our Forefathers
Georgia Breen-Clapham ’79
Naming Suggestion
George Heitmann *63
Retroactive Morality
Richard L. Handelsman ’67
Support From a Wilson Lodge Alum
Roy Neil Graves II ’61
Another Example of Wilson’s Social Injustice
James (Jim) Lane ’92
Surrender to the Mob?
Martin Sklar ’81
Political Correctness at Princeton?
James O. Ward ’77
Changing the Name of Wilson College and the School of Public and International Affairs
Randy Nichols ’73 *81

Tell Us What You Think

Use our simple online form to share your views with other PAW readers

Send a Response to Inbox

An editorially independent magazine by alumni for alumni since 1900

Newsletter Sign-Up

Current Issue

Reunions 2022; Commencement times two; Alumni role: Has it changed?

In This Issue

From The Editor

Download PDF

Subscribe Now

Parents and non-alumni can receive all 11 issues of PAW for $22 a year ($26 for international addresses).

Let’s Get Started

  • About PAW
  • Reader Services
  • Web Exclusives
  • Advertising
  • FAQ
  • Inbox
  • News + Features
    • Features
    • On The Campus
    • Sports
    • Research
    • History
    • President's Page
  • Princetonians
    • Alumni News
    • Alumni Around The Web
    • Tiger of the Week
    • PAW Podcasts
    • Class Notes
  • Memorials
  • Books
  • Archive
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • About PAW
  • Reader Services
  • Web Exclusives
  • Advertising
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Alumni Association
  • Princeton.edu

© 2022 The Trustees of Princeton University