October 24, 2007: President's Page
THE ALUMNI WEEKLY PROVIDES THESE PAGES TO THE PRESIDENT
Whitman College
Master Harvey Rosen joins Meg Whitman ’77 in formally opening
Princeton’s sixth residential college. (Denise Applewhite)
Whitman
College
On September 27, Princetonians gathered to dedicate Whitman College and
the buildings that constitute this magnificent collegiate Gothic complex.
As many of you know, the new college has been under construction for the
past three years, rising like an enchanted castle from land once occupied
by tennis courts. Built largely from hand-set fieldstone and encompassing
250,000 square feet, its 10 buildings represent one of the most ambitious
construction projects in Princeton’s history. Five hundred undergraduates
from all four classes and 10 graduate students now call Whitman home,
and our entire University community, to say nothing of visitors, can enjoy
its beautiful courts, cloister, and tree-dotted grounds.
We are indebted to Whitman’s distinguished architect, Demetri Porphyrios
*74 *80, for envisioning a college that honors Princeton’s rich
tradition of collegiate Gothic architecture. He has created a college
that merges seamlessly with its surroundings, so much so that even now,
with the paint barely dry, it gives the impression of always having been
there. Yet, Whitman is also distinctive, as every college should be, inviting
us to cross its western “moat” or eastern lawns and enter
a community within a community—a place where students do not simply
sleep and eat, but can also study, participate in seminars, hone their
writing skills (Whitman houses the Princeton Writing Program), and even
rehearse in a dance studio or perform in a 65-seat theater.
Some may argue that a cutting-edge research university with a distinguished
School of Architecture should be promoting modern architectural forms,
just as we encourage new kinds of scholarship and research. But from my
perspective, the language of collegiate Gothic architecture has endured
since the Middle Ages for a reason. Its beauty and solidity evoke quiet
contemplation and seriousness of purpose, while its imaginative flourishes
and interconnected yet separate spaces reflect the individuality and solidarity
to be found within a community of scholars. Moreover, Whitman College
was being built at the same time as the Frank Gehry-designed Peter B.
Lewis Science Library on Washington Road—proof positive that Princeton
is able to celebrate modernity while honoring its traditions.
Whitman has also made it possible to expand the size of our undergraduate
student body by 11 percent, fulfilling the mandate set forth by the Wythes
Committee in 2000 and allowing us to extend the benefits of a Princeton
education to a greater number of gifted students than ever before. Furthermore,
Whitman has enabled us to do so in a way that dramatically enhances the
quality of residential life, for this is the flagship of our newly inaugurated
four-year residential college system.
The introduction of four-year colleges has made it possible for both
under- and upperclassmen, graduate students, and a small number of regular
and visiting faculty to live beneath one roof. In this sense, Whitman
(together with Mathey College and, beginning in 2009, a rebuilt Butler
College) embodies a dream first championed a century ago by Woodrow Wilson
when he sought to bridge the divide between academic and social life by
creating “quadrangles” in which all undergraduates would live
and dine in the company of resident faculty masters and preceptors.
Unlike Wilson’s ill-fated quadrangle plan, however, the four year-college
system is not designed to compete with, let alone replace, the eating
clubs but rather to give juniors, seniors, and graduate students more
living and dining options and to enrich the intellectual and social life
of the freshmen and sophomores with whom they interact. Prior to this
fall, Princeton’s colleges were limited to first- and second-year
students, and upperclassmen were obliged to choose between joining an
eating club and living independently. Now, all students will enjoy a formal
affiliation with a college throughout their time at Princeton, and approximately
100 juniors and seniors will have an opportunity to live in each
of Whitman, Mathey, and Butler Colleges. The residents of all six colleges
will enjoy an expanded program of activities, assisted by new directors
of residential life, as well as menus prepared by executive chefs who
will give each college a distinctive culinary flavor. Students who prefer
to join an eating club—and most will continue to do so—are
entitled to eat two meals a week in the college of their choice, and for
those who do not want to choose between the colleges and eating clubs,
an innovative shared meal plan has been developed.
While the four-year college system is still in its infancy and its impact
will not be fully known for many years, the opening of Whitman represents
an important stage in the evolution of residential life. Upperclass students
have already voted with their feet, filling their allotted spots in Whitman
and Mathey Colleges and signing up for the shared meal plans. Graduate
students have also signaled their enthusiasm for collegiate life; their
rooms were oversubscribed by a factor of two!
Last but not least, Whitman is a marvelous expression of the loyalty
and generosity of our alumni, and of their desire to strengthen the residential
and broader educational experience of future generations of Princetonians.
Named in honor of eBay CEO Meg Whitman ’77, whose belief in this
project and tangible support were critical to its success, Whitman was
built with major gifts from over 30 named and anonymous donors. Their
faith in Princeton is an inspiration for us all.