#class of 1890

[princetonarchives]

Walter Lowrie, shown seated in the photo above, was secretary of Princeton University's Class of 1890 after outliving nearly all of the rest of its members, keeping Princeton updated on their activities from the age of 85 to the age of 90. His reports in the Class Notes section of the Princeton Alumni Weekly were, in the words of Princeton University president Harold Dodds, "the highspot of all the class notes that ever were." For the April 26, 1957 issue, which came out on his 89th birthday, he wrote, "At our age we are most profitably employed in doing nothing. Hence I seldom have anything to report." Still, he somehow found plenty to say about the fewer than a dozen alumni remaining in the Class of 1890--including apologizing when crossed wires led to him erroneously reporting on the death of classmate William Thompson. "The victim himself was so glad to find himself alive that he wrote me a most amicable letter..." (February 10, 1956)

Photo: Historical Photograph Collection, Alumni Photographs Series (AC058), Box MP35.

[riesenfeldcenter]

Happy Friday! We just received an exciting donation! This compilation of portraits from the class of 1890 is now the earliest framed class photo in our collection. From just two years after the law school opened its doors, the first dean, William Pattee, is at the center. We also recognized James Paige (the top photo of the two directly left of Pattee), who was hired as the second full-time faculty member in 1890 and taught until 1934.

[princetonarchives]

Throwback Thursday: In an album owned by Princeton alum Knowlton Lyman Ames (Class of 1890), we found this photograph of a woman and a dog. We do not know who she was, or whether she, or the dog, were the reason Ames kept the photo.

Historical Photograph Collection, Student Photograph Albums Series (AC061), Box 84.03

[princetonarchives]

Students are coming to us not only from New England and the Middle States but in the class of '90 some eight or more have already entered from west of the Rocky Mountains. We have reason to congratulate ourselves that from the present outlook everything is in a fair way to make our college a university.

Princetonian, September 22, 1886

[plurdledgabbleblotchits]

Dayton's Central High School had 27 students in its 1890 class portrait. Two went on to change the world. (Paul Laurence Dunbar far left, back row, and Orville Wright, fourth from left, back row.)

“Paul Laurence Dunbar looks distinguished standing outside Dayton’s Central High School. The young poet’s cravat is broad and neat, his wide-brimmed felt fedora fits snugly, and his forefingers grasp the front of his fully buttoned frock coat. He is among more than two-dozen stylishly dressed students gathered for their class portrait. Under their bodices, the girls wear chemisettes adorned with buttons and bows, and boaters decorated with ribbons and silk flowers. The boys sport tailored coats, vests and derbies. Tucked in the middle of the back row, not far from Dunbar, stands an average student who willingly dropped out of Central High School in the summer of 1889, sometime after the class photo was taken. The young man’s hair is neatly combed, a decorated lapel accents his black suit, and his hands rest behind his back. The student’s name is Orville Wright.”

also...

“On July 4, 1889, Susan Wright died from tuberculosis, leaving 17-year-old Orville motherless right before his senior year. Rather than graduate, he opted to leave the class of 1890 and focus on his printing enterprise. One of his earliest printing clients was Paul Laurence Dunbar.” 

source and source