For much of Princeton's first 150 years, a majority of the undergraduates lived in spartan -- if not squalid -- conditions. In fact, well into the 20th century, a large part of student body did not live on the campus at all, but boarded at rooming houses in town or other accommodations.

A great burst of dormitory construction that began because of Wilson in the early 1900s and continued beyond World War I was meant to change all this. Consonant with Wilson's educational philosophy, Princeton at this point began to define itself as a residential university. To fulfill this vision, it needed new dormitories -- many of them.

Fortunately, the Trustees could draw on an increasingly affluent pool of alumni donors and other patrons to underwrite such an endeavor. Together, they drew up ambitious plans. The Holder /Madison complex of dormitories and dining halls was built at this time, ...