Courtesy Princeton Class of 1967. Princetoniana Museum use only.
With any 25th Reunion outfit, the theme’s the thing. That’s because of the custom that says alumni can abandon unduly quirky garments at their 25th and settle down with a Class blazer, tie, and not-so-funny hat. This more conventional ensemble places a premium on thematic creativity.
The "Clear the Track!" motif created for our 25th embodied one of the most self-referentially Princetonian themes ever devised. The slogan came right out of the lyrics to the most famous of all Reunion songs, “Going Back to Nassau Hall”. Another Princeton landmark set the scene for our costume concept: dressing up as passengers returning to the Dinky station on the “Princeton Junction & Back Railroad”—the PJ&B. (That’s the historical nickname for the Princeton Branch line of the old Pennsylvania Railroad, which folded not long after ’67 graduated.) The choo-choo theme also reflected the locomotive cheer that every Class gives the President at the end of the P-rade—but only ’67 gives with actual hand-held train whistles.
As ever, the 25th costume design was a long while coming. The Class toyed for a time with seeking the Holy Grail of reunion couture—a blazer sober enough that it could actually be worn somewhere other than a Princeton party venue. But nothing panned out when we canvassed candidate concepts by mail (one got rejected as politically incorrect). I then came up with the uncontroversial PJ&B Railroad theme. This resulted in a blazer that, while far from grail-like, was no more than routinely garish by traditional reunion standards.
With any 25th Reunion outfit, the theme’s the thing. That’s because of the custom that says alumni can abandon unduly quirky garments at their 25th and settle down with a Class blazer, tie, and not-so-funny hat. This more conventional ensemble places a premium on thematic creativity.
The "Clear the Track!" motif created for our 25th embodied one of the most self-referentially Princetonian themes ever devised. The slogan came right out of the lyrics to the most famous of all Reunion songs, “Going Back to Nassau Hall”. Another Princeton landmark set the scene for our costume concept: dressing up as passengers returning to the Dinky station on the “Princeton Junction & Back Railroad”—the PJ&B. (That’s the historical nickname for the Princeton Branch line of the old Pennsylvania Railroad, which folded not long after ’67 graduated.) The choo-choo theme also reflected the locomotive cheer that every Class gives the President at the end of the P-rade—but only ’67 gives with actual hand-held train whistles.
As ever, the 25th costume design was a long while coming. The Class toyed for a time with seeking the Holy Grail of reunion couture—a blazer sober enough that it could actually be worn somewhere other than a Princeton party venue. But nothing panned out when we canvassed candidate concepts by mail (one got rejected as politically incorrect). I then came up with the uncontroversial PJ&B Railroad theme. This resulted in a blazer that, while far from grail-like, was no more than routinely garish by traditional reunion standards.