Hudnut, William H.

Hudnut, William H. 1886 (1864-1963) was the patriarch of a numerous and distinguished Princeton family. He had two Princeton sons -- Herbert B. Hudnut '16 and William H. Hudnut, Jr. '27 -- and seven Princeton grandsons -- Henry Hudnut Bischoff '49, Herbert B. Hudnut, Jr. '53, William H. Hudnut III '54, Robert K. Hudnut '56, David B. Hudnut '57, Stewart S. Hudnut '61, and Thomas C. Hudnut '69.

Both of his sons followed him into the Presbyterian ministry as did two of his grandsons, one of whom, William H. Hudnut III '54, was congressman from Indiana and later mayor of Indianapolis.

In a talk at an Alumni Day luncheon in his senior year Stewart S. Hudnut '61 spoke of the strong Presbyterian and Princeton influences in his upbringing. His earliest childhood recollection, he said, was of singing two songs, ``Jesus Loves Me'' and ``Going Back to Nassau Hall.''

The year Stewart graduated, the University conferred an honorary degree on his grandfather who was celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of his graduation.

Dr. Hudnut became the oldest living graduate in 1962. Acknowledging word of this distinction, he declared in the Alumni Weekly: ``My lot has been cast with wonderful people and to those that survive I give a cheer. I thank God that my education was in Princeton and I bless the University as it moves into the light.'' He died in 1963 just short of his ninety-ninth birthday.

From Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, copyright Princeton University Press (1978).