Registrar, The

Registrar, The, has been an officer of the College and the University since 1840. Originally he was a recent graduate who held the office briefly while also serving as tutor. Henry Nevius van Dyke 1872 (no relation to Henry van Dyke, the author) was the first long-term registrar; he served from 1873 to 1910. He was followed by Charles J. Jones '00, 1910-1918, who was succeeded by Fred LeRoy Hutson, 1918-1925. Hutson was known for his compassion. ``He never stoops to rulings mean,'' the seniors sang in their Faculty Song, ``We wish to God they'd make him Dean.'' Another spring they took a different turn: ``If he had his dope down straight,/Half the class would get the gate.'' Hutson's successors have been Wilbur F. Kerr, 1925-1947, Howard W. Stepp, 1947-1969, and Bruce Finnie, 1969-.

During van Dyke's tenure the registrar was first given an office of his own, located in Stanhope Hall. The registrar's office was moved to Nassau Hall in 1911 and to West College in 1959.

Originally the registrar kept the academic records of undergraduates only. Since 1970 the registrar has also kept the records of graduate students, previously the responsibility of the office of the dean of the graduate school.

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