Publication: A Princeton Companion
Vice-President was the title accorded several persons serving as acting president during brief interregnums in the early years of the college, but the first vice-president in the usual sense was Samuel Stanhope Smith, son-in-law of President John Witherspoon, who was appointed in 1786 to act for the president when he was away from Princeton, as he frequently was, on affairs of state. This office was filled sporadically as a means of granting the president much-needed aid by:
Samuel Stanhope Smith 1786-1795
Elijah Slack 1812-1817
Philip Lindsly 1817-1824
John Maclean 1829-1854
Two of these vice-presidents became presidents: Smith and Maclean.
In modern times the duties discharged by the four vice-presidents listed above have been performed by deans (beginning in 1883), and more recently by provosts (beginning in 1966). Since 1939 the title vice-president has been associated with business rather than academic matters:
Financial Vice-President
George Brakeley '07 (1939-1953)
Ricardo A. Mestres '31 (1959-1972)
Paul B. Firstenberg '55 (1972-1976)
Carl W. Schafer (1976- )
(These financial vice-presidents have also served as treasurer: Brakeley, 1941-1953; Mestres, 1953-1972; Schafer, 1972- ).
Administrative Vice-President
Edgar M. Gemmell '34 (1959-1965)
Vice-President for Development
Henry E. Bessire '57 (1969- )
Vice-President for Public Affairs
William H. Weathersby (1970-1978)
Robert K. Durkee '69 (1978- )
Vice-President for Administrative Affairs
Anthony J. Maruca '54 (1972- )
Vice-President for Facilities
John P. Moran '51 (1973- )
From Alexander Leitch, A Princeton Companion, copyright Princeton University Press (1978).