In an earlier posting - in advance of the Supreme Court's hearing of the Harvard and University of North Carolina admissions cases - we posted an audio about the history of college admissions standards in the twentieth century, especially at Columbia. That Gatecrashers audio dealt with de facto quotas on Jewish students as more of the sons of immigrants applied to Ivy League schools such as Columbia.* But related to admissions, there was the problem of acceptance and integration of students who were admitted. Another Gatecrashers audio deals with that topic at Princeton with its system of eating clubs.
"Back in the 1950s, the Princeton eating clubs were essential. The dining hall was only meant for freshmen and sophomores. The club you joined as a sophomore became not just a place to eat but the center of your Princeton social life, a place to hang out, nurture friendships, and make connections.
According to one estimate, by the late 1950s, the school was about one seventh Jewish. But the Jewish students were about to find out that just because you’re admitted doesn’t mean you’re accepted. In February 1958, at the end of the bicker process—like fraternity rush, but for eating clubs—there were 35 sophomores who got no bids at all. And most of them were Jewish. The scandal was immediately dubbed “the dirty bicker” by the national press; it was reported in the New York Times, the New York Post, Newsweek, and more. It nearly caused the downfall of the eating clubs."
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*http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2022/09/admissions-history-you-didnt-know-about.html.
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https://ia601402.us.archive.org/25/items/big-ten/princeton%20combined.mp3
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