Princeton has been the home and workplace of countless notable writers, artists, musicians, scientists, architects, inventors, religious leaders, politicians, and more. It would be impossible to list them all on this site. Instead, we are highlighting some major areas of interest as a starting point for research. This page will be added to over time.
To research a person who has lived or worked in Princeton, we would direct you to the various resources found throughout this site and in our Family History and Genealogy Resource Guide to get started.
Please also explore our list of Walking Tours, as many of them also highlight historical figures.
Princeton Cemetery has created an interactive map and partial digitization of its interment records available here.
Some additional resources that cover a range of notable people include:
Historic People, Princeton Historical Society
A Princeton Companion by Alexander Leitch, 1978. This book offers information on many notable Princetonians. Simply search the PDF document or peruse the Index beginning on page 543. Available in print at PPL.
History of Princeton and Its Institutions by John Frelinghuysen Hageman, 1879. In addition to the buildings and institutions, Hageman discusses formative figures in Princeton's history. Available in print at PPL.
Please contact us if you need additional assistance.
While Trenton is the State Capital, the Governor's official residence is located in Princeton.
Morven served as the state's first Governor's Mansion from 1945 to 1981.
Drumthwacket was designated as the Governor's Mansion in 1982.
The Governors of New Jersey 1664-1974: Biographical Essays, New Jersey State Library
Governors, New Jersey State Archives
The Princeton and Slavery Project: An exploration of Princeton University’s historical ties to the institution of slavery.
New Jersey Slavery Records: This project from Rutgers University focuses on records for enslaved people and enslavers in the State of New Jersey.
Northeast Slavery Records Index: This project from CUNY offers an online searchable compilation of records that identify individual enslaved persons and enslavers in the states of New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Voices of Princeton is a collaborative oral history initiative created by the Princeton Public Library, the Historical Society of Princeton, the Arts Council of Princeton, and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society.
In the 1990s, librarian Terri Nelson pursued an avid interest in the history of the African American community in Princeton, particularly the personal information that appeared in the paper as a form of early social media. Before the days of digitization, the only way to locate these specific notices from a local newspaper was to create an index, such as early ones on card files, or to actively search the newspapers in print or microfilm, page by page. At the time of Terri's research and even now, there is no physical index to these older papers. Recently, these older versions of the Princeton Packet, such as Princeton Press, can be readily accessed in the Papers of Princeton database.
As part of her genealogy and family history work with this community, Terri methodically worked her way through the older newspapers on microfilm and created an exact transcript of marriage and death notices plus school and church news for the late 1800s. The dates coincide with our microfilm holdings, and she may also have used other records as well. Included in the transcription is the bibliographic information such as name of paper and date.
Terri's original genealogy work was completed as a personal project for individuals and is not part of our collection. The library does have access to the research that appeared on our website, particularly the transcriptions of newspaper notices along with an excellent Name Index. This can always be found on the Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive. The links from the Name Index still work, enabling the researcher to easily find family members or explore notices from a specific time period. Until we determine the best way to incorporate the information into this Google site, the most efficient way to access this wealth of information is through the Wayback Machine or the Papers of Princeton. It's a good idea to check both.
On Terri's original pages was this disclaimer: The material on these pages is an exact transcription from the historical sources. It may contain offensive language, negative stereotypes and/or graphic descriptions reflecting the culture of an earlier time. Princeton Public Library does not endorse the views presented, but makes the historical record accessible to genealogists, local historians and other interested readers. Information is compiled and transcribed by Terri Nelson.
Please also explore our list of Walking Tours, as many of them also highlight historical figures.
Visit the Magazines & Newspapers page for student and alumni publications
Visit the Magazines & Newspapers page for student and alumni publications
Academic Honors in Princeton University, 1748-1902, Princeton University Press
Visit the Magazines & Newspapers page for student and alumni publications