The Untold Lives of Dissertations at Mudd Library

Every Princeton Ph.D. deposits a dissertation with Mudd Library prior to graduating, joining a generations-long tradition. Yet many students are unfamiliar with the significance of Mudd’s dissertation collection or how, beyond their subject matter, dissertations are an important part of documenting institutional history.

At this workshop, staff at Mudd Library will introduce archival materials related to dissertations and the history of dissertation submission, highlighting both continuities and changes over time. April C. Armstrong *14 will present selected items, including the earliest doctoral thesis, records explaining why an alum’s degree was conferred 48 years after he completed his general exams, and hints on the ways graduate students helped aid in major transformations on campus like coeducation and extending benefits to same-sex partners.

Participants in this unique workshop will gain a deeper understanding of how their own dissertations will become part of Princeton’s institutional record and how the alumni who came before navigated the completion of their research projects.

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