Cannon Dial Elm Club, also known as Cannon Club, is one of the historic Eating Clubs at Princeton University. Founded in 1895, it completed its current clubhouse in 1910. The club closed in the early 1970s and later merged with Dial Lodge and Elm Club to form Dial, Elm, Cannon (DEC), which closed its doors in 1998. In 2011 DEC reopened, now bearing the name Cannon Dial Elm Club, using its historic clubhouse, which had served as the home for the Office of Population Research during the club's hiatus.
The Eating Clubs play a central role in the history and life of Princeton University, serving as the primary place of dining and social life for more than 70% of upperclassmen.[2] Cannon Club was founded in 1895 and housed in a small house on William Street that had been home to Tiger Inn for the previous two years. From 1896 to 1899 it was located in the "Incubator" a small house, at that time on Olden Street, that served as an early home to many of the Eating Clubs as they established themselves and sought to build clubhouses. In 1899, Cannon Club purchased the Osborn House that stood on the south side of Prospect Avenue, between the McCosh and West residences. That home fell into disrepair by 1908 and Edgar Viguers Seeler, a prominent Philadelphia architect, was commissioned to build a new clubhouse.[3] That Collegiate Gothic clubhouse, completed in 1910, was the first of the clubs to make use of local stone. While the facade has been described as plain in comparison with other clubs, the rear elevation and interiors have been praised, with the two-story living room considered one of the finest interior spaces found on Prospect.[4] The eponymous cannon sits in front of the clubhouse, pointed at Prospect Avenue. President-elect Woodrow Wilson, on a last stroll before departing for Washington, commented to reporters: "Hardly a chummy entrance that!"[5]
DemiseEdit
The club was famous for its debauchery, gaining a reputation as the Animal House of the university. One story from 1966 relates a nighttime coed nude volleyball game during Houseparties, the annual Princeton formal dance,[6] though the club's own history disputes that it was coed.[7] In the late 1960s the club gained a reputation for destructive behavior, including the destruction of a wall in neighboring Campus Club with sledgehammers, and the laceration of an artery of club president Michael Ryan while being passed down the stairs. The club also became involved in an incident of racial prejudice. In May 1969, one Cannon Club member loudly shouted the "N" word at a group of [African-American] students from the window of the "Rockefeller Suite" (a group of dorm rooms occupied by members of Cannon Club). That incitement led to the invasion of the largely unoccupied "Rockefeller Suite by a large group of [African American] students wielding knives, pipes and other weapons. Several couches and chairs were slashed and some other damage resulted. When retaliation was threatened by Cannon Club members, the University Administration became involved, holding an extended investigation into the entire affair. However, no Cannon Club members were expelled or suspended as a result, despite reports to the contrary .[8] The same year, an instructor's pregnant wife was accosted and held off the ground by a Cannon Club member on Prospect Street in front of the club, however the identity of the Club member was never determined by the Administration. The notoriety and sanctions by the university led to a fall in membership, ultimately precipitating the closure of the club in the early 1970s.[9] The property came into the possession of the university, which spent 3/4 of a million dollars on renovations and deferred maintenance to turn the clubhouse into an academic building, Notestein Hall, which housed the Office of Population Research for over 30 years.[10]
ReopeningEdit
Despite the closure of the club, Cannon Club continued as a graduate board determined to continue the club's traditions and see it one day reopened. In 1989, Cannon merged with the financially imperiled Dial Lodge, and the combined entity was joined by Elm Club the following year. The stated goal of the new Dial Elm Cannon Club (DEC) was to exchange the Dial and Elm clubhouses for the old Cannon Club.[11] In 1997, an agreement was reached to exchange Dial and Elm for the Cannon clubhouse and $2 million. The club was unable to reopen Cannon at that time but retained the option to purchase the building.[12] This led to the second demise of the club with periodic claims that Cannon would reopen, a feat accomplished in 2011.[13] Today, the club is again thriving and healthy.
Notable AlumniEdit
Robert Baldwin — Chairman of Morgan Stanley, Under Secretary of the Navy (1965-1967)
The Hon. Paul Sarbanes — US House of Representatives (1971-77) and US Senator (1977-2007)
Norman Augustine — Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, Under Secretary of the Army (1975-1977), Chairman of the Augustine Spaceflight Committee
Bill Haarlow — President of Chemicals Division of Quaker Oats Company and later owner
Art Hyland — Secretary/editor of NCAA Basketball Rules Committee
Jim Morgan — President & CEO of Philip Morris USA, CEO of Atari
John "Rocky" Barrett — Chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Frank Biondi — Sr. Managing Partner of Waterview Advisors, Trustee of Princeton University
Jay Higgins — Vice Chairman of Salomon Brothers, Owner of Waterville Golf Links
Mike O’Neill — Chairman of CitiGroup, CEO of Barclays, CEO of the Bank of Hawaii.
^"Cannon Club". An Interactive Campus History. Princeton University.
^Rhinehart, Raymond (March 1, 2000). Princeton University: The Campus Guide. Princeton Architectural Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN978-1568982090.
^Maynard, William Barksdale (2012). Princeton: America's Campus. Penn State University Press. p. 115. ISBN978-0271050867.
^Axtell, James (2006). The Making of Princeton University: From Woodrow Wilson to the Present. Princeton University Press. p. 369. ISBN978-0691126869.
^. Cannon Dial Elm Club. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
^Liemer, Ross (November 22, 2006). . The Daily Princetonian. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
^Kleckner, Anthony S. (February 4, 1982). "Animal House of days past". The Daily Princetonian.
^"Report of the Committee on Undergraduate Residential Life". Princeton Weekly Bulletin. May 28, 1979.
^"Elm Merges with Dial and Cannon to Create "D.E.C."". Princeton Alumni Weekly. October 24, 1990.
^"University acquires Prospect St. properties". Princeton Weekly Bulletin. September 21, 1998.
^Zumbach, Laure (15 September 2011). "Cannon To Join Most Selective Clubs – If It Ever Opens". The Ink. University Press Club.
External linksEdit
Official website
August 26, 2023
cannon, club, cannon, dial, club, also, known, historic, eating, clubs, princeton, university, founded, 1895, completed, current, clubhouse, 1910, club, closed, early, 1970s, later, merged, with, dial, lodge, club, form, dial, cannon, which, closed, doors, 199. Cannon Dial Elm Club also known as Cannon Club is one of the historic Eating Clubs at Princeton University Founded in 1895 it completed its current clubhouse in 1910 The club closed in the early 1970s and later merged with Dial Lodge and Elm Club to form Dial Elm Cannon DEC which closed its doors in 1998 In 2011 DEC reopened now bearing the name Cannon Dial Elm Club using its historic clubhouse which had served as the home for the Office of Population Research during the club s hiatus Cannon Dial Elm ClubU S Historic districtContributing propertyShow map of Mercer County New JerseyShow map of New JerseyShow map of the United StatesLocation21 Prospect Ave Princeton New JerseyCoordinates40 20 52 1 N 74 39 12 1 W 40 347806 N 74 653361 W 40 347806 74 653361Built1910ArchitectEdgar Viguers SeelerArchitectural styleCollegiate GothicPart ofPrinceton Historic District ID75001143 1 Added to NRHP27 June 1975 Contents 1 History 1 1 Founding 1 2 Demise 1 3 Reopening 2 Notable Alumni 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditFounding Edit The Eating Clubs play a central role in the history and life of Princeton University serving as the primary place of dining and social life for more than 70 of upperclassmen 2 Cannon Club was founded in 1895 and housed in a small house on William Street that had been home to Tiger Inn for the previous two years From 1896 to 1899 it was located in the Incubator a small house at that time on Olden Street that served as an early home to many of the Eating Clubs as they established themselves and sought to build clubhouses In 1899 Cannon Club purchased the Osborn House that stood on the south side of Prospect Avenue between the McCosh and West residences That home fell into disrepair by 1908 and Edgar Viguers Seeler a prominent Philadelphia architect was commissioned to build a new clubhouse 3 That Collegiate Gothic clubhouse completed in 1910 was the first of the clubs to make use of local stone While the facade has been described as plain in comparison with other clubs the rear elevation and interiors have been praised with the two story living room considered one of the finest interior spaces found on Prospect 4 The eponymous cannon sits in front of the clubhouse pointed at Prospect Avenue President elect Woodrow Wilson on a last stroll before departing for Washington commented to reporters Hardly a chummy entrance that 5 Demise Edit The club was famous for its debauchery gaining a reputation as the Animal House of the university One story from 1966 relates a nighttime coed nude volleyball game during Houseparties the annual Princeton formal dance 6 though the club s own history disputes that it was coed 7 In the late 1960s the club gained a reputation for destructive behavior including the destruction of a wall in neighboring Campus Club with sledgehammers and the laceration of an artery of club president Michael Ryan while being passed down the stairs The club also became involved in an incident of racial prejudice In May 1969 one Cannon Club member loudly shouted the N word at a group of African American students from the window of the Rockefeller Suite a group of dorm rooms occupied by members of Cannon Club That incitement led to the invasion of the largely unoccupied Rockefeller Suite by a large group of African American students wielding knives pipes and other weapons Several couches and chairs were slashed and some other damage resulted When retaliation was threatened by Cannon Club members the University Administration became involved holding an extended investigation into the entire affair However no Cannon Club members were expelled or suspended as a result despite reports to the contrary 8 The same year an instructor s pregnant wife was accosted and held off the ground by a Cannon Club member on Prospect Street in front of the club however the identity of the Club member was never determined by the Administration The notoriety and sanctions by the university led to a fall in membership ultimately precipitating the closure of the club in the early 1970s 9 The property came into the possession of the university which spent 3 4 of a million dollars on renovations and deferred maintenance to turn the clubhouse into an academic building Notestein Hall which housed the Office of Population Research for over 30 years 10 Reopening Edit Despite the closure of the club Cannon Club continued as a graduate board determined to continue the club s traditions and see it one day reopened In 1989 Cannon merged with the financially imperiled Dial Lodge and the combined entity was joined by Elm Club the following year The stated goal of the new Dial Elm Cannon Club DEC was to exchange the Dial and Elm clubhouses for the old Cannon Club 11 In 1997 an agreement was reached to exchange Dial and Elm for the Cannon clubhouse and 2 million The club was unable to reopen Cannon at that time but retained the option to purchase the building 12 This led to the second demise of the club with periodic claims that Cannon would reopen a feat accomplished in 2011 13 Today the club is again thriving and healthy Notable Alumni EditRobert Baldwin Chairman of Morgan Stanley Under Secretary of the Navy 1965 1967 The Hon Paul Sarbanes US House of Representatives 1971 77 and US Senator 1977 2007 Norman Augustine Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Under Secretary of the Army 1975 1977 Chairman of the Augustine Spaceflight Committee Bill Haarlow President of Chemicals Division of Quaker Oats Company and later owner Art Hyland Secretary editor of NCAA Basketball Rules Committee Jim Morgan President amp CEO of Philip Morris USA CEO of Atari John Rocky Barrett Chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Frank Biondi Sr Managing Partner of Waterview Advisors Trustee of Princeton University Jay Higgins Vice Chairman of Salomon Brothers Owner of Waterville Golf Links Mike O Neill Chairman of CitiGroup CEO of Barclays CEO of the Bank of Hawaii James Billington 13th Librarian of Congress 1987 2015 Thomas Christie Chief Operating Officer of Showtime Networks Inc Karl Chandler ret NFL Football player NY Giants amp Detroit Lions Mark Milley Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Staff of the Army John C Bogle Founder and chief executive of The Vanguard Group Stan Rubin Conductor The Stan Rubin Orchestra Robert Caro Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses biographer Two time Pulitzer Prize winner and National Humanities Medal Recipient Frank Stella Painter amp Sculptor National Medal of Arts Recipient John Streicker Chairman of Sentinel Real Estate Corporation Bradford L Smith President amp Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft Princeton University Trustee Katherine Brittain Bradley Founder and President of the CityBridge Foundation Princeton University Trustee Steve Papa Founder of CEO Endeca Founder and Chairman of Parallel WirelessReferences Edit Princeton Historic District National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Hu Winnie July 29 2007 More Than a Meal Plan The New York Times Cannon Club An Interactive Campus History Princeton University Rhinehart Raymond March 1 2000 Princeton University The Campus Guide Princeton Architectural Press pp 84 85 ISBN 978 1568982090 Maynard William Barksdale 2012 Princeton America s Campus Penn State University Press p 115 ISBN 978 0271050867 Axtell James 2006 The Making of Princeton University From Woodrow Wilson to the Present Princeton University Press p 369 ISBN 978 0691126869 History Cannon Dial Elm Club Archived from the original on 2012 10 18 Retrieved 2015 07 16 Liemer Ross November 22 2006 The rise and fall of Cannon Club The Daily Princetonian Archived from the original on July 17 2015 Retrieved July 16 2015 Kleckner Anthony S February 4 1982 Animal House of days past The Daily Princetonian Report of the Committee on Undergraduate Residential Life Princeton Weekly Bulletin May 28 1979 Elm Merges with Dial and Cannon to Create D E C Princeton Alumni Weekly October 24 1990 University acquires Prospect St properties Princeton Weekly Bulletin September 21 1998 Zumbach Laure 15 September 2011 Cannon To Join Most Selective Clubs If It Ever Opens The Ink University Press Club External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cannon Club amp oldid 1144500006, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
