The weather cooperated for Saturday’s celebration.
By: Jeff Milgram
They marched behind bagpipers, string bands and a mounted George Washington.
They walked, rode golf carts and one even rode a unicycle.
But despite threatening skies, thousands of Princeton University alumni, their spouses, children and grandchildren marched Saturday afternoon in the annual P-rade with all of their traditional panache, rah-rah spirit and good-natured fun.
The P-rade kicked off at 2 p.m., with Grand Marshal Arlene Pedovitch, carrying a ceremonial mace, leading the march, followed by Princeton University President Harold Shapiro, who is retiring June 15, and his successor, Professor Shirley Tilghman.
The class of 1976, which celebrated its 25th reunion, was the first class through FitzRandolph Gate, the main entranceway into the university. Following the class of 1976 came the alumni of the Graduate School, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
"It’s astonishing, this is like the way it used to be," said Malcolm Warnock, 96, the oldest alumnus at the P-rade. Mr. Warnock has been marching in the P-rade regularly since he graduated in 1925.
Silvia Bennet has attended the annual Reunions Weekend ever since she married John R. Bennet, who graduated from Princeton in 1930. Women weren’t permitted to march in the P-rade until the 1950s.
"I married the university in 1941," Ms. Bennet said.
Her husband died two years ago, shortly after Reunions Weekend, she said.
Ms. Bennet, 90, said she enjoys "the sense of continuity, the same ideals. The same things that Witherspoon stood for, Tilghman will stand for and Shapiro stands for," she said.
The Rev. John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence, was the sixth president of Princeton University.
Ms. Bennet was one of several marchers who carried signs in support of pay raises for the university’s lowest-paid service workers.
"A child came and said, ‘Would you carry it?’ I said, ‘Of course,’ " explained Ms. Bennet.
Several classes were led by bagpipe bands. The class of 1947 marched behind the Joseph A. Ferko String Band of Philadelphia. The Allentown (N.J.) High School Marching Band played "Hold That Tiger" as it led the class of 1961.