Fox, Frederic E. (Frederic Ewing), 1917-1981

Described by University President William G. Bowen as a "cross between a curator, a ringmaster, and a storyteller," Frederic Ewing Fox was the only man to ever occupy the office of Keeper of Princetoniana at Princeton University. The unique position loosely involved corresponding with students, faculty, and alumni; collecting memorabilia; meeting with potential donors and receiving gifts; and representing the University tradition publicly, among a bevy of other informal duties. A member of the Class of 1939, Fox served as recording secretary of the University for 17 years and became a well-known figure on campus. In 1976 he was made Keeper of Princetoniana, and he held the position until his death in 1981. The concern for the preservation of Princeton's traditions and memorabilia that Frederic Fox exemplified is carried on by the Princetoniana Committee, a group comprised of alumni and other individuals dedicated to the same mission.

From the guide to the Keeper of Princetoniana Records, 1956-1981, (Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections)

Frederic Ewing Fox (1917-1981) was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He worked as a clerk at the Arizona Unemployment Compensation Commission in 1940, and apprenticed at the National Broadcasting Company in Los Angeles from 1941 to 1942. He served as a Congregational Christian Church minister in Ohio from 1948 to 1956. From 1956 to 1961, Fox served as assistant to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1961 he was a teacher in the Africa Writing Center, Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia. From 1962 to 1962, he served as the recording secretary for Princeton University, and was a consultant in Education for the Cleveland Park Congregational Church in Washington, D.C., from 1962 to 1963.

From the description of Fox, Frederic E. (Frederic Ewing), 1917-1981 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10611665

Described by University President William G. Bowen as a "cross between a curator, a ringmaster, and a storyteller," Frederic Ewing Fox was the only man to ever occupy the office of Keeper of Princetoniana at Princeton University. The unique position loosely involved corresponding with students, faculty, and alumni; collecting memorabilia; meeting with potential donors and receiving gifts; and representing the University tradition publicly, among a bevy of other informal duties.

A member of the Class of 1939, Fox served as recording secretary of the University for 17 years and became a well-known figure on campus. In 1976 he was made Keeper of Princetoniana, and he held the position until his death in 1981. The concern for the preservation of Princeton's traditions and memorabilia that Frederic Fox exemplified is carried on by the Princetoniana Committee, a group comprised of alumni and other individuals dedicated to the same mission.

From the description of Keeper of Princetoniana records, 1976-1981. (Peking University Library). WorldCat record id: 74213962