About Us

welcome
mission
location
membership/dues
activities

Welcome

Welcome to Chicago!
The Windy City has a lot to offer – architecture, festivals, restaurants, museums, theatre, shopping, sports, and more. Whether you're new to the city or returning, staying for a year or staying forever, there's a lot out there to enjoy! One of our members has put together a comprehensive list of places to visit as well as dining options – it's a good starting point to which you can add your own favorites! Contact Alumni Services to get a copy of this "Chicago tips" list.

Welcome to the Princeton Club of Chicago!
Chicago is close enough to Princeton to maintain a connection but far enough away that we can't always go to New Jersey when we need a dose of Princeton camaraderie; consequently, we have a very active club! With over 1600 alumni in the Chicago area and a variety of programs, activities and volunteer opportunities, there is a thriving community. We hope you'll join us and participate often! This brochure details some of the offerings of the Club and includes a membership form.

We welcome participants, ideas, suggestions and volunteers. To volunteer for any of the Club's committees, please see the Volunteer Form (PDF).

Mission

The Princeton Club of Chicago exists to build and maintain among local alumni a high level of awareness of and involvement in activities related to Princeton University and its alumni, students, faculty and administration (the "Princeton Family"). Ongoing functions include: finding and encouraging qualified applicants to apply to Princeton and to matriculate if accepted; encouraging broad participation in Annual Giving and the Club Scholarship Fund; encouraging interaction, communication, and networking among the "Princeton Family" at the local level via a wide array of educational, cultural, community service, and Princeton-related entertainment programs; and enhancing local community knowledge of Princeton and of the successes of its "Family."

PCC Bylaws 2006: view in a new window

Location

The Princeton Club of Chicago has no building. Meetings and events are held throughout Chicagoland, often downtown. The Club is volunteer-run but it has hired a local organization, Alumni Services, to handle administrative services. Alumni Services handles mailings, RSVPs for most events, and other administrative tasks for our Club and many of the other Ivy and Seven Sister schools. Call them at 847-256-5800 to receive a membership form, change your address, inquire about the newsletter, or respond to an event posting.

Membership

November 2008

Dear Fellow Alumni, Parents and Friends,

Founded in 1876, the Princeton Club of Chicago is one of the most active and dynamic local alumni associations in the nation. At Reunions 2006, the Alumni Council presented our Club with the Austin P. Leland '28 award for best overall performance for a regional association among regions over 300 members. Our Club also won this award in 2000.

The Club received this recognition because of our strong membership and active participation in Club-organized events and activities. We had a tremendous response to our first membership mailing in August. If you haven't had a chance to renew your membership this year, please take a moment to complete the enclosed membership form and take advantage of the Member rate for upcoming events, including the 118th Triangle Show which returns after three years to Chicago on December 18th and our Annual Dinner on April 22nd featuring Teach for America founder, Wendy Kopp '89.

New to the Chicagoland area or considering joining for the first time?

Our Club is very fortunate to have a dedicated leadership group and broad network of volunteers and alumni to sponsor and support our activities. On an on-going basis, the Club does the following in support of Princeton and our Chicagoland Princeton community:

Supports the University by annually interviewing close to 600 applicants to Princeton, by encouraging broad participation in Annual Giving and the Club Scholarship Fund, by awarding the Princeton Prize in Race Relations to a local high school student, and by conferring its annual Arnold M. Berlin '46 Award for Distinguished Service to Princeton.
Embodies Princeton's spirit of service through its adopted school program Princeton in Chicago Schools (PICS), support of and involvement in the non-profit mentoring and internship program known as Princeton Project 55, participation in community service events, and presentation of its annual Award for Distinguished Service to the Community.
Supports continuing education by bringing Princeton faculty and administrators to the area, organizing talks by alumni and other speakers, and fostering attendance at local educational and cultural events. In May 2008, our Club received the Alumni Council's Committee on Regional Associations Award for Innovation in recognition for our lecture and discussion series of "precepts."
Fosters social and professional interaction among members by organizing the Annual Dinner, Summer Picnic, Young Alumni and 30-Something events, Career Networking, sporting events, and local performances of Triangle.
Builds awareness of programs and services through regular mailings, newsletters, our club web site (www.princetonclubofchicago.org) and e-mails.

Your participation and dues payments make all of this possible. Thank you for your active support. We look forward to seeing you at many Princeton Club events throughout the year.

Kind regards,

Charlene Huang Olson '88

President

Dues Cover Letter
Download here (Word).

Membership Form Download
Download the current membership form (2009-2010) here (PDF).

Current Member List
View the current list of members here.

Questions, please contact our membership chair, Catherine Farmer '03 or our Club President, Charlene Huang Olson '88.

Activities

There are many ways to participate in the Club. Throughout the year the Club sponsors everything from sports outings to career networking, from social gatherings to talks by Princeton professors and alumni. Newsletters and bulletins, as well as the Club web site, provide information on these. When you become a member, you will receive a new member packet detailing Club activities and committees. The packet includes a volunteer form; you can assist with annual giving, schools committee interviews, or planning events, among other activities. There are special interest groups such as Young Alumni, Graduate Alumni, Women's Network, and Parents. One of our most important projects is Princeton in Chicago Schools (PICS), a partnership between the Club and our adopted high school, Roosevelt High School, a public school on the northwest side of the City. Visit our Groups page to learn about all of our groups. Your participation is what keeps this Club vibrant, so please join us!