About Public Lectures

For over a century, Princeton University has presented public lectures featuring intellectuals, academics, artists, and writers. There are five grants that support these lecture series: Spencer Trask, Stafford Little, Louis Clark Vanuxem, J. Edward Farnum, and Walter E. Edge.

Spencer Trask 

The Spencer Trask Lecture Series was founded in 1891 with a gift of $10,000 from Spencer Trask of the Class of 1866 for the purpose of supporting public lectures at the University on subjects of current philosophical, artistic, or scientific interest. Previous Spencer Trask Lecturers include T. S. Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Margaret Mead and Salman Rushdie.

View Series


Stafford Little 

The Stafford Little Lecture Series was founded in 1899 with a gift of $10,000 from Stafford Little of the Class of 1844 for the purpose of supporting public lectures at the University to be given by former President Grover Cleveland. Following President Cleveland’s death in 1908, funding has been used to bring other eminent public intellectuals to the Princeton campus, including Albert Einstein, Thurgood Marshall, Jill Lepore and Anita Hill, to name a few.

View Series


Louis Clark Vanuxem

The Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture Series was founded in 1912 with a bequest of $25,000 under the will of Louis Clark Vanuxem of the Class of 1879 for the purpose of supporting public lectures at the University on subjects of current scientific interest. Previous lecturers in this series include Alfred N. Whitehead, Edwin P. Hubble, Robert Oppenheimer, Freeman Dyson, Elaine Oran, and Marcia Angell.

View Series


J. Edward Farnum

The J. Edward Farnum Lecture Series was founded in 1939 with a gift from George L. Farnum of the Class of 1894 in memory of his brother J. Edward Farnum of the Class of 1890. Previous J. Edward Farnum Lecturers include Tony Kushner, Edward Albee, Twyla Tharp, J. W. Fulbright, Glen Close and Margaret Atwood.

View Series


Walter E. Edge

The Walter E. Edge Lecture Series was founded in 1957 in memory of Walter E. Edge, Class of 1946, who served twice as Governor of New Jersey and also as United States Senator and Ambassador to France. The lectureship is supported by a bequest from his estate assigned to the University by his family as a means of bringing to Princeton eminent statesman and women from abroad as well as leaders in American public life. Previous Walter E. Edge Lecturers include John Kenneth Galbraith, Amos Oz, Elie Wiesel, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and John Paul Stevens.

View Series

Public Lectures Committee