BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees makes all major decisions at Princeton, including whether or not the university should divest from fossil fuels. There are currently 37 trustees including the President of the University and the Governor of New Jersey who are Ex officio (the people in those 2 roles are automatically trustees). Although they wield a great deal of power, there is minimal information about each trustee on the university website. (To learn more about how the Board is structured click here.) The Board meets five times a year but does not announce the specific dates.
New Trustee Announcements
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
3/29/2023 Who governs Princeton? The Board of Trustees, examined. The Daily Princetonian
4/21/2023 Make the Board of Trustees transparent The Daily Princeton
The Numbers
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36 trustees are alumni
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22 are charter or term trustees who are appointed by the other trustees
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16 trustees are currently serving their second term - of those all were previously term or charter trustees except one who was a YAT
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9 are alumni trustees elected by alumni after being chosen by the University's Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees
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10 trustees are parents of Princeton students or recent Princeton graduates
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6 trustees are known major donors; there may be others
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6 trustees have known conflicts of interest; there may be others
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4 trustees are Young Alumni Trustees chosen by juniors, seniors and the 2 most recent graduating classes via a process that does not allow them to speak freely
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2 trustees are also on the Board of PRINCO (and another is the former Chair)
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1 former trustee is/has been on the board of organizations which actively promote climate denial and disinformation
To see a profile and links for each trustee, click on their image. Information is from public sources and may be incomplete. For example, many large donations are made to the university anonymously. We welcome corrections and new information. Photos from the Princeton University website.
Recent Past Trustees
Trustee emerita
Kathryn Hall '80
Chair of the Board 2011-2019
Trustee 2006- 2019
Trustee 2001-2005
PRINCO Chair 2008 - 2011
PRINCO Board 1998 - 2011
Power Map of Princeton's Board of Trustees
Power mapping is a visual tool to conceptualize the sphere of a person or group's influence. LittleSis is a free database bringing transparency to influential social networks by tracking the key relationships between powerful individuals and their affiliated institutions. The power map of the Board of Trustees is based on information publicly available to date. Corrections and additions are welcome: ffdivestprinceton@gmail.com
Speak Freely: Restoring Democracy in Young Alumni Trustee Elections
We are calling on Princeton University to reform the election process for Young Alumni Trustees (YAT) in their election to the highest decision-making body at the University. As the Daily Princetonian Editorial Board recently pointed out, students have the right to hear from and about the candidates they are voting for, as in any other election.
The Office of Alumni Engagement should provide:
- Materials that will inform the electorate of what the YAT position entails.
- Up to 400-word uncensored statements in which primary candidates describe themselves, their reasons for running, and their opinions on University issues.
- A virtual town hall to give the electorate an opportunity to meet candidates and ask questions.
Such reforms will benefit Princeton and increase young Princetonians’ engagement with the University. In the absence of these reforms, we pledge to boycott the Young Alumni Trustee election.Democracy does not work when candidates are not able to speak freely.
Op Ed March 2023 The Young Alumni Trustee election process is a disgrace
Op-Ed March 2021 Why I will not vote in the Young Alumni Trustee election