The beauty of the Princeton campus is legendary, thanks in part to the many walkways, benches, and sculptures that dot the carefully tended landscape. Many of these distinctive elements were made possible by the generosity of thoughtful donors who wanted to make a mark on the campus they love.

One of the most visible gifts to the campus, the sculpture in Prospect Garden, once again spouts water playfully following a recent refurbishment. Centaur with Pipes by Dimitri Hadzi is the gift of Brian P. Leeb, Class of 1918, who served on the University’s Board of Trustees for 17 years—missing only one of 69 meetings when his doctors would not release him from the hospital—and who gave the fountain in honor of President Robert F. Goheen ’40 *48 and his wife.

There are many examples of gifts from alumni that have also contributed to Princeton’s beauty, including the Class of 1976 Triangle, given in celebration of its 25th Reunion. It dresses up the crossroads behind Prospect Garden and includes a granite bench. A bronze tricorn hat on the bench, commissioned by Tina A. Ravitz ’76, does double duty as a reference to the class’s Spirit of ’76 Revolution-themed Reunion costume and as a memorial to classmates who have passed on.

“The triangle is a place to contemplate where we are, where we have been, and where we are going—as we pass through the campus, pass from our education to life’s experiences, pass learning from one generation to the next, and, ultimately, as we pass along [from this life],” Ravitz said. Classmates gather at the triangle on the Saturday of Reunions to pay tribute to deceased classmates, she added.

The Class of 1969 Meditation Garden, also a 25th Reunion gift, rescued what had been an outdoor storage space for Theatre Intime. The class anchored the space with a black and orange sculpture that synthesizes their undergraduate moment, with a Chinese Yin and Yang symbol on top (reminiscent of an interlocking “6” and a “9”) and lyrics from “Woodstock” etched on the sides. “It has become—as the class had hoped, but could not actually foresee—a favorite spot for taking a time-out from the increasingly hectic pace of campus life to reflect on just how fortunate we all are to share a bond through this unique place called Princeton,” said J. William Charrier ’69, who helped shepherd the project. Now, at Reunions, he added, classmates gather with students and alumni associated with Theatre Intime, and a further bond has been forged.

Generational bonds are celebrated on campus as well. An ancient beech that once stood near Little Hall held a privileged place in the family lore of James E. Crawford III ’68. As an undergraduate, Crawford passed it daily, and he courted his wife, Alicia, under it. When the tree grew too old and was felled, the former national chair of Annual Giving talked of replacing it. Then James IV ’03 arrived on campus and decided, with his sister and mother, to take action. Designs for the James E. Crawford ’68 Terrace near McCosh Walk—a terraced plaza with seating, plus the planting of a new tree near Blair Hall—were a surprise gift to the senior Crawford under the family Christmas tree.

“The new tree is still tiny compared to the beech tree Dad knew in the 1960s,” said Lacy C. Crawford David ’96, “but it is growing fast, and it is now well high enough to give shade to another young couple in love.”

January 2009