Dr. Joseph Schein ’37, Princeton’s then-oldest alum, passed away on May 24 at 109 years old.
Schein received a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages & Literature. He was active in the French department, winning the Alden prize for his expertise in the language and writing a thesis on Charles Baudelaire that received honors. Outside of the classroom, Schein was a fencer and was involved in pre-medical society and Jewish life on campus.
As a student, Schein maintained close relationships with many faculty members, including Albert Einstein.
“As an undergraduate, he had the privilege of mentorship relationships with a number of senior faculty, including Christian Gauss, Lynn Townsend White, Abraham Flexner, and Albert Einstein, that persisted after his graduation. Those relationships were the beginning of a lifelong love of language, linguistics, history and science,” wrote Schein’s son Oliver Schein ’76 to The Daily Princetonian.
Schein is also survived by his other son Roland Schein ’74.
When Schein arrived at Princeton in 1933, he was one of only 11 Jewish undergraduate students.
“Our father thought there was no place in the world that could match Princeton. Although one might assume it would be a challenge to be one of the few Jewish students at Princeton at the time and the son of recent immigrants from Eastern Europe, his experiences and memories were uniquely positive,” Oliver Schein wrote.
Joseph Schein became involved in the Jewish community through the Dean of the College, Christian Gauss. Schein helped organize a service for Jewish students during a time when Princeton students were mandated to attend non-denominational Christian services in the campus Chapel. He even invited Einstein to join a few.
“Dr. Schein was Jewish at Princeton at a time when there was no infrastructure within the University to support Jewish life,” Julie Levey ’24, former student president of the Center for Jewish Life, wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “He was the first Tiger to formally establish Jewish community at Princeton, and in the decades since his graduation, the Jewish chapel services he led have blossomed into the vibrant, diverse, and beautiful community I consider myself so lucky to have been a part of during my time as an undergraduate.”
Abby Klionsky ’14, who wrote her senior thesis on Jewish life at Princeton, had the opportunity to speak with Schein about his experiences as a Jewish student, staying in touch with him during the final decade of his life.
“I was consistently surprised by just how engaged Joe was with our conversations and how engaged he was with my life. For 10 years, he remembered what was happening in my life. Every time we spoke, he would reference things from other conversations,” Klionsky told the ‘Prince.’
After his time at Princeton, Schein journeyed to the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, which he graduated from in 1941. He then spent more than 70 years as a pathologist and psychiatrist in New York.
During his time at medical school, Schein met his future wife, Selma Snyderman, when she offered to tutor him in chemistry. The couple married in 1939, and Snyderman passed away in 2012.
Schein found himself drawn back to Princeton later in his life, becoming a prominent face at reunions in his 100s.
According to Jennifer Caputo, Deputy Vice President for Alumni Engagement, Schein received the Class of 1923 Cane eight times, which is given to the oldest returning undergraduate alumnus at Reunions. Since 2016, he also routinely led the Old Guard during the P-Rade.
“Joe Schein ’37 will be remembered in the hearts of generations of Tigers as a shining example of the spirit of Princeton. He had a lifelong love for learning and for his alma mater, and he was beloved in return by all,” Caputo wrote to the ‘Prince.’
“Joe was an inspiration, and his legacy will continue to bring joy long beyond his lifetime,” she continued.
Klionsky recalled fond memories of Schein at Reunions, saying that he was a “celebrity” and that “everyone knew who he was.” She recalled reuniting Henry Morgenthau ’39 and listening to two men who hadn’t seen each other in decades catch up about their careers and their “hearing aids.”
According to family and friends, Schein was also an active intellectual until the end of his life.
“Although I doubt he ever took a course in physics or astronomy, he followed developments in those fields from a lay perspective well into his 100s! He was engaged and intellectually curious until his final months,” Oliver Schein wrote.
According to Klionksy, Schein began learning Russian well into his 100s.
“He was deeply intellectual, very well read and curious about the world around him,” Klionsky said. “He loved his career, he was immensely proud of his grandchildren. He was, especially in his later years, really proud of Princeton and being a part of that.”
Schein’s legacy as a pioneer for Jewish life on campus will also be fondly remembered.
“I will always remember hearing his funniest memories of Old Nassau, as well as discussing the similarities and differences between how we each experienced being Jewish at Princeton,” Levey wrote to the ‘Prince.’
“At the P-Rade this past May, I was emotional because Dr. Schein was no longer leading the way. Yet, as I walked toward the Center for Jewish Life later that afternoon, I recognized that his impact on Princeton, and specifically, his contributions to Jewish life at the University, would long outlive him and would be his legacy,” Levey wrote.
Joseph Schein is survived by his two sons, his two daughters-in-law, Dr. Andrea Schein and Nadine Fontan, and his five granddaughters, Hilary, Isabelle, Jennifer, Mara, and Yvette.
Isabella Dail is a staff News writer and head editor for The Prospect for the ‘Prince.’
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