From candlelit dinner tables adorned with black and gold streamers to a live jazz band accompanying lively dancing, Forbes College was transformed into a 1920s-style inn to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The Gatsby-themed celebration, held on Thursday, March 20, commemorated the historic Princeton Inn, which opened in 1924 and was renovated into Forbes College in 1984.
“What we wanted to do was celebrate 100 years since this building was opened,” Maria Garlock, Head of Forbes College and professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian. According to Garlock, the celebration intended to “bring all of the Forbes community together and celebrate those 100 years.”
Alongside a special dinner menu, attendees enjoyed a speakeasy, photo booths, and costumes. Diners remarked on the decorations and atmosphere of the celebration, which was accompanied by The Sweet Tooth Jazz Band, a New York City-based jazz band. Planning for the event started in Fall 2024 and was coordinated by college staff and Campus Dining.
The celebration was inspired by The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Class of 1917, in April 1925.
“I love this theme,” Inci Anali GS told the ‘Prince.’ “I just came to Forbes because of the menu, and then I walked in, and it was decorated so nicely. There’s also nice outfits that we can put on, which is really fun.”
“I think it was a very happy vibe — I’ve heard people really enjoying themselves,” Garlock said. “I saw students dancing to the 1920s jazz music, enjoying taking photographs with costumes on, and enjoying the food and the ambiance.”
The event, which ran from 5–8 p.m., temporarily ran out of food halfway through, leaving staffers scrambling to accommodate the volume of students who attended.
“I think [the food] was so good that there was very little left towards the end, but it was good, and I really liked the desserts that they had set up,” Helîn Taskesen ’28 told the ‘Prince.’ “Everything was really nice and on theme — it was very aesthetic and fun.”
“The desserts were gorgeous and it was very consistent,” Via Outkin ’28 agreed. “They were mostly run out when I was getting food, but then they restocked.”
The Forbes College building has undergone a number of renovations throughout its century-long history. Originally a hotel overlooking the Springdale Golf Course, the Princeton Inn hosted many symposia for politicians and University scholars, including those from the Institute of Advanced Studies. In 1970, the University acquired the hotel to create an undergraduate college, and in 1984, a $3 million gift from Malcolm S. Forbes, Sr. ’41 — then-publisher of Forbes magazine — enabled substantial renovations to the building.
Most recently, new dorm rooms and suites were constructed and upgraded, and the lobby, dining room, servery, and offices were renovated over an 11-week period in the summer of 2024. According to University spokesperson Ahmad Rizvi, Forbes will be renovated once more in the summer of 2027, during which Forbes staff and students will relocate to Hobson College, which is planned to open around the same time.
“I think renovation is good — the old buildings need to change,” Outkin said. “But all the history should be remembered.”
Sena Chang is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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