South Terrace of Prospect House Named for Veblen

Remarkable news! The South Terrace of the recently renovated Prospect House at Princeton University has been named in honor of Oswald Veblen. The Terrace is one of twelve spaces within the renowned house that have been named after "a range of individuals who “persevered and excelled” in the face of adversity." 

As stewards of Herrontown Woods, Veblen House and Cottage--all donated by Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen for Princeton's first nature preserve--we feel tremendous pride at hearing of this honoring of Veblen by the University. 

The news release describes Veblen as

"an internationally recognized mathematician who taught at Princeton for 27 years starting in 1905. He played a central role in building Princeton mathematics into a world-renowned department and was instrumental in establishing the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), where he also served on the faculty. Veblen made important contributions to differential geometry and the early development of topology, which found applications in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He was also known for his humanitarian work during the rise of Nazism in Germany, helping bring Albert Einstein and other top scholars fleeing Hitler’s regime to U.S. academic institutions, including IAS and Princeton."

Veblen's legacy goes beyond what could be packed into the limited space available in a news release. As it happens, another space within Prospect House has been named in honor of Alan Turing, "considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence." Turing's association with Princeton has much to do with Veblen. It was in fact learning of Veblen's profound influence on early computer development, at a 2012 centennial celebration of Turing, that inspired me to continue efforts to save Veblen House. 

Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen left behind a remarkable environmental legacy as well. They founded the open space movement in Princeton, donating Mercer County's first nature preserve in 1957. They acquired their land in the 1930s and '40s, while Oswald was busy convincing the Institute for Advanced Study to acquire 600 acres of land that later became the Institute Woods. 

The news release mentioned Professor of History Beth Lew-Williams, then-chair of the CPUC Committee on Naming, who wrote in the recommendation to the trustees. “When faced with adversity, these Princetonians persevered and excelled in ways that can serve as a model for future generations. We wish to honor these remarkable individuals, whose tenacity helped to shape the University and the world.”

Interestingly, Oswald Veblen did not have a middle name. If he had, it would certainly have been Tenacity.