“Peking was the scene of the birth of the Chinese Quinquennial of the Class, during the winter of 1910.” “Yung Gwei, Chinese secretary in the Princeton in Peking [a YMCA institute run by PU alumni] went hunting bargains in costumes. To Yung Gwei, who labored for days devoting most of his time to collecting the unusual and valuable lot of costumes that adorned 1906 at the Fifth Reunion, the Class is indebted for their entire success.”

“This is the way things were bargained for in costuming the Fifth Reunion. It was an effort to have represented at Princeton all of the most usual figures that make up the ever-changing kaleidoscope of a Peking street scene. The two most striking spectacles in the dusty streets of the Celestial capital are funerals and weddings. A funeral, gorgeous and Imperial, was decided on for the Eli Bulldog as the central motif. Costumes were bought accordingly.”

“There are high officials in your Peking street throng, . . .farmers in broad straw bonnets, Manchu ladies in lofty, sail like head-dresses, peddlers clanging their wares, priests and holy men. The whole variegated list of costumes of the fifteen or more characters of the Peking street scene . . . — the motley lot, billed as theatrical property, arrived in Princeton just the night before Commencement started.”

“A big catafalque with dragon-embroidered curtains, the whole surmounted by Gee Graham, affectionately stroking a stuffed Chinese tiger, covered the shade of the Bulldog. Buddhist and Taoist priests chanted their prayers for the repose of the Bulldog soul in the after world — if such repose is possible. The Dalai Lama did likewise. Dragon flags fluttered, Chinese music played, and the Sacred Dragon kite floated over all.”

“At the head of the procession were the Class officials in court dress, bearing messages of good will from the Chinese Empire to Princeton and America.”

“A Manchu lady, a Chinese lady, [and] old time scholars were in line. Finally came a bunch of [laundrymen] . . . . Over a wash-tub . . . . presided Jack Munn and Sandy Etherington, calmly wringing out the “blue” and big Yale “Y’s” from Yale sweaters at one side of the tub, while pulling the same jersey transformed into a beautiful orange and black P sweater out of the other side.”

[HISTORICAL NOTE — Ironically, the reunion’s highly original Chinese Empire theme became a casualty of history a scant four months later, when the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty government in October 1911. The real Imperial Highness impersonated above by the ‘06 Class Boy was none other than five-year-old Puyi, known to history (and the movies) as “The Last Emperor”. His abdication in February 1912 formally ended the empire.

As for the Class of 1906, they stuck closer to home with their next major reunion theme, donning Uncle Sam suits for their 10th in 1916.

The authentic attire imported for ‘06’s Chinese Quinquennial is almost certainly the most elaborate P-rade ensemble ever assembled. The 15 distinct types of “characters” portrayed then by ’06 classmates far outstripped in variety even the 4 different styles of priestly robes that 1899 had created two years earlier for their 10th. — Tim Tulenko ’67]