1895 “Wins” the Yale Baseball Game in 1900

Before the Yale Game in 1900 — View from Bleachers Looking Southeast Towards Field House and Prospect Street

After marching in the 1900 P-rade, the Fifth Reunion Class of 1895 strolled off to join the crowd gathering to watch the annual baseball game against Yale. Their Quinquennial Reunion book set the scene this way:

“Down at the ‘Varsity Grounds there were nine classes with bands, sprawled out on the green beyond center field—where there was room for long-legged people to stretch themselves and where you may see your friends and give freer vent to your enthusiasm.”

Then as the game wound down to a ninth-inning crunch, here’s how ’95 “gave vent”:

And here’s the music that ’95 used to instigate all the cacophony. It was their brand-new Class Song, composed for the Quinquennial by the irrepressible L. F. “Pop” Pease ’95:

1895's 5th Reunion Song — The Ninety-Five March

"Oh, the people all stare and loudly declare we must be the best by far,

So we sing them this song while marching along to tell them just who we are.

So listen and know: We are the whole show and mean to be in the game,

And we're coming to town to do things up brown,

So listen and hear our name: Ninety-five—Ninety five!

We're the greatest class alive

Give a cheer loud and clear

We're the class of Ninety-five—Ninety-five!"

Source: Princeton University, The Class of 1895, Record of the Class of ’95 of Princeton University 1895-1900. Edited by the Secretary, Andrew Clark Imbrie, Number Three, New York, Cook & Fry, 1900. Courtesy HathiTrust.