Hear the Intern (PP635)

John Witherspoon, a prominent minister from Scotland, immigrated to the United States in 1768 in order to become Princeton University’s sixth president and head professor. Finding the small college in dire straits, he instituted fiscal, educational, and structural reforms that pushed the college to the forefront of advanced education. Witherspoon also played a significant role in the early formation of the nation: he signed the Declaration of Independence and educated many of the nation’s early leaders. When Princeton served as the nation’s capital after the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia, Witherspoon made Nassau Hall available for their meetings. John Adams proclaimed him to be “as high a Son of Liberty as any Man in America.”

Much later, in 2001, his lasting contributions were commemorated by the Scottish sculptor Alexander Stoddart through twin monuments located in Princeton and in Paisley, Scotland, where Witherspoon had preached prior to coming to America. Stoddart, a neoclassicist and Her Majesty’s Sculptor in Ordinary in Scotland, depicts the Princeton president in a realistic style, using everyday objects to convey Witherspoon’s character and contributions. A Bible and his gesture indicate dedication to ministry; the lectern and stack of philosophy books represent his role as professor; and the eagle shows his commitment to American liberty.