Book excerpt: The majestic clubhouses lining the west end of Prospect Avenue represent student social life at Princeton as much as ¿gargoyles and spires,¿ in the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald, represent academic life on campus. Dating from 1895 to 1928, the sixteen clubhouses in Classical and Gothic styles embody the aspirations, creativity, and craftsmanship of the era when Princeton became a university ¿in the nation¿s service,¿ and America became a world power. The Princeton Eating Clubs are unique, and the story of their origins and development is captivating. Groups of genial undergraduates started each club as a private entity to share good food and companionship. The camaraderie they enjoyed in their clubhouses led graduates to broaden their friendships and foster the famous ¿Princeton spirit¿ so evident on game days and at reunions. The eating clubs thus emerged as collaborations between undergraduates and alumni. The students enjoy the clubhouses daily, and returning alumni meet students and strengthen their connections to each other and to Princeton. Five clubhouses are now University facilities, but eleven eating clubs continue their century-old tradition of independent service to students and alumni.