After decades-long hiatus, student is back for degree

At 48 years old, hair touched with specks of gray, Edward "Tad" Marshall hardly seems to fit the profile of a college student. But Marshall, wearing a Princeton T-shirt and jeans and bemoaning economics readings and problem sets, is not too different from any other student at the University.

Marshall came to Princeton as a freshman in 1973. He has subsequently been a member of the classes of '77, '78, '80, and '06. Unhappy during his first semester at the University, Marshall dropped out and returned in the fall of the following year. Marshall sheepishly admits during his second time around, he "sort of partied too much," resulting in another leave of absence.

After a short stint working in the computer industry, Marshall decided to give Princeton a third try and became a member of the class of '80. After a year and a half, however, he decided to drop out to work with computers. Employed by American Express, Banker's Trust and numerous small computer companies, Marshall moved directly into programming PCs as the technological industry experienced intense growth.

During the past few years, however, Marshall realized he was "getting kind of older" and "the job I had became a job I didn't like anymore." As he began considering his options for the future, Marshall "thought it'd be interesting to do something completely different." In order to accomplish this, he decided he would need to go back to college, and only one place came to mind.

"When I [originally] applied for college, [Princeton] was the only one I applied to. Coming back, this was the only place I considered," Marshall said.

Coming back to Princeton resumes a tradition in Marshall's family. His father, J. Howard Marshall, Jr. '43 and his younger brother Alex Marshall '86 are Princeton graduates. Marshall himself remembers coming with his father to the University to watch Bill Bradley play basketball and later going to see him play for the New York Knicks. He also treasures a picture of himself as a one-year-old sitting on one of the lions outside Nassau Hall.

As a member of the class of '06, Marshall returned to Forbes, the residential college to which he was originally assigned in 1973. Time, however, has not exactly stood still. Thirty years ago Forbes was still known as Princeton Inn College and used to host keg parties on the patio, he said.

A favorite hangout for Marshall and other students in the late 1970s, when New Jersey's drinking age was still 18, was an on-campus pub that served beer. "I got introduced to beer by Princeton," Marshall wryly recalled.

Now, however, Marshall plans to leave most of the partying to his younger counterparts. On a Thursday night earlier this year, he tried to survey the party scene on the Street, but despite his valid student ID he was denied access to Cloister Inn.

With four classes and lots of reading to keep him busy, though, Marshall does not consider the social life among his reasons for returning to Princeton. He plans on majoring in economics and returning to the working world. Marshall is not, however, one to close down any options.

"If I decide that school is just a wonderful thing," he said with a laugh, "I may possibly go and get a master's."