‘A connection that transcends decades’: Intergenerational bonds at The Princeton Nassoons 85th Reunion

Many students think of college as just four years of our lives. But for The Princeton Nassoons, the friends, community, and songs that characterize the group span more than eight decades. At 9 a.m. on April 11 in the Nassau Presbyterian Church, more than 200 past and present members of the Nassoons and their families filed into the pews. It was the a cappella group’s 85th reunion, and alumni of all generations came to Princeton to celebrate.

The itinerary of the day was extensive, with events from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. The current undergraduate Nassoons opened the event, followed by alumni performances by decade. The Old Guard — or pre-1960 classes — began, and were followed by the most recent classes, starting with the Class of 2020. The performances were interspersed with alumni speeches, before all of the Nassoons present sang together in closing. The day ended with a tribute to alumni who had passed away between the last reunion and this year’s, followed by the 1905 Nassoons class song, which honors those who have passed while appreciating those gathered.

Nassoons reunions are typically held every five years, although the 80th reunion was cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Alumni dinners, events, reunions, and the Tie Ceremony — where graduating seniors receive their Nassoon tie — are organized by the Princeton Nassoons Alumni Association (PNAA). The previous reunion’s cancellation heightened alumni passion and pride as everyone returned to campus.

“They’re my best friends. They’re the center of my social life,” said Doug Roberts ’97. 

The Nassoons function not only as a social group for current members and alumni, but also as an extended family that is many alumni’s primary touchpoint with the University post-graduation, according to Jason White ’96.

“Half of our family vacations are just to hang with Nassoons … our kids are all friends, our spouses are all friends,” Roberts continued. “It goes far beyond the music … it’s lifelong. We’ve all been at each other’s weddings, we’ve gone to funerals for parents. This is my community.”

This connection is rare for male groups, noted Chuck Goldberg ’71. “These people are among the most sentimental and emotionally available males I’ve ever met in my life … not many men hug each other constantly, and that’s what happens here. It’s exceedingly liberating to be with this group of men.”

The Nassoons connection persists across generations. Members of every Nassoons class spend weeks learning the entirety of their vast repertoire — which is continuously expanding, thanks to student arrangers adding new songs every year — in order to perform together at reunions,  truly celebrating the durability of the Nassoons tradition. 

“You actually get to see it on stage — people from different classes and decades singing together,” said Jake Miller ’28. “You bond with someone who graduated 30 years ago, because you sing the same part … it’s a connection that transcends decades.”

Despite continuities across the decades, a lot has changed within the Nassoons. The group began as an alternative to the Princeton University Glee Club in 1939 before disbanding during WWII. Its official establishment in 1941 formalized the group as an independent organization. 

At its founding, the group’s repertoire centered on classic songs from the Great American Songbook, jazz standards, and classic quartet arrangements. In the 1960s and ’70s, the group began to expand into classic rock and pop. 

Today, the Nassoons perform songs across all genres, styles, and cultures. “As the world has evolved … there have been corresponding changes in the group,” said Sanjeev Ramabhadran ’96. “The repertoire was enhanced by wherever people came from.” 

Ramabhadran recounted a moment where his Indian heritage was not only accepted but embraced by the group, when the group arranged a song that featured a traditional Indian poem. 

Traditions such as “island thumping,” where new singers would be tapped by others when they made a mistake, are reminiscent of a stronger hierarchical order that used to exist within the group. Now, all members gently do it to themselves to denote the mistake without being called out by those “above them.” “That dynamic became less rigid, in a good way,” according to Ramabhadran. 

Some traditions that are thought of as “longstanding were actually just introduced by people who wanted to add something new,” said Miguel Palacios ’28. One that still stands is the “Nassoon whistle,” originally created by White. It was modeled after a bird call in a documentary he saw, and now is a specific pattern of notes that allows Nassoons to hear and recognize each other from long distances.

These reunions are the strongest manifestation of these many long traditions, and to Goldberg, “We cherish these moments. They’re sacred to us. They’re almost sacramental.”

This intergenerational closeness, unusual for many other student extracurricular groups, often comes as a surprise to new members. “At first I thought, ‘Have I joined a cult?’” said Ramabhadran. But by the end of his time with the group, he was “very attached.” That connection “creeps up on you,” he observed, beginning even with the first-year–alumni dinners that mark the beginning of every Nassoon’s journey.

Palacios shared this sentiment as a current member, saying, “[The Nassoons] don’t end after four years … this is going to be part of our lives for the rest of our lives.”

The group clearly has lasting impacts on every member, furthered by the recurring reunions. “Of everything I did, this group left the deepest imprint on me … [that imprint has] resonated through until now,” said Goldberg.

And for many older members, reunions make them all the more grateful for those who are still able to attend, especially through the aforementioned ‘1905 Song’ that commemorates alumni who have passed. Goldberg quoted the song, singing “Some men have gone, our hearts are touched with pain. This makes us cherish all the more the friends who still remain.”

To Goldberg, reunions can help alumni feel young again. “Seeing people toward the end of life still here, it’s incredible … We can still get on stage and perform like we did as teenagers — that’s thrilling.”

“People think about alumni networks as jobs or internships, but for us, it’s something much more genuine,” said Miller. For Nassoons of all generations and their families who have entered this close, timeless kinship, it is a bond that lasts a lifetime.

Devon Williams is a Prospect contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Menlo Park, Calif., and she often covers student life, arts, and culture. She can be reached at dw9268[at]princeton.edu.

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