"In the nation's service and in the service of humanity"

This informal motto of Princeton University has guided the mission of its students, alumni, faculty and staff since first proposed by then-University President Woodrow Wilson in 1896 and updated in 1986. In 2016, Princeton’s informal motto was revised to “In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity,” bridging phrases from Woodrow Wilson and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Class of 1976.

When President Christopher L. Eisgruber asked all members of the incoming Class of 2017 to read Anthony Appiah’s “The Honor Code,” his intent was for them to think about what it means to live a successful human life, “living a life that makes you happy, and living a life that is of service to others.” From day one on campus, this principle is central to the Princeton experience, and one that begins right here in New Jersey.