Princeton Club of Chicago

On Monday April 27, almost 250 members of the Princeton community ventured out to City Hall/Recess in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood for the 2026 Annual Dinner, and it was an incredible event with many special elements to celebrate the 150th anniversary of PCC.

We had a lively opening reception, a superstar keynote pairing of leaders from the worlds of the judiciary (Candace Jackson-Akiwumi ’00) and the media (Edward Felsenthal ’88), multiple visitors from Princeton University, alumni representation across many decades (along with Class of 2030 admits and their families), and a LOT of class blazers and beer jackets. A major “thank you” shout-out goes to our 2026 Annual Dinner Co-Chairs John Freeman ’24, Ronnie Raviv ’95, and Haley White ’12. They spent many, many months planning the dinner, and it was outstanding!

Also, congratulations to the winners of PCC’s Distinguished Awards, both of whom were recognized on stage during the Annual Dinner program: Seth Green ’01 S02 (John Fish ’55 Award for Community Service) and Rick Woldenberg ’81 P15 (Arnold Berlin ’46 Award for Service to Princeton). Thank you to our Distinguished Award Co-Chairs, Stephen Ban ’84 S88 P24*25 and Dani Houchin ’90, for their leadership in driving the nomination and selection process for 2026.

The event was a great one, and the PCC Leadership Group is working on many other events to bring our local community together as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.

Heading back to campus for Reunions?
Come hear The Inside Story of How Princeton’s David Slew Goliath on Tariffs: Rick Woldenberg ’81 and His Attorney Pratik Shah ’98 on His Supreme Court Victory.

May 22 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Room 003

Rick Woldenberg '81 P15 will be presented this Monday evening 4/26 at the Annual Dinner with the Arnold M. Berlin '46 Distinguished Service to Princeton Award.

The Inside Story of How Princeton’s David Slew Goliath on Tariffs: Rick Woldenberg ’81 and His Attorney Pratik Shah ’98 on His Supreme Court Victory - Princeton Reunions Sponsored by the Class of 1981

On Wednesday April 8, the Princeton Club of Chicago partnered with the Stanford Club of Chicago to hold an event focused on the future and importance of local media for our neighborhoods and our democracy. The event was spearheaded by Brady Walkinshaw (Princeton '06) and Kendall Turner (Princeton '07, Stanford Law '13), the co-founders of Noisy Creek, a company dedicated to invigorating beloved local publications like the 55-year-old Chicago Reader.

The event featured a panel discussion with Brady Walkinshaw; Carolyn Stein (Stanford '23), Reporter for the Chicago Tribune Media Group; and Sarah Conway, Editor in Chief of the Chicago Reader and 2024 winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. The session was moderated by Reggie Ponder (Princeton ‘84), who is a film critic at WBEZ and other media outlets in addition to being a board member of the Princeton Club of Chicago.

Between the fellowship, interesting panel discussion, and networking across school alumni groups, it was a fantastic evening. Thanks go out to Brady, Kendall, and the Noisy Creek team for their sponsorship of this event.

Don't forget to get tickets for our 2026 Annual Dinner "150 Stripes" by noon this Friday, April 17th!

Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi '00 of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Edward Felsenthal '88, Executive Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of TIME, will be discussing topics in the theme of The Law and The Press: A View from the Front Lines. We will also be honoring two incredible alums with service awards: Rick Woldenberg '81 P15 will be receiving the Arnold M. Berlin '46 Distinguished Service to Princeton Award and Seth Green '01 S02 will receive the John Fish '55 Distinguished Service to the Community Award.

Check out this link for registration details and information on discounted tickets through our Honor Code Assistance program: https://www.princetonclubofchicago.org/article.html?aid=1072

On Saturday, April 11, the ABPA and the PCC hosted a powerful and unforgettable performance of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Goodman Theatre. It was wonderful to share such a powerful performance together! It was especially meaningful to gather with alumni and friends from Dartmouth, Yale, Northwestern, and other schools. The community truly made the evening special, and we all left the Goodman moved and energized!

Looking forward to more opportunities for us to come together in the future!

What an incredible evening at the 21st annual Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR) Chicago Awards Ceremony!

On Monday April 6, we had the privilege of celebrating truly remarkable young leaders who are actively shaping a more just, inclusive, and compassionate world. From powerful student-led initiatives to inspiring stories of advocacy and impact, the evening served as a powerful reminder that the future is in very capable hands.

Congratulations to our 2026 Princeton Prize winner, Tai Nghiem, whose work empowering communities through education, language access, and leadership development is nothing short of extraordinary. We were also proud to recognize Ayanna O’Connor and Kaitlin Duffy as Certificate of Recognition recipients, both of whom are making meaningful change through equity-driven leadership and courageous dialogue.

A special thank you to our keynote speaker, Dr. Sally Nuamah, for delivering such a thoughtful and inspiring address. We’re also deeply grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so special, from Romel Sims’ incredible musical stylings to the leadership and partnership of our Co-Chairs, Reggie and Nathan, along with our host Kirsten Ekdahl Hull, Master of Ceremonies Remy Burton, Dr. Traci Burch, Marquis Parker, and the entire PPRR Chicago Committee.

From the stunning setting at Willis Tower to the powerful conversations throughout the evening, it was truly a celebration of purpose, passion, and progress.

Grateful to everyone who attended and supported. Let’s keep the work going!

On April 7, PCC members and friends got to listen to the fascinating story of Robert Garvey and Dana Hokin K62, the co-founders of Robert's Pizza & Dough Company , which is ranked as the #6 best pizza in the US and #26 in the world.

We heard, among other things, about the challenges of starting a restaurant (especially during COVID), the number of pizzas they make daily (about 1,000 on a busy day!), the many dishes they make with their special dough recipe (baguette, French toast, apple pie, and even dumplings), and how they retain a team of dedicated staff members.

While listening to their talk, we had delicious food from Robert’s Pizza (of course)!

On March 8, 2026, Princeton alumnae gathered at the Drake Hotel to share afternoon tea in celebration of three special occasions: Our Princeton Alumni Association's 200th Anniversary, the Princeton Club of Chicago's 150th Anniversary, and International Women's Day!

Did you see the recent PAW article about Rick Woldenberg’s SCOTUS case against tariffs? Check it out here: https://paw.princeton.edu/article/scotus-sides-toymaker-rick-woldenberg-81s-case-against-tariffs

Rick is this year’s recipient for the Arnold Berlin Award for Service to Princeton and will be honored at our Annual Dinner on April 27th! Buy your early bird tickets today before prices rise on our site: https://www.princetonclubofchicago.org/article.html?aid=1072

Come celebrate our 150th year at the 2026 Annual Dinner, 150 Stripes, on Monday, April 27th. Early bird tickets are available until March 13th here: https://www.princetonclubofchicago.org/article.html?aid=1072

This year's Annual Dinner will feature a special conversation between two distinguished alumni at the helm of vital American institutions: Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi '00 of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Edward Felsenthal '88, Executive Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of TIME. We will also be honoring two incredible alums with service awards: Rick Woldenberg '81 P15 will be receiving the Arnold M. Berlin '46 Distinguished Service to Princeton Award and Seth Green '01 S02 will receive the John Fish '55 Distinguished Service to the Community Award.

On Thursday February 26, Dean Rodney Priestley, Dean of the @ PrincetonGradSchool and Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, visited Chicago to host a dinner to celebrate 125 years of transformational impact of the Princeton Graduate School.

For 125 years, Princeton’s Graduate School has fostered a community of scholars whose ideas and leadership have shaped the world. This anniversary is a chance to honor that legacy and celebrate connections among the grad alumni community. Dean Priestley and his team have been commemorating this milestone on campus for a while now, but events like this Thursday's dinner are meant to bring that same energy to alums in cities across the country.

Pictured in the second photo with Dean Priestley are two of the Princeton Club of Chicago's board members and local APGA leaders, Udai Gupta *75 *78 and John Balfe *90. Many thanks go out to both of them for their many years of work to drive engagement among Princeton's graduate alumni in Chicago.

On Saturday February 28, Princeton alums and their families gathered at Imperial Restaurant, in Chicago's Chinatown, for a tasty dim sum brunch in celebration of the Year of the Fire Horse 2026.

Thanks to A4P and PCC for co-hosting!