Princeton Suit May Hinge on Judge’s Interpretation of Founding Document

The lawsuit against Princeton University involving money donated by Charles and Marie Robertson may hinge

on Judge Neil H. Shuster’s interpretation of the certificate of incorporation that established the Robertson Foundation in 1961.

The certificate states that the foundation will establish a graduate school at Princeton with an objective “to strengthen the government of the United States and increase its ability and determination to defend and extend freedom throughout the world by improving the facilities for the training of men and women for government service.”

Under the terms of the document, Princeton can appoint four of the seven foundation board members, and the family can appoint the remaining three.

That structure was desired by Princeton, which wanted to retain control over academic decisions, and was agreed to by Charles and Marie Robertson, in part because it gave them a greater tax deduction than if they had controlled the board.

Princeton’s lawyers note that the document says students at the school “may prepare” for careers in government service with an emphasis on foreign relations.

Princeton’s lawyers also point to language that allows the university to provide “collateral and auxiliary services” to further the overall mission of the Robertson Foundation.

Federal Jobs

The Robertsons’ heirs, who have sued Princeton to try to win control of what has grown into an $880-million endowment, cite statistics in an attempt to show that Princeton is not serious about preparing students for work in the federal government.

From 1973 through 2006, 244, or 14 percent, of the students who earned a master’s degree in public affairs took their first job with the federal government in international affairs, and another 188, or 11 percent, worked for the U.S. government in other capacities, according to Princeton.

Officials at the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs have said those numbers are in line with percentages at other selective programs focused on international relations.

William Robertson, Charles and Marie Robertson’s son, believes that given the specific mission of the Robertson Foundation, at least half of the school’s students should be going to work for the federal government. “It’s a matter of degree,” Mr. Robertson says.

Princeton officials maintain that the gift was intended to create a quality graduate school that would attract high-caliber students who would eventually go on to play a leadership role in the federal government.

They point to some well-known graduates. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who oversees all U.S. forces in Iraq, received a master’s degree in public affairs and a doctorate from the Wilson school, as did Anthony Lake, a national security adviser under President Bill Clinton.

Princeton officials say they have little control over what jobs students choose after they graduate from the school, and they note that the establishing documents of the Robertson Foundation do not call for a specific percentage of students to take first jobs with the federal government.

The university says it prefers to focus on broader statistics to measure its impact. From 1973 to 2006, according to Princeton, 72.5 percent of students who earned a master’s degree in public affairs went on to work in some form of government (federal, state, or local, or with foreign governments) or for nonprofit organizations.

“The Woodrow Wilson school is not a vocational program, it was never intended to be, and Charles and Marie Robertson understood that,” says Cass Cliatt, a Princeton spokeswoman. “It’s the children who are trying to recast what the mission and intent was.”