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In the early 1800s, the College of New Jersey was experiencing declining enrollment and finances as more northern colleges surged in popularity. President James Carnahan '1800 considered closing the college, but Professor John Maclean '1816 suggested drawing on the loyalty and affection of alumni for help by creating an association dedicated to engagement and interest in the wellbeing of their alma mater. The trustees agreed, named Maclean college vice president and presented the plan to alumni at Commencement, Sept. 27, 1826. The alumni voted unanimously for the Alumni Association of Nassau Hall with James Madison '1771 *1772 as president and Maclean as secretary. In the 1830s, a letter was sent to alumni asking for help to "elevate" the College "to a level with the first colleges in the nation." Alumni responded with funds for additional faculty and buildings - East College in 1833 and West in 1836 - alleviating overcrowding in Nassau Hall. In 1904, the trustees established a separate Committee of Fifty specifically for fundraising (initially for 50 new preceptors), and in 1909, the trustees transformed the committee into the Graduate Council with an expanded mandate to include areas of alumni engagement, superseding the Alumni Association of Nassau Hall. In 1919, the Graduate Council was consolidated with all the associations and clubs and became the governing body of the new National Alumni Association. Fundraising was eliminated as its charge in 1940, and the Graduate Council became the Alumni Council in 1957. In 1969, the National Alumni Association became the Alumni Association, reflecting the global alumni community. A Feb. 23, 1926 New York Times article, "Princeton Alumni Attend Centennial," reported that Madison's portrait was unveiled in Nassau Hall during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Alumni Association, which was "the best attended alumni weekend in Princeton history" with "more than 1,000 returning Princetonians." Today that portrait is displayed in historic Maclean House, the home of the Alumni Association, a fitting tribute to both Maclean and Madison.
