Karl A. Langlotz, 1834-1915
Karl A. C. Langlotz was born on 20 Jun 1834 in Saxe-Meininger, Germany. He was the first son to his family after 4 daughters. In 1853 he immigrated to New York from Hamburg, Germany. He could not get a visa from the town he was living in and went to Hamburg to obtain the visa there.
On Jan. 10, 1856 Karl married Emma Rae. They had 4 children; Karl, Clifton, Rae & Emma. In 1857, Karl was hired by Princeton University as a German Instructor. He went on to be the church organist, directed a choral group, as well as his position on the faculty of the College. He had studied music under Franz Liszt in Weimer and once played the violin in an orchestra conducted by Richard Wagner. He lived at 160 Mercer Street.
He is best remembered for composing the music of the Princeton anthem, Old Nassau, in 1859. The words were written in 1859 by a freshman, Harlan Page Peck (Class of 1862), and published in the March issue of the Nassau Literary Magazine. When an effort to sing it to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" proved unsuccessful, Karl Langlotz was persuaded to write music for it. Karl wrote the music to "Old Nassau" on the front porch of 160 Mercer St., Princeton, NJ where there is a marker there commemorating the event. The piano he used in now in Prospect House on the campus. A few doors down also on Mercer Street was the Princeton home of Albert Einstein; there is no similar plaque at that address indicating his many contributions to the world.
His monument was erected by the Princeton University Class of 1901, on September 20, 1947, “in praise of Old Nassau.”
Around 1868 Karl's first wife Emma dies. In 1868 Karl employment was terminated by Princeton University and enters Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1871 he graduated from Seminary and then married his second wife Virginia I. Dunn in 1872. Karl and Virginia had one daughter, also named Virginia. Virginia, his wife, died on October 2, 1902.
According to the NY Times of June 4th, 1903, he was badly injured when trying to cross the street between a hearse and the carriages containing mourners. He stopped and fell before the horses. They reared and in coming down struck him in the side. He managed to roll from under the horse's feet. He was taken home in a police ambulance with a buried side where the horses struck him. Karl died on November 25, 1915. His obituary in The New York Times of November 28, 1915 stated that he was buried in the Princeton Cemetery next to his second wife and children.
All the Princeton students in town over Thanksgiving and members of the facility were present, placed a banner inscribed with the words "Old Nassau" and sang the last two stanzas of the song while the body was lowered into the grave.
Great Great Grandaughter