Caro v. Moses: It's an Ivy League Thing

"It's a Princeton versus Yale thing."

That's Edward Tenner, the author of Why Things Bite Back, summing up the rivalry between Robert Caro and the master builder.

Mr. Caro graduated Princeton in 1957; Moses finished Yale in 1909.

There is a certain kind of ultra-industrious Princetonian that does everything in a most thorough way and is totally obsessed with doing it right. Then there is the Yalie who loves to spread his feathers and bask in the limelight and Moses was extremely Yalie in that sort of way. I can just see Caro getting dressed up in his coat and tie to beaver this Yalie down to size.

Other Yalies: William F. Buckley Jr.; Cole Porter; George W. Bush; Jennifer Beals.

Other Princetonians: George Kennan; Woodrow Wilson; Samuel Alito; Brooke Shields.

Mr. Tenner has a whole anatomy of the Ivies which you can find via his website. He, by the way, is Princeton '65.