cap and gown club, founded in 1890, is an eating club at princeton university, in princeton, new jersey, united states. colloquially known as "cap", the club is one of the "big four" eating clubs at princeton (the others are the ivy club, university cottage club, and tiger inn). members are selected through a selective process called bicker. sometimes known as "the illustrious cap and gown club," it was the first of the currently selective eating clubs to accept women. though personalities of eating clubs certainly change throughout the years, cap and gown is described in f. scott fitzgerald's this side of paradise as "anti-alcoholic, faintly religious and politically powerful."