It all started with American Girl dolls.

Izzy Kasdin, the new executive director of the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP), credits the awakening of her passion for history to the popular dolls that came with detailed, historically accurate background stories. While American Girl has since shifted its focus to a more contemporary model, Ms. Kasdin, whose appointment was announced this month, remains devoted to history — specifically of Princeton, the town in which she was raised.  more