Brown University: A Legacy of History and Enduring Traditions
Brown University, a distinguished Ivy League research university, boasts a rich history interwoven with time-honored traditions. From its founding in 1764 to its present-day status as a diverse and international hub of scholarship and research, Brown has evolved while cherishing its unique heritage.
The Genesis of Brown University
Brown University's origin dates to 1761, when three residents of Newport, Rhode Island, drafted a petition to the colony's General Assembly: "That your Petitioners propose to open a literary institution or School for instructing young Gentlemen in the Languages, Mathematics, Geography & History, & such other branches of Knowledge as shall be desired. That for this End… it will be necessary…"
The Philadelphia Association of Baptist Churches offered the impetus for establishing a college in Rhode Island-home of the mother church of their denomination. While the Baptists had established Hopewell Academy in 1756, they remained unrepresented among the colonial colleges. The Congregationalists had Harvard and Yale, the Presbyterians had the College of New Jersey and the Episcopalians had the College of William and Mary and King's College.
In Newport, Manning was introduced to Stiles, who agreed to write the Charter for the college. Stiles's first draft was read to the General Assembly in August 1763 and rejected by Baptist members who worried that their denomination would be underrepresented in the College Board of Fellows.
In September 1764, the inaugural meeting of the Corporation-the college's governing body-was held at Newport. Governor Stephen Hopkins was chosen chancellor, former and future governor Samuel Ward vice chancellor, John Tillinghast treasurer, and Thomas Eyres secretary. The Charter stipulated that the Board of Trustees should be composed of 22 Baptists, five Quakers, five Episcopalians, and four Congregationalists. The college was founded as Rhode Island College, on the site of the First Baptist Church at the corner of Main and Miller Streets in Warren, Rhode Island.
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From Rhode Island College to Brown University: A Name Etched in History
Initially named Rhode Island College, the institution adopted its current name in 1804 following a generous donation from Nicholas Brown Jr. The Brown family played a pivotal role in the university's early development, contributing significantly to its relocation to Providence, the construction of its first building, and the establishment of its endowment. While the Brown family accrued a portion of wealth through the Triangle Trade, they were divided on the issue of slavery. John Brown had unapologetically defended slavery, while Moses Brown and Nicholas Brown Jr. were fervent abolitionists.
A Campus Shaped by Time: Architecture and Landmarks
Brown's main campus comprises 235 buildings and 143 acres in the East Side neighborhood of College Hill. The university's central campus sits on a 15-acre block bounded by Waterman, Prospect, George, and Thayer Streets; newer buildings extend northward, eastward, and southward. Brown's core, historic campus, constructed primarily between 1770 and 1926, is defined by three greens: the Front or Quiet Green, the Main or College Green, and the Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle (historically known as Lincoln Field).
University Hall: The Enduring Heart of Brown
Brown’s first building, for example, the red-bricked University Hall, was built in 1770 and still stands on the College Green. Built in 1770, University Hall has the distinction of being not only the first and oldest building on campus but also potentially the most haunted. During the Revolutionary War, it was converted into an army hospital to treat wounded soldiers. During the subsequent American Revolutionary War, Brown's University Hall was used to house French and other revolutionary troops led by General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau during the wait to commence the celebrated march of 1781 that led to the Siege of Yorktown and the Battle of the Chesapeake.
The Van Wickle Gates: A Symbolic Threshold
Built in 1901, the Van Wickle Gates are a set of wrought iron gates that stand at the western edge of Brown's campus. The larger main gate is flanked by two smaller side gates. Allegedly, any female who passes through the Van Wickle Gates more than twice will not get married, while any male who does the same will not graduate.
The John Hay Library: A Treasure Trove of Knowledge
The John Hay Library is home to rare books, special collections, and the university archives. The John Hay Library is the second oldest library on campus. Opened in 1910, the library is named for John Hay (class of 1858), private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. The John Hay Library serves as the repository of the university's archives, rare books and manuscripts, and special collections. Hogwarts isn’t the only place where you can study witchcraft, sorcery, and magic. The John Hay Library’s H. Adrian Smith Collection of Conjuring and Magicana is home to one of the finest private collections of its kind in the world.
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The Annmary Brown Memorial: A Mausoleum of Art and History
In the early 1900s, General Rush Hawkins built the Annmary Brown Memorial as a mausoleum for his deceased wife. Before his death, Hawkins had threatened that if anyone disturbed his wife’s final resting place, they would regret it. In the 1970s, several of her mementos were stolen. The Annmary Brown Memorial was constructed from 1903 to 1907 by the politician, Civil War veteran, and book collector General Rush Hawkins, as a mausoleum for his wife, Annmary Brown, a member of the Brown family. In addition to its crypt-the final repository for Brown and Hawkins-the Memorial includes works of art from Hawkins's private collection, including paintings by Angelica Kauffman, Peter Paul Rubens, Gilbert Stuart, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Benjamin West, and Eastman Johnson, among others.
Enduring Traditions: Connecting Past and Present
Brown cherishes its time-honored traditions: the Commencement procession, Campus Dance, opening the Van Wickle gates at Convocation and Commencement, Josiah Carberry Day. Many traditions were swept away as Brown grew from a small college educating a narrow slice of the population to a diverse and international hub of scholarship and research.
Commencement and Convocation: A Rite of Passage
The Commencement procession, opening the Van Wickle gates at Convocation and Commencement mark significant milestones in the academic journey, symbolizing the beginning and end of a student's time at Brown.
Campus Dance: A Celebration of Community
Campus Dance is a multi-generational gathering with music, singing, and dancing. It is a familiar space magically transformed and a feeling of closure.
Josiah Carberry Day: A Whimsical Celebration of the Fictitious
Josiah Carberry Day provides a lighthearted break from academic pursuits, celebrating the fictitious professor with quirky traditions.
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Midnight Organ Recital
The Midnight Organ Recital is one of Brown’s most beloved traditions.
A Curriculum Revolution: The Brown Curriculum
Undergraduate education changed dramatically in 1970 with the introduction of what has become known as the Brown Curriculum. The idea for this change came from a report written by undergraduates Ira Magaziner ’69 and Elliot E. The “new curriculum” eliminated core requirements shared by all Brown undergraduates and created specific departmental concentration requirements.
Brown and RISD: A Unique Partnership
Additionally, due to the school's proximity and close partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Brown students have the opportunity to take up to four courses at RISD and have the credit count towards a Brown degree. Likewise, RISD students can also take courses at Brown. In July 2007 the two institutions announced the formation of the Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program, which allowed students to pursue an A.B. degree at Brown and a B.F.A. degree at RISD simultaneously, taking five years to complete this course of study.
Addressing the Past: Slavery and Justice
In 2003, then-Brown University President Ruth Simmons appointed the "Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice" which was composed of faculty members, university administrators and undergraduate and graduate students to investigate and prepare a report concerning the university’s "historical relationship to slavery and the transatlantic slave trade". The final report, released by the committee in October 2006, detailed Brown University's connection to both the slave trade and abolitionism.
Brown Traditions at Rice University
Brown Skate
During O-Week, Brown rents out a roller rink and takes our newest Brownies skating!
Birthdays
Whether it’s someone in your O-Week group, a friend, or a roommate who is celebrating their birthday, this person must be soaked in the sacred waters of the Fairy Fountain to ensure good luck and success over the next year.
Brown Defense
We build barricades and bombard the runners with water balloons as they try to infiltrate our home.
Fridays in the Quad (FITQ)
Filled with food, music, games, and drinks, FITQ is a great way to just hang out in the Quad as you pass by or for the whole afternoon.
Snow Ball
Snow Ball is one of our newer traditions, where we celebrate the spirit of winter and the end of the fall semester with a fabulous winter formal (Snow Ball).
Floorlympics
Each floor comes down in their own special jerseys (shirts/tanks), and we compete in watermelon eating, juice pong, volleyball, tug of war, and cheer battles.
College Night
While every college has college nights, Brown’s are whole College Weeks.
Bacchanalia
Incomplete. Brown makes sure your Rice experience is a complete college one by hosting Bacchanalia, an evening to rival the parties of Olympus!
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