List of presidents of Brown University

Last updated

The following is a list of presidents of Brown University From 1765 to the 1920s, the president was required by the University Charter to be of the Baptist denomination:

No.ImagePresidentBrown ClassLifeTenureNotes
1 James Manning head by Cosmo Alexander.jpg James Manning –1738–17911765–1791The College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was founded in Warren, (1765) and relocated to Providence (1770). Brown's current campus on College Hill is established with the construction of University Hall (1770). The college closes in December 1776 due to the American Revolution and reopens in September 1782. [1]
2 JonathanMaxcy.jpg Jonathan Maxcy 17871768–18201792–1802First alum to be president and youngest president in Brown's history; Maxcy's reputation as a skilled orator benefited the reputation of the fledgling college. [2] [3] Enrollment passed 100 students (1800).
3 Asa Messer James Sullivan Lincoln.jpg Asa Messer 17901769–18361802–1826The College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was renamed Brown University following a gift from Nicholas Brown, Jr (1804). A program in medical study was organized (1811) following the examples set by Harvard and Dartmouth. The Messer administration was characterized by increasing unruliness and misbehavior of students. [4]
4 Francis Wayland.jpg Francis Wayland –1796–18651827–1855Wayland sought out to improve student discipline. Medical instruction was suspended (1827) following a dispute over a proposed residence requirement for medical professors. [5] Brown established the third civilian engineering program in the country (1847). Wayland urged adoption of a broader curriculum (1850), laying the groundwork for the Open Curriculum.
5 Barnas Sears 5th President of Brown.jpg Barnas Sears 18251802–18801855–1867Despite the Panic of 1857 and Civil War, Sears oversaw the construction of a new chemistry laboratory and an increase in the University's endowment. [6] Entrance and degree requirements were made stricter, benefiting the reputation of the University. [7] Sears was widely popular among students. [8]
6 Alexis Caswell 6th President of Brown.jpg Alexis Caswell 18221799–18771868–1872The University's financial assets grew by nearly 85%.Tuition, faculty salaries, and enrollment all increased. [9]
7 Ezekiel Robinson 7th president of Brown.jpg Ezekiel Robinson [10] 18381815–18941872–1889 Graduate study was instituted (1888–1889). Robinson (1878), Slater (1879), and Sayles Halls (1881) were constructed.
8 Elisha Andrews, 1897.jpg Elisha Andrews 18701844–19171889–1898Enrollment more than doubled. [7] The graduate program was expanded and the Women's College was founded (1891).
9 W.H.P. Faunce LCCN2014682659 (restored).jpg William Faunce [11] 18801859–19301899–1929Enrollment passed 1,000 (1915) and doubled to pass 2,000 (1925). The Women's College was renamed Pembroke College in Brown University (1928).
10 Clarence Barbour.jpg Clarence Barbour 18881867–19371929–1937Last of long line of Baptist minister Presidents
11 Liber Brunensis 1942, Henry Merritt Wriston.jpg Henry Wriston –1889–19781937–1955First non-Baptist (Methodist) president and first president since Wayland to not be a Brown alumnus
12 Barnaby Keeney –1914–19801955–1966Brown purchased the Dexter Asylum property.
13 Ray Heffner –1925–20121966–1969Brown's New Curriculum was passed. Heffner resigned after only three years, stating "I have simply reached the conclusion that I do not enjoy being a university president." [12]
14 Donald Hornig –1920–20131970–1976 Pembroke fully merged with the College of Brown University (1971). A medical program was re-established (1972). [13]
15 Howard Swearer –1932–19911977–1988Under Swearer's leadership, Brown advanced in rankings, saw a threefold increase in research grants, quadrupled its previously-dwindling endowment, and grew in popularity. [14] [15] The Watson Institute was founded as the Institute for International Studies (1986). Brown's athletic facilities expanded significantly with the construction of both the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center (1981) and the Pizzitola Sports Center (1988). [16]
16 Vartan Gregorian cropped (cropped).jpg Vartan Gregorian –1934–20211989–1997Vartan Gregorian was Brown's first foreign-born president. During his tenure, Brown saw fundraising success, with the University's endowment surpassing $1 billion. [17] Applications increased, undergraduate scholarships doubled, and the University's reputation grew. [18] [19]
17 E. Gordon Gee 9150037.jpg Gordon Gee –1944–1998–2000Plans were announced for a large biomedical sciences building requiring the sale of $80 million in bonds; funds were cut for a popular string quartet drawing criticism that Gee's vision is at odds with the University's liberal arts-oriented identity. [20] Gee resigned abruptly after only two years in a move criticized by University leaders. [21]
18 DrRuthJSimmons.jpg Ruth Simmons –1945–2001–2012At the time of her appointment Simmons became Brown's first woman president and the first African-American president of an Ivy League university. [22] In 2001, Time named Simmons America's best college president. The Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences (2006) and Granoff Center for the Creative Arts both opened (2011).

Following a $100 million gift, the Medical School was renamed the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University (2007). [23] The University opened a new medical campus in the Jewelry District (2011). [24]

19 Christina paxson.jpg Christina Paxson –1960–2012–Christina Paxson is Brown's current president. During her tenure, Brown has established its School of Public Health, expanded the physical footprint of the School of Engineering, and completed a historically large fundraising campaign. [25] [26] The university has also undertaken a significant expansion of residential facilities, constructing its first new dormitories in 35 years. [27] [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown University</span> Private university in Providence, Rhode Island, US

Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. One of nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution, it was the first college in the United States to codify in its charter that admission and instruction of students was to be equal regardless of their religious affiliation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs</span> Research center at Brown University

The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is an interdisciplinary research center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Its mission is to promote a just and peaceful world through research, teaching, and public engagement. The institute's research focuses on three main areas: development, security, and governance. Its faculty include anthropologists, economists, political scientists, sociologists, and historians, as well as journalists and other practitioners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnas Sears</span> American educator and theologian (1802–1880)

Barnas Sears was an American educational theorist and Baptist theologian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hogan Hall</span> Building in New York City, New York

Hogan Hall is a dormitory of Columbia University primarily reserved for fourth-year undergraduate students. The dorm is popular for its suite configurations as well as its central location. Built in 1898 as a nursing home, the building was converted to graduate student housing in 1977. It was named after Frank S. Hogan. It was converted into an undergraduate residence in 1994, then renovated in 2000 with the completion of a new entrance connecting it to Broadway Hall, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Located at the corner of 114th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan neighborhood of Morningside Heights, the building is named for former New York District Attorney Frank Hogan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carman Hall</span> Building in New York City, New York

Carman Hall is a dormitory located on Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus and currently houses first-year students from Columbia College as well as the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Production Workshop</span>

Production Workshop (PW) is a student-run theater at Brown University. Founded in 1960, it is the only entirely student-run theater on campus. PW stages 7 full-scale productions each year in its main black box theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hay Library</span> Library at Brown University

The John Hay Library is the second oldest library on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is located on Prospect Street opposite the Van Wickle Gates. After its construction in 1910, the Hay Library became the main library building on campus, replacing the building now known as Robinson Hall. Today, the John Hay Library is one of five individual libraries that make up the University Library. The Hay houses the University Library's rare books and manuscripts, the University Archives, and the Library's special collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Wickle Gates</span> Building

The Van Wickle Gates form the ornamental entrance to Brown University's main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. The gates stand at the intersection of College Street and Prospect Street at the crest of College Hill. Dedicated on June 18, 1901, they stand as a symbol for the campus and its 259-year history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Brown University</span>

The Brown University coat of arms is the assumed heraldic achievement of Brown University. The achievement in its current iteration was adopted in 1834.

J. Saunders Redding was a professor and author in the United States. He was the first African American faculty member in the Ivy League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Curriculum (Brown University)</span> Undergraduate program at Brown University

Brown University is well known for its undergraduate Open Curriculum, which allows students to study without any course requirements outside of their chosen concentration (major). To graduate from Brown's College, students need only have taken 30 courses, completed a concentration, and demonstrated fluency in the writing of English. Adopted in 1969 after the circulation of a report by Brown undergraduate students Ira C. Magaziner and Elliott E. Maxwell. The open curriculum distinguishes Brown from peer schools—particularly those with core curricula, like Columbia University and the University of Chicago—and has become one of the university's best-known attributes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iphigene Ochs Sulzberger</span> American heiress, socialite, newspaper executive, and philanthropist

Iphigene Bertha Ochs Sulzberger was an American heiress, socialite, newspaper executive, philanthropist and former owner of The New York Times. She was the daughter of Adolph Ochs, wife of Arthur Hays Sulzberger, mother of Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger, paternal grandmother of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., and patrilineal great-grandmother of A. G. Sulzberger, who all served as publishers of the paper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sayles Memorial Hall</span> United States historic place

Sayles Memorial Hall is a Richardsonian Romanesque hall on the central campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The granite structure was designed by Alpheus C. Morse and constructed from 1879 to 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">647 Fifth Avenue</span> Commercial building in Manhattan, New York

647 Fifth Avenue, originally known as the George W. Vanderbilt Residence, is a commercial building in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is along the east side of Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street. The building was designed by Hunt & Hunt as one of the "Marble Twins", a pair of houses at 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue. The houses were constructed between 1902 and 1905 as Vanderbilt family residences. Number 645 was occupied by William B. Osgood Field, while number 647 was owned by George W. Vanderbilt and rented to Robert Wilson Goelet; both were part of the Vanderbilt family by marriage.

Spring Weekend is a student-organized music festival hosted annually in April at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Spring Weekend was officially founded in 1950, though is rooted in a late 19th century spring festival tradition known as Junior Promenade. Celebrity artists were first brought to campus starting in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annenberg Institute at Brown University</span>

The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University is an education research and reform institute at Brown University. Its mission is to "understand the causes and consequences of educational inequality and to reduce this inequality through innovative, multidimensional, and research-informed approaches." The institute was established in October 1993 as the National Institute for School Reform and renamed the Annenberg Institute for School Reform in December 1993 following a gift from the Annenberg Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furnald Hall</span> Building in New York City, New York

Furnald Hall is a dormitory located on Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus and currently houses first-year students from Columbia College as well as the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. It is dedicated in memory of Royal Blacker Furnald, of the Columbia College Class of 1901.

References

  1. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Revolutionary War". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  2. ↑ "Second President: Jonathan Maxcy | Brown University Timeline". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  3. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Maxcy, Jonathan". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  4. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Messer, Asa". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  5. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Medical education". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  6. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Sears, Barnas". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  7. 1 2 "Brown: A Timeline". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  8. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Sears, Barnas". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  9. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Caswell, Alexis". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  10. ↑ From Martha Mitchell’s Encyclopedia Brunoniana: Gilman, Ezekiel
  11. ↑ From Martha Mitchell’s Encyclopedia Brunoniana: Faunce, William H.P.
  12. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Heffner, Ray L." www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  13. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Hornig, Donald F." www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  14. ↑ "Obituaries : Howard R. Swearer; Transformed Brown University Into 'Hot College'". Los Angeles Times. 1991-11-02. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  15. ↑ Lambert, Bruce (1991-10-21). "Howard R. Swearer Is Dead at 59; Led Brown University in the 80's". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  16. ↑ "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Swearer, Howard R." www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  17. ↑ Pender, Caelyn (2021-04-16). "Gregorian dies at 87". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  18. ↑ Arenson, Karen W. (1997-01-08). "Gregorian, Ending an 8-Year Tenure at Brown, Is Leaving 'a Hot College Even Hotter'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  19. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (2021-04-16). "Vartan Gregorian, Savior of the New York Public Library, Dies at 87". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  20. ↑ "Premature Evacuation". The Village Voice. 2000-08-01. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  21. ↑ Wilgoren, Jodi (2000-02-08). "President Stuns Brown U. by Leaving to Be Vanderbilt Chancellor". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  22. ↑ Simmons, Ruth. "I learned early how to survive racism. Now we all need to learn how to fight it". Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  23. ↑ "BROWN MED GETS $100M". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  24. ↑ "Med Ed dedication touts U.'s growth". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  25. ↑ Fain, Barry; Isenberg, Robert. "State of the Campus". Providence Media. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  26. ↑ "Brown surpasses $3 billion BrownTogether fundraising goal early, will extend campaign". Brown University. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  27. ↑ "Students move into new Health and Wellness Dorm for summer semester". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  28. ↑ "Brook St. dorm construction to be completed by fall 2023". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.