The first American university that was open for students of all religion across the county was Brown University. Founded in the year 1764, before the American Independence, this is a privately owned Ivy League university that is situated in Providence at Rhode Islands, in New England, United States of America.
It is considered as the third oldest institution higher education in New England and seventh among all other such universities in United States. Brown campus, which is located on the College Hill at the east side of Providence, consists of a number of buildings dedicated for several academic courses.
The major ones among these are The College of Graduate School, Alpert Medical School and School of Engineering. It boasts of its oldest undergraduate engineering course among the Ivy League colleges. Brown also has a dedicated woman’s college, the Pembroke College that was initially separate body but got merged in the later period.
The architecture of the university depicts Greek architecture. It consists of the famous pair of center gates and smaller gates, each, on either side of these, known as “Van Winkle Gates”, constructed on June 18, 1901. As a common myth circulates within the university, passing through the central gates for a second time before the completion of the graduations is detrimental for the student.
It is believed that the students who do this do not pass in his or her final examinations. Thus, student friendly Brown University also maintains this tradition by closing the central gates throughout the year but for two occasions mainly, the day of Convocation, when the doors are open inwards and the Commencement Day Procession, when the gates open outwards. Only the smaller gates are opened freely throughout the year.
In the honorable memory of the famous fictional professor of Psychometrics, Josiah S. Carberry, the University-run snacks bar “Josiah” and the University’s electronic library catalog has been dedicated. This renowned professor is also noted for a generous donation to the University’s fund in the loving memory of his deceased “future wife”. Hence a fund was opened in the name “Josiah S. Carberry Fund”. From then on, a tradition continues and the day, Friday 13th is celebrated as “Carberry Day” and the students donate whatever they can, in that fund, to keep the fund alive.
The faculty and the academics, who work full time in this small research organization, are almost 800 in number. Many of them are quite noted and a few have also been honored as Nobel Laureates.
The student friendly atmosphere of this university is free from any sort of ragging or the likes. The Student Activities Fair is hence, specially organized every year to make the freshers acquainted to the wide range of organizations. Along with serious studies and academic life, the university is also noted for excellent night life.
It encourages sports and extra curricular activities a lot. Thus the Spring Weekend of every year is dedicated athletic competitions, dance and music. It also invites performers from outside the university during this occasion. The colors of the school of sports are brown, cardinal red and white and the University’s mascot is a bear named Bruno, which came into being in the year 1904 and is names as “Bruno”.
Thus, after this the 37 varsity athletic teams of the University are collectively known as “Bruno Bears” and the people associated to Brown University are called “Bunonians”. The College Sports Honor Roll is one of the top programmes in county that has been organized in athletics. Brown Men’s Rowing Team is one of the tops in the country while the Women’s Rowing Club has been honored with as many as 6 national titles in the past few years. Brown football team, namely Men’s Lacrosse has a national exposure as well.
It won as many as 18 Ivy League Football titles. Many of the students in this football team have also got engaged professionally and are getting international exposure. The Ivy League baseball championship has also been conquered once by the team of Brown University. Apart from this the other popular sports encourages and popular in the University are Sailing and rowing, rugby, basketball, frisbee etc.
Some of the notable names among the prominent alumni and faculty member of the Brown University, that need to be mentioned are John Hay, a professor in the year 1868, who was the private secretary of Abraham Lincoln, Nobel Laureates of 1982; Craig Mello, of 1987; Jerry White, famous Physicist Lewis E. Little from 1962 batch, Stanley Falkow; PhD batch of 1959, who Laskar award winning biologist and founder of microbial pathogenesis, another Laskar AWard winning Penn Psychologist and cognitive therapy originator, from batch of 1950; Aaron Back, the very recent governors of United States, by name, Louisiana Bobby Jindal , representing 1991 batch, Delaware Jack Markell , belonging to 1982 batch and Lincoln Chafee, from 1975 batch. Similar noteworthy names in the field of music, arts and media are Laura Linney from batch 1986, actor John Krasinski of 1901 batch.
Singer-composer Mary Chapin Carpenter, belonging to 1981 batch, musicians Damian Kulash from 1998 batch, Dhani Harrison of 1902 batch, composer Duncan Sheik, representing 1992 batch, singer Lisa Loeb of 1990 batch, S.J. Perelman; the famous New Yorker humorist and Marx Brothers screenwriter from 1925 batch, novelists Nathanael West, from 1924 batch, Jeffrey Eugenides, a representative of 1983 batch, Rick Moody of 1983 batch, the well known media personalities Edwidge Danticat and Marilynne Robinson, belonging to 1966 batch.
Playwrights Sarah Ruhl of 1997 batch, Lynn Nottage , from 1986 batch, Richard Foreman, from 1959 batch, Alfred Uhry, representing 1958 batch, famous film directors Todd Haynesfrom 1985 batch, Doug Liman of 1988 batch and Davis Guggenheim of 1986 batch, director-actor Tim Blake Nelson of 1986 batch, 20th Century Fox Film Group president Tom Rothman of the 1976, Black Entertainment Television chairman and CEO Debra L. Lee, representing 1976 batch.
HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg from 1977 batch, MTV Films and Nick Movies president Scott Aversano of the 1991 batch, CNN US News Operations president Jonathan Klein, belonging to 1980 batch, English actress Emma Watson who is known world wide as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, a student of 2013 batch
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