BROWN UNIVERSITY, in Providence, R.I., is the seventh of the nine colleges founded in America before the American revolution. It was projected by the Baptists of Philadelphia, who resisted the religious tests imposed by some of the older institu tions and selected the colony founded by Roger Williams as the home of a college where no student should be excluded on theo logical grounds. In 1763 James Manning submitted to them a draft of a "seminary of polite literature." In 1764 the charter, a landmark in the growth of religious freedom, was granted, and Rhode Island college was established in the town of Warren, James Manning becoming the first president. The first class of seven students was graduated in 1769. A year later the college was moved to Providence and the cornerstone of University hall, "the college edifice" was laid. The infant college keenly felt the shat tering force of the Revolution. University hall was given over to the colonial government to serve as barracks for American and French troops, and for nearly seven years the college was closed. Courageously Dr. Manning faced the problem of reopening and rebuilding, and at his death in 1782 the college had a faculty of seven teachers and a graduating class of 21. Nicholas Brown, a leading citizen of Providence, had for years given the enterprise steadfast support, and when he added a gift of $5,000 (subse quently increased to $16o,000) in 1804, Rhode Island college became Brown university. A few courses for women, given out side the university gates, expanded into the Women's college in Brown university, which in 1897 was formally established as a separate, but co-ordinate institution.
The buildings of the university in 1928 numbered nearly 5o, including the John Hay library, containing 350,000 volumes, and the well-known John Carter Brown library, containing rare Americana. Laboratories have been opened in the departments of biology, engineering, chemis try, physics, geology, psychology and botany, new dormitories ac quired, and buildings erected for social and religious purposes.
Athletic fields have been opened adjacent to the gymnasium, and a health service established with infirmary and medical staff. Pro vision has been made for moral and religious incentive and a stu dent counsellor placed in charge of religious work. In 1928 the total university. endowment was and the value of the property over $5,000,000. The total disbursements for all pur poses in that year were $1,800,000. The faculty had increased to 153 professors and instructors. The students numbered 2,176, in addition to the 2,407 enrolled in part-time or extension courses. While adjusting itself to the changing needs of modern life, the university has in general declined to open professional schools and still devotes its main energies to liberal education. (\V. H. P. F.)