Brown College, Rice University

During the fabulous Rice Centennial Celebration in October I had the opportunity to return to Brown College. Brown opened in 1965 as the sixth residential college at Rice (there are now 11) and I was the first President. Two other former presidents (Ann Patton Greene 1971 and Martha Proctor 1981) were there and we enjoyed meeting the current president, Kevin Huang, and several other residents.

My Brown roommate, Carolyn Cox Cohan, came with her husband Phil and we laughed about “Sisters,” the “fairy fountain” that was installed between the two women’s colleges. The intent was to head off excess rivalry between Brown and Jones on the powderpuff football field, but the donor was clueless as to how two naked women hugging in the middle of a fountain would be interpreted. Still, it was the first campus artwork besides the statue of William Marsh Rice.

Brown was for women only until 1987, but then became co-ed. It was greatly enlarged a few years ago and shares a “servery” (eating place) with Jones and Martel Colleges. The specially woven tapestry still hangs in the reception area, but it seems less glamorous than it did when new. The crest and motto (Tende bene, alta pete) that I picked out are still in use, but there are no longer mail boxes, a housemother, or curfews–hooray! The antique furniture Alice Brown brought from Portugal is now in the Private Dining Room for safekeeping. It was a pleasure to visit with Nita Vandiver Jackson, daughter of Brown’s first Master, Frank Vandiver. She was a third grader in 1965, but later she attended Rice and lived in Brown College.