FIRST BLACK GRADUATES

 Inman Page ‘77 and George Washington Milford Brown ‘77 are the first documented Black students to graduate from Brown.

FIRST BLACK PERSON TO RECEIVE MASTERS DEGREE

John Wesley Gilbert ’88 is the first Black student to receive a graduate degree from Brown. He is awarded the Master of Arts degree in 1891, with a thesis titled "The Demes of Attica." Gilbert later teaches Greek and English at Paine Institute in Georgia.

BLACK GRADUATES BECOME FIRST BLACK PRESIDENTS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCU)

John Hope '94 and John William Beverly '94 graduate from Brown. Hope becomes the first Black President of Morehouse College and, later, the President of the Atlanta University complex. Beverly becomes a teacher at Alabama State Normal School and, later, its President.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN GRADUATE

Ethel Robinson ‘05 is the first Black woman to graduate from Brown. She goes on to teach English at Howard University and, while on the faculty, supports the founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

AN OUTSTANDING ATHELETE OF MANY FIRSTS

Frederick Douglas "Fritz" Pollard is the first black player to compete in the Tournament of Roses (Rose Bowl) game. In 1954, he is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is the first African-American to be named to Walter Camp’s All-American Team as a backfield man, and is one of the first black players in the early NFL. In the Pros, Pollard plays on the first championship team (Akron in 1920), and is the first black quarterback and coach (unofficial) in the early NFL. He patriotically leaves Brown as a sophmore to head a group of black soldiers in training for war at Fort Mead. In 1981, Fritz Pollard is awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Brown University. In 2005, Pollard is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

INMAN PAGE AWARDED HONORARY MASTERS DEGREE

Inman Page '77 is awarded an Honorary Masters Degree by Brown.

ALPHA GAMMA CHAPTER CHARTERED

Alpha Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

ALPHA ZETA CHAPTER CHARTERED

Alpha Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

FIRST BLACK PERSON TO RECEIVE DOCTORATE DEGREE

Samuel M. Nabrit '32 is the first Black person to receive a PhD from Brown.

OMEGA PSI PHI CHARTERED

Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

FIRST BLACK FACULTY

J. Saunders Redding ’28, MA '32 is the first Black person appointed to the Brown faculty and the first to serve on an Ivy League faculty. His course on "The Negro in American Literature" is the first such course given in a northern college.

BROWN CHAPTER OF NAACP

A chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded at Brown.

SAMUEL NABRIT - FIRST BLACK MEMBER OF THE BROWN CORPORATION

Samuel M. Nabrit '32 becomes the first Black member of the Brown Corporation. He serves as Trustee from 1967 to 1972.

THE AFRO-AMERICAN SOCIETY

The Afro-American Society is founded at Brown and Phil Asbury ’68 is elected its first President.

PRESIDENT OF THE AFRO-AMERICAN SOCIETY

Glenn Dixon ’70 is elected second President of the Afro-American Society.

MAJORITY OF BLACK STUDENTS AT BROWN SIGN LETTER TO PRESIDENT DEMANDING RACIAL CHANGE

On May 17, 1968, a letter from the Afro-American Society demanding comprehensive racial change at Brown is delivered to President Ray Heffner. With 62 signatures, the letter is endorsed by the overwhelming majority of Black students at Brown. It refers to the recent “Kerner Report and assasination of Martin Luther King” as “evidence” that “America is a racist society.” It then goes on to demand that “Racism, in all its forms, must be eradicated from Brown. Social conditions for black students must improve. The white-oriented curriculum must be revised. Admissions and financial aid policy must be reoriented. Employment programs must be re-evaluated. In short, if Brown University actually wishes to be the modern, liberal, educational institution it claims to be, the whole system of priorities here must undergo a sudden and complete metamorphosis.” The letter concludes with a targeted response deadline of May 23, 1968, and the commitment to “cooperate….as long as Brown is making an honest effort to change.”

WALKOUT TO INCREASE MINORITY ENROLLMENT, FACULTY/ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATION AND UNIVERSITY SUPPORT

On December 5, 1968, the majority of the Black students at Brown walk out of the University to the Congdon Street Baptist Church, where they successfully negotiate for three days with the University for commitment to a comprehensive set of goals and objectives surrounding race across the institution. These committed goals and objectives establish the foundation and framework by which the University (students, faculty, alumni, administrators, Corporation members) will measure to-date race-related “successes achieved” vs. “challenges remaining” for decades to come.

The “Walkout” is triggered by the lack of an existing University-wide commitment to address the improvement of Black student representation within Brown’s student body. Both men and women are a part of Brown University’s undergraduate community by 1968. However, the undergraduate men are admitted, housed, and governed by the administrators and rules of Brown College while women are admitted, housed, and governed by a completely different set of rules and administrators at Pembroke College (in Brown University). Concern over Black representation of men and women undergraduates is highlighted by the fact that the Class of 1970, which entered in Fall 1966, has only seven Black men and two Black women matriculating. By Fall of 1968, Brown College administrators have made some commitments to address the issues of Black representation that are discussed in the May 17th letter; Pembroke administrators, however, refuse to do so. As a result, Black women of Pembroke College decide to demonstrate by staging a walkout from Pembroke. After a number of meetings of the recently-formed Afro-American Society, Brown men agree to support Pembroke women in a joint demonstration which becomes Brown’s “Walkout of ‘68.” The demonstration is staged to gain national attention. Women march from the Pembroke campus to the Faunce House arch where men are lined up, awaiting them. Media is also gathered at the arch and records the joint march off Brown’s campus, attended by the majority of its Black students. Coverage includes the national TV networks, AP, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.

Lead negotiators for the students include Bill Poole ’69, Ido Jamar ’69, and Glenn Dixon ’68 (President of the Afro-American Society). The media spokesperson for the group is Ken McDaniel ’69. While its initiating trigger is Black student representation, the Walkout’s demands and results are far more comprehensive. University commitments include goals for the racial composition of the student body (undergraduate and graduate), faculty, and administration. In all cases, even though Black students are the only numerically significant racial minority group at Brown, the Walkout students demand that the committed goals be targeted for each of the key federally-identified minority groups—Blacks, Latinos, and Asian-Americans. They also insist that the goals for representation at Brown be proportionally tied to the representation of each of these groups in the overall U.S. population. This represents an 11% goal for Black student representation.
Programmatically, the University commits to establish a Transitional Summer Program (TSP) for entering freshmen (which later evolves into the Third World Transition Program [TWTP]); provide extensive funding for minority students to aid Admissions in the accelerated recruiting of minority applicants; supply sufficient financial aid to enable the targeted percentages of minority representation; establish an Afro-American Studies program, includingthe Rites and Reason Theater, within the Brown curriculum; appoint a number of minority faculty; and create a number of administrative appointments across areas from dean’s offices to a Director of Minority Recruiting in admissions. Most immediately, there is a 300% increase in Black student matriculation, and the annual number of entering Black undergraduates is sustained at average levels, approximating 100 students, for decades to come.

J. SAUNDERS REDDING - FIRST BLACK FELLOW APPOINTED TO BROWN CORPORATION

J. Saunders Redding '28, MA '32 is the first Black Fellow on the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1969 to 1980.

FIRST BLACK ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

William Brown ’69 PhD is the first Black Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM INTRODUCED

The first Afro-American Studies program is introduced at Brown with Charles Nichols '48 as its first Chair and professor.

FIRST BLACK CHAPLAIN

Geoffrey Black is the first Black chaplain and serves as house parent for the Transitional Summer Program (TSP).

FIRST BLACK PERSON TO HOLD COMBINED OFFICER APPOINTMENTS

James E. Tisdale is the first Black person to hold the combined Development Officer and Admissions Officer positions at Brown.

THE TRANSITIONAL SUMMER PROGRAM

The Transitional Summer Program (TSP) is established as a result of the 1968 Walkout protest. It begins as a two-phase program: seven weeks for academic enrichment and one week for social and other non-academic activities. It later becomes the Third World Transition Program (TWTP).

RITES AND REASON THEATRE

Rites and Reason Theatre is founded. George Houston Bass is the first director of Rites and Reason Theatre; he is also the executor of the Langston Hughes estate.

AUGUSTUS WHITE III—SECOND BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Augustus White III '57 is the second Black Trustee appointed to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1971 to 1976.

FIRST BLACK SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO BROWN PRESIDENT

James E. Tisdale is the first Black special assistant to a Brown President, Donald Hornig.

UNITED AFRICAN PEOPLES

The Afro-American Society is renamed the Organization of United African Peoples (OUAP).

CHAIR OF DERMATOLOGY FOR THE PROGRAM IN MEDICINE

Charles McDonald is named the Chair of Dermatology for the Program in Medicine.

SANKORE SOCIETY

Sankore Society, a Black Faculty and Staff Organization, is established through the efforts of Michael Ford, Carole Marks, and Nanette Reynolds.

BLACK STUDENT PROTEST

Afro-American Society protests and asks the University to recommit to the demands of the 1968 Walkout.

TOM BROWN—FIRST BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Thomas Brown ’50 is the first Black Trustee to the Brown Corporation elected by alumni.

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

Levi Adams is the Assistant Vice President of Biology and Medicine at Brown.

LABORATORY EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM

Laboratory Education Advancement Program (Project LEAP), a Medical School effort focusing on local high school students, is initiated at Brown, with Raymond Downs as Operations Coordinator and Levi Adams as Project Director.

MINORITY PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM

The Minority Peer Counseling (MPC) Program is created by African American students at Brown. By the 1980s, students of African, Latino, Asian, Native American, and multiracial descent are involved in the program. Arab Americans are added to the constituent list in 1995.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

Charles  D. Churchwell serves as University Librarian from 1974-78. During his tenure, he publishes The Shaping of American Library Education for the American Library Association (ALA).

ASSOCIATE DEAN OF GRADUATE SCHOOL

Bernie E. Bruce, Sr. serves as the first Black Associate Dean of the Graduate School from 1974 until his retirement in 1998. In 1998, he receives the Wilson DeBlois Award which recognizes outstanding contributions to graduate students and the Graduate School.

"He was instrumental in increasing the number of minority PhDs and served all the students with great devotion, great care, and great pride" – Vartan Gregorian, Brown University President Emeritus.

LAMBDA IOTA CHAPTER CHARTERED

Lambda Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

BLACK PREMEDICAL SOCIETY

The Black Premedical Society (BPMS) is organized and officially recognized by the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS).

ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY REESTABLISHED

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is reestablished at Brown as Iota Alpha Chapter.

FIRST BLACK DEAN OF COLLEGE

Walter Massey is the first Black Dean of the College.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN SCB GRADUATE

Darwyn Parker ’75 is the first Black woman ScB graduate in Engineering at Brown.

BROWN-TOUGALOO EARLY IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR MEDICINE

Inauguration of Brown-Tougaloo Early Identification Program for medicine at Brown.

BROWN REVISITED

Inauguration of "Brown Revisited,” an annual conference featuring Black premedical alumni.

UNIVERSITY GENERAL COUNSEL

Beverly Ledbetter is appointed University General Counsel. In 1985, she becomes Vice President and General Counsel at Brown, a position she currently holds.

THIRD WORLD TRANSITION PROGRAM

The Third World Transition Program (previously called Transitional Summer Program) begins.

OCCUPATION OF UNIVERSITY HALL

On Thursday, April 24, 1975, a Third World Coalition led by Black students occupies University Hall to stop planned University retrenchment from its comprehensive commitments made following the 1968 Walkout of Black students. The occupation lasts thirty-eight and a half hours, while picket lines in two circles—one of Black students, and one of white supporters, moving in opposite directions—march around University Hall, improvising dance steps and clapping to the accompaniment of conga drums and tambourines. As a direct result of their demonstration, Brown agrees to maintain its commitments made in 1968.

FIRST BLACK GRADUATE TO RECEIVE MD DEGREE

Janice Y. Allen '73 is the first Black graduate to earn an MD degree at Brown.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

Levi Adams is the Associate Vice President of Biology and Medicine and Chair of the Affiliated Hospitals CEO's Group.

FIRST BLACK PERSON APPOINTED COMMAND STAFF OF POLICE AND SECURITY

George Black is the first Black person appointed to the Command Staff of Police and Security.

ALPHA GAMMA CHAPTER REESTABLISHED

Alpha Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is reestablished.

THIRD WORLD CENTER

The Third World Center (TWC) opens in the lower level of Churchill House.

BLACK CHORUS

The first album of the Black Chorus is recorded at Brown.

FIRST DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

William Wright is appointed the first Director of Institutional Research at Brown.

WALLACE TERRY—THIRD BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Wallace Terry '59 is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1977 to 1982.

FIRST BLACK MAN TO RECEIVE AN MD DEGREE

Clarence Wiley ’73 is the first Black man to receive an MD degree at Brown.

TED NEWMAN—FOURTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Theodore Newman '55 is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1978 to 1983.

BLACK ASSISTANT DEAN OF COLLEGE APPOINTED

Perry Ashley is appointed Assistant Dean of the College.

FIRST BLACK DIRECTOR OF THE THIRD WORLD CENTER

Calvin Hicks is the first Black director of the Third World Center and Assistant Dean of the College.

CHAIRMAN OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITIATION

Carl Granger is the Chairman of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the Medical School.

DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

John M. Robinson ’67 is appointed Dean of Student life at Brown. He goes on to become the Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer at the United States Department of State. Robinson serves as the primary advisor to the Secretary of State and the Department’s senior leadership on equal opportunity, diversity, affirmative employment, and related issues.

BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Harold Bailey ’70, Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68, Ken McDaniel ’69, and Anderson Kurtz ’69 launch the Brown Alumni Association Minority Affairs Committee. The Committee focuses on minority alumni initiatives including Minority Brown Book Awards, a Minority Alumni Newsletter, a Minority Alumni Directory, national coordination of Minority student recruiting within Brown's alumni network for student recruiting (NASP), minority admissions and financial aid, and heightened representation of minority alumni engagement and value-add to the BAA Board and Corporation Committee on Minority Affairs. Harold Bailey '70 is named National Chair.

WALTER MASSEY—FIFTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Walter Massey is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation from 1980 to 1985.

THE DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS STUDENT MEDICAL SOCIETY

The Daniel Hale Williams Student Medical Society is organized and chartered by the Student National Medical Association as their official representative at Brown.

THIRD DIRECTOR OF THIRD WORLD CENTER

The third director of the Third World Center (TWC) is Reverend Darryl Smaw.

EX-OFFICIO POSITIONS ON THE CORPORATION COMMITTEE ON MINORITY AFFAIRS AND THE BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

The Chair of the Brown Alumni Association Minority Affairs Committee attains ongoing ex-officio status on the Corporation Committee on Minority Affairs and the Brown Alumni Association Board.

ASSOCIATE LIBRARIAN AND HEAD OF THE SCIENCES LIBRARY

Ann Randall is the Associate Librarian and Head of the Sciences Library at Brown.

AUGUSTUS WHITE III—SECOND BLACK FELLOW APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Augustus White III '57 is the second Black Fellow on the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1981 to 1992.

PMS/PMK PROGRAM

The PMS/PMK Program is a federally funded Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) which is initiated to recruit and retain underrepresented minority students for medicine at Brown and Eight Historically Black Colleges. PMS (PreMed for Sure) is an eight-week summer program for selected entering Brown freshmen, who have declared an interest in preparing for medicine and are from racial/ethnic groups considered underrepresented in the field of medicine. The program focuses on academic reinforcement, counseling and community-building, and clinical exposure. All participants are housed on campus. Brown faculty and advanced graduate students are the teachers; rising senior and junior Brown PreMeds are the counselors. Hospital-based medical faculty lead the clinical sections. PMK (PreMed for Keeps) is the same program targeted to rising sophomore minority premeds from Brown and HBCU's with whom Brown has agreements, including  Xavier (LA), Tougaloo, Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, Morris Brown, Clark (Atlanta), and Hampton.The program is funded by a federal HCOP grant for six years. Prof. Levi Adams is the grant recipient and Program Director. Ultimately, approximately 63% of those completing the program enter medical or dental schools in the U.S.

ARCHIE WILLIAMS—SECOND BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Archie Williams ’56 is the second Black Trustee elected by alumni to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1981 to 1986.

MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE RENAMED; THIRD WORLD ALUMNI NETWORK FIELD ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED

The Minority Affairs Committee is renamed the Third World Alumni Activities Committee. The Third World Alumni Network field organization launches as part of the Third World Alumni Activities Committee through a five-city organizational tour led by Harold Bailey '70 and Sallie Riggs, Associate VP, Alumni Relations. The Third World Alumni Network goes on to establish chapters in eight metropolitan areas.

FIRST GRADUATES OF LABORATORY EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM

Deborah White '78 and Timothy Young '78 are the first graduates of Brown's Laboratory Education Advancement Program (LEAP) for local high school students to earn the Brown MD degree.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICER

Nellie Russell is the Affirmative Action Officer at Brown.

DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL

Audrey Smith is the Director of Personnel at Brown.

IOTA UPSILON CHAPTER CHARTERED

Iota Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is chartered.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE CORPORATION

Sheryl Brissett-Chapman '71 is appointed to the Brown Corporation as Trustee. She becomes the first Black woman to serve on the Corporation and serves from 1983 to 1989.

INVESTMENT IN DIVERSITY FUND LAUNCHED

Augustus A. White III ’57, Harold Bailey, Jr. ’70, and Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68 launch the Investment in Diversity Fund. It is the first University-wide fund in the Ivy League focused on financial aid for minority students. The fund concept is developed by the Third World Alumni Affairs Committee, supported by the Brown Alumni Association, sanctioned by the Brown Corporation, and jointly sponsored by the Alumni Relations and Development departments.

LAMBDA XI CHAPTER CHARTERED

Lambda Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

SIT-IN TO SUPPORT THIRD WORLD CENTER

Students organize a sit-in to support the Third World Center (TWC).

NATIONAL CHAIR OF BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THIRD WORLD ALUMNI ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

Javette P. Laremont ’80 is the National Chair of the Brown Alumni Association’s Third World Alumni Activities Committee.

FIRST WILLIAM ROGERS AWARD AND ALUMNI SERVICE AWARDS

 At the first Brown Alumni Association’s Alumni Recognition Ceremony, Augustus A. White III ’57 is awarded the first William Rogers Award. Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68 and Harold Bailey, Jr. ’70 are awarded Alumni Service Awards.

BUDGET DIRECTOR

Donald Reaves is the Budget Director at Brown.

ASSOCIATE PROVOST

Levi Adams is the Associate Provost with oversight responsibility for Minority Faculty Development at Brown.

THIRD WORLD COALITION LED BY BLACK STUDENTS DEMONSTRATES

Approximately 350 Third World students rally to demand that the University completely resolve issues raised by students of color in prior years (notably 1968 and 1975) and proactively integrate minority perspectives and culture throughout its pedagogy and curriculum. While the demonstrations are led by Black students, this is the first time that Black, Asian-American, and Latino students work together in large numbers.

WALTER MASSEY—THIRD BLACK FELLOW APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Walter Massey is appointed Fellow to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1985 to 1990, and again from 1995 to 1996.

THE VISITING COMMITTEE ON MINORITY LIFE AND EDUCATION

The Visiting Committee on Minority Life and Education at Brown University, Chaired by Augustus A. White III ’57, is convened.

VISITING COMMITTEE REPORT

The work of the Visiting Committee is complete. They issue the report “The American University and the Pluralist Ideal,” which includes recommendations.

FIFTH DIRECTOR OF THE THIRD WORLD CENTER

The fifth director of the Third World Center (TWC) is Preston Smith.

HAROLD BAILEY, JR.—THIRD BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Harold Bailey, Jr. '70  is the third Black Trustee elected to the Corporation by alumni. He serves from 1986 to 1992.

1986 VISITING COMMITTEE REPORT APPROVED

All key recommendations of the 1986 Visiting Committee report are approved by the Corporation for implementation.

THIRD WORLD CENTER

The Third World Center (TWC) is relocated to Partridge Hall, one of the 1985 protest's demands.

ASSISTANT PROVOST

Levi Adams is the Assistant Provost, responsible for implementing the recommendations of the Visiting Committee report and accountable to the President and Corporation.

FIRST POET LAUREATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Michael Harper, Professor of English, is the first Poet Laureate of Rhode Island.

ORGANIZING FOR ETHNIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT

Protests asking for an Ethnic Studies Department and recommitment to the 1968, 1975, and 1985 demands begin and last until the following year.

THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY IN AMERICA IS FOUNDED

The Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America (CSREA) is established with the purpose of expanding study, teaching, and research on people of color at Brown and nationwide.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AFRICANA STUDIES/RITES AND REASON THEATRE

Karen Allen Baxter is the first Black woman appointed Managing Director, Department of Africana Studies/Rites and Reason Theatre.

NATIONAL CHAIR OF BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THIRD WORLD ALUMNI ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

Leland McGee ’77 is the National Chair of the Brown Alumni Association’s Third World Alumni Activities Committee.

ASSOCIATE PROVOST AND DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE

James Wyche is a Professor of Biology and the Associate Provost and Director of the Leadership Alliance.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

Levi Adams is appointed Brown's first Vice President for Government and Community Affairs.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Donald Reaves is the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration.

SECOND DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR RACE AND ETHNICITY IN AMERICA

The second director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in America (CSREA) is Rhett Jones, Professor of History and Afro-American Studies.

TED PARRISH—SEVENTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Theodore Parrish '57 is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1990 to 1996.

NATIONAL CHAIR OF BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THIRD WORLD ALUMNI ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

Teri Williams Cohee ’79 is the National Chair of the Brown Alumni Association’s Third World Alumni Activities Committee.

MU KAPPA CHAPTER CHARTERED

Mu Kappa Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is chartered at Brown.

THIRD WORLD COALITION REPORT

The Third World Coalition writes the report "Redefining the Concept of Community: A Framework for Pluralism in the 1990's."

MARCIA LLOYD—EIGHTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Marcia Lloyd '68 is the eighth Black Trustee appointed to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 1991 to 1997.

JONATHAN SPEED—FOURTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Jonathan Speed '84 is the fourth Black Trustee elected to the Brown Corporation by Alumni. He serves from 1991 to 1997.

BLACK EXPERIENCE AT BROWN

Launch of “Black Experience at Brown,” an annual program which invites and transports 200+ of the highest caliber Black high school seniors to  Brown for a weekend of exposure to the Ivy League and the Brown community—including the President and key faculty—and curriculum.

TAKEOVER UNIVERSITY HALL

Students for Admissions and Minority Aid (SAMA) members take over University Hall to advocate for need-blind admissions.

GREG ABERNATHY—FIFTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Greg Abernathy '84 is the fifth Black Trustee elected by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1992 to 1999.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN DIRECTOR OF THE THIRD WORLD CENTER

Karen McLaurin ’74 is the first Black woman to direct the Third World Center and is named Assistant Dean of the College.

STEVE JORDAN—NINTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Steve Jordan '82 is the ninth Black Trustee appointed to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1993 to 1997.

DEBRA LEE—FIRST BLACK WOMAN TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Debra Lee ’76 is the first Black Woman Trustee elected by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 1994 to 2001.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN ASSOCIATE DEAN OF MEDICINE

Alicia Hill Monroe '74 is the first Black woman Associate Dean of Medicine.

FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO RECEIVE TENURE IN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Dorothy Lee Hamer Denniston, Ph.D. ’83, is an Associate Professor of English and Africana Studies. In 1994, she is the English Department’s first woman of color to receive tenure. She joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of English, 1987 and becomes an Associate Professor in 1994. Professor Denniston also serves as an Associate Dean of the College. Her groundbreaking examination of the work of Paule Marshall is the first full-length study of an author who has subsequently been the subject of eighteen additional books, each indebted to Denniston’s door-opening critical investigation.

HAROLD BAILEY, JR. AWARDED HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS

Harold Bailey, Jr. ’70 is awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for Alumni Service.

SPENCER CREW—SEVENTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Spencer Crew '71 is the seventh Black Trustee elected by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1995 to 2001.

ETHNIC STUDIES

Ethnic Studies becomes a concentration.

DR. AUGUSTUS WHITE AWARDED HONORARY DOCTOR OF MEDICINE

Augustus White III ’57 is awarded an Honorary Doctor of Medicine for Career Achievement in Medicine and Alumni Service.

ANITA SPIVEY—TENTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Anita Spivey '74 is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 1998 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2013.

STEVE JORDAN—FOURTH BLACK FELLOW APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Steve Jordan '82 is the fourth Black Fellow appointed to the Brown Corporation. He serves from 1998 to 2009.

INDEPENDENT STUDY ON BLACK ALUMNI ORGANIZATIONS IN THE IVY LEAGUE

Under the supervision of Professor Elmo Terry-Morgan ’74, Russell Malbrough ’98 and Artis Arnold ’99 complete an independent Study project on Black Alumni organizations within the Ivy League. This work serves as the impetus for the founding of the Inman Page Council.

FIRST BLACK RHODES SCHOLAR

Jasmine Waddell ’99 is the first Black Rhodes Scholar at Brown.

ROGERIEE THOMPSON—EIGHTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson '73 is  elected Trustee by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 1999 to 2005.

THIRD WORLD ACTION

A group of Minority Peer Counselors (MPCs) comes together to form a space where concerns of students of color can be addressed. This group evolves into Third World Action (TWA), a multiracial student group dedicated to racial and economic justice, mainly at Brown and in Providence.

BLACK ALUMNI STRATEGIC PLANNING CONFERENCE

Black Alumni Strategic Planning Conference convenes in Newport, Rhode Island to gain consensus on the goals of a Black alumni organization within the Brown Alumni Association. The conference is convened because the history of Black people at Brown, the Brown Alumni Association Minority Alumni Council, and the work of Professor Elmo Terry-Morgan '74, Russell Malbrough ’98 and Artis Arnold ’99.

ALUMNI AFFINITY GROUPS SANCTIONED

Brown University and the Brown Alumni Association sanction the formation and inclusion of alumni of color affinity groups for the first time in history. An agreement is reached to form a Black alumni council named after Inman Page—one of the first two Black graduates of Brown.

INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Professor Elmo Terry Morgan ’74 convenes a taskforce to develop the initial goals, objectives, processes, and structures of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council. Taskforce participants include Elmo Terry Morgan ’74, Russell Malbrough ’98, Artis Arnold '99, Joelle Murchison Hayes '95, and Harold Bailey '70.

NEW VISITING COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY

New Visiting Committee on Diversity, chaired by Augustus A. White III ’57, issues the report “Diversity, Pluralism and Community at Brown” to the Brown Corporation and Acting President Sheila Blumstein in April 2000.

ROBIN LENHARDT—ELEVENTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE CORPORATION

Robin Lenhardt ’89 is appointed Trustee to the Brown Corporation from 2000 to 2006.

RUTH J. SIMMONS—FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Ruth J. Simmons is the first Black President of an Ivy League institution and the 18th President of Brown University.
Her Presidency is from 2001 to 2011.

AFRICANA STUDIES DEPARTMENT

The Afro-American Studies Program becomes a department and is renamed Africana Studies.

VISITING COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY REPORT

The Visiting Committee on Diversity publishes their report, “Summary of Accomplishments, Ongoing Activities and Plans for the Future,” in May 2001.

JAVETTE LAREMONT—FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Javette P. Laremont ’80 is the first Black President of the Brown Alumni Association.

INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

The Inman Page Black Alumni Council is officially launched with Mark W. Griffith '85 as its first President.

JAVETTE LAREMONT—NINTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Javette Laremont '80 is ninth Black Trustee elected by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 2001 to 2007.

BERNICESTINE MCLEOD BAILEY—TENTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Bernicestine McLeod Bailey '68 is the tenth Black Trustee elected by alumni to the Brown Corporation. She serves from 2001 to 2007.

BROWN DAILY HERALD AD AND PROTEST

David Horowitz, a conservative politician, pays for an ad in the Brown Daily Herald entitled, "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea and Racist Too." Students of color unite in an effort to seek apologies from the Brown Daily Herald and ask that they give Horowitz's payment to Brown's Third World community.

STEERING COMITTEE ON SLAVERY AND JUSTICE

President Ruth J. Simmons appoints a Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice (SCSJ) to undertake an unprecedented study of Brown University’s relationship to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In the eighteenth century, slavery permeated every aspect of the social and economic life in Rhode Island. Rhode Islanders dominated the North American share of the African slave trade, launching over a thousand slaving voyages in the century before the abolition of the trade in 1808, and scores of illegal voyages thereafter. Brown University is a beneficiary of this trade.

GALEN HENDERSON—ELEVENTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Galen Henderson '93 is elected Trustee to the Brown Corporation by Alumni. He serves from 2003 to 2009.

SECOND PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Dorsey James '83 is the second President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

FIRST BLACK CHIEF OF POLICE

Colonel Mark J. Porter is appointed the first Black Chief of Brown's Department of Public Safety and in the State of Rhode Island.

THIRD PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Preston Tisdale ’73 is the third President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

DEBRA LEE APPOINTED TO SECOND TERM AS TRUSTEE ON THE BROWN CORPORATION

Debra Lee ’76 is appointed to a second term as Trustee on the Corporation. She serves from 2006 to 2013. With this appointment, she becomes the twelfth Black trustee appointed to the Corporation.

JENNIFER RICHESON—MACARTHUR FELLOW

Jennifer Richeson ’94 becomes a MacArthur Fellow.

SECOND BLACK RHODES SCHOLAR

Sasha-Mae Eccleston '06 becomes the second Black Rhodes Scholar at Brown.

SLAVERY AND JUSTICE REPORT

Slavery and Justice Report is released.

SECOND BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ASSUMES SECOND TERM AS TRUSTEE ON THE BROWN CORPORATION

Spencer Crew ’71 is the second Black President of the Brown Alumni Association.
As BAA President, he assumes a term (his second) as Trustee on the Corporation. He serves this term from 2007 to 2013.

SURVEY FOR ALUMNI OF COLOR INITIATIVE

Members of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC), Brown University Latino Alumni Council (BULAC), and Asian American Alumni Alliance (A4) are formally surveyed by Brown Development to determine specific elements which will be included in the Alumni of Color Initiative for each community.

ALUMNI OF COLOR INITIATIVE

Brown agrees to launch the Alumni of Color Initiative (AOCI)—a strategic, University-wide development initiative focused on the interests of the Alumni of Color community. The agreement to launch the Alumni of Color Initiative represents over 10 years of work by Bernicestine M. Bailey '68 and Harold Bailey '70.

LYNN NOTTAGE—MACARTHUR FELLOW

Lynn Nottage ’86 becomes a MacArthur Fellow.

ROBIN LENHARDT—FIRST BLACK WOMAN FELLOW APPOINTED TO THE CORPORATION

Robin Lenhardt ’89 is the first Black woman Fellow and fifth Black Fellow appointed to the Brown Corporation. Her term is from 2008 to 2019.

FOURTH PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Richard Gray ’85 is the fourth President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

ROBERT FROST MEDAL FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Michael Harper is awarded the Robert Frost Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Society of America.

ALUMNI OF COLOR INITIATIVE LAUNCHED

The Alumni of Color Initiative (AOCI) is launched with staff support, including an Assistant Director of Development, and becomes the first Alumni of Color-focused initiative to be fully included and supported as part of a university-wide development campaign (Boldly Brown).

THIRD BLACK RHODES SCHOLAR

Rakim Brooks ’09 is the third Black Rhodes Scholar at Brown.

EDWIGE DANTICAT—MACARTHUR FELLOW

Edwidge Danticat ’93 becomes a MacArthur Fellow.

DORSEY JAMES—TWELTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI

Dorsey James '83 is elected Trustee by Alumni to the Brown Corporation. His term is from 2009 to 2015.

FIFTH PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Rosetta Hillary ’73 is the fifth President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

JASMINE WADDELL—THIRTEENTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Jasmine Waddell '99 is elected Trustee by alumni to the Brown Corporation. Her term is from 2011 to 2017.

INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL WELCOMES FIRST ENDOWED SCHOLAR

The Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) exceeds its $250,000 fund-raising target for its first Alumni of Color Initiative (AOCI) Endowed Scholarship and welcomes the first IPC Endowed Scholar in September 2011.

INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL FUNDRAISING FOR AFRICANA STUDIES

The Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) exceeds its $100,000 fundraising target for the Alumni of Color Initiative’s Ruth J. Simmons Endowed Fund for Africana Studies.

SIXTH PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Karen McLaurin-Chesson ’74 is the sixth President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SLAVERY AND JUSTICE FOUNDED

The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice is founded with Anthony Bogues, Lyn Crost Professor of Social Sciences and Critical Theory, as its first Director.

CRAIG BARTON—THIRTEENTH BLACK TRUSTEE APPOINTED TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Craig Barton '78 is appointed Trustee on the Brown Corporation. His term is from 2012 to 2018.

SECOND BLACK WOMAN FELLOW ON THE BROWN CORPORATION

Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson ’73 is the second Black woman fellow on the Brown Corporation and the sixth Black fellow in its history. Her term is from 2013 to 2024.

PRESIDENT-ELECT OF BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND BROWN TRUSTEE

Preston Tisdale ’73 is elected President-Elect of the Brown Alumni Association. He will become its third Black President and a Brown Trustee in July of 2015.

ALISON STEWART—FOURTEENTH BLACK TRUSTEE ELECTED BY ALUMNI TO THE BROWN CORPORATION

Alison Stewart '88  is elected Trustee to the Brown Corporation by alumni. Her term is from 2013 to 2019.

CENTER FOR RACE AND ETHNICITY IN AMERICA DIRECTOR

Tricia Rose ’87, PhD '93 is named the Director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in America.

INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL EXCEEDS ITS RECORD BROWN ANNUAL FUND TARGET BY 20%

The Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) exceeds its record Brown Annual Fund (BAF) participation target by 20% and welcomes its first BAF–IPC Scholar in September 2013. The scholarship is also made possible by IPC Brown Fund challengers: Roosevelt Robinson ’78, Lynette Allison Carr '79, Westley Thompson '76, and Derrick Medina '88.

SEVENTH PRESIDENT OF INMAN PAGE BLACK ALUMNI COUNCIL

Tiffani Scott '98 is the seventh President of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council.

SLAVERY MEMORIAL DEDICATED

Created by Martin Puryear, the Slavery Memorial recognizes Brown University’s connection to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the work of Africans and African-Americans, enslaved and free, who helped build Brown University, Rhode Island, and the nation.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SLAVERY AND JUSTICE

The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice dedicates its new building at 94 Waterman Street.

OLDEST BROWN ALUM—!N MEMORIAM

Beatrice Coleman ‘25 (1907 - 2014) age 109, is considered Brown's oldest graduate at the time of her passing.

50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BROWN-TOUGALOO ALLIANCE

The anniversary of the 50 year alliance between Brown and Tougaloo is forged during the Southern Freedom Struggles of the 1960s. Tougaloo's visionary President, Beverly Wade Hogan represents the expansion of that partnership for the enrichment of faculty and students at both institutions. She receives a Doctor of Humane Letters from Brown in 2013.

BLACK OUT

Undergraduates organize a walkout in solidarity with student protest at the University of Missouri and Yale University. They share stories about insitutionalized and interpersonal racsim at Brown.

TEACH IN

Africana Graduate Students organize a Teach-In on the main green in support of the undergraduate student walk out and issued a list of demands to Brown University.