Guide to the Brown University Faculty Club files, 1927-1984

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2012

Collection Overview

Title:	Brown University Faculty Club files
Date range:	1927-1984
Creator:	Brown University. Faculty Club.
Extent:	1.5 Linear feet
Abstract:	The Faculty Club files comprise records of book acquisitions and meeting minutes. Materials date from 1923 to 1988.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	OF.1LS.1

Scope & content

Access Points

Subject Organizations

• Brown University

Subject Topics

• Universities and colleges--Faculty
• Universities and colleges--Societies, etc.

Subject Topics

• College teachers

Document Types

• Minutes
• Office files

Subject Topics

• Education

Arrangement

The Faculty Club files have been organized into two series:

• I. Book records
• II. Minutes, etc.

Administrative history

The Faculty Club was formed after the acquisition in 1922 of the house at 13 Brown Street. President Faunce, in his annual report in October 1922, pointed out the desire of the University to improve the "mutual acquaintance which is the prerequisite of intellectual understanding and cooperation." The club rooms on the first floor were furnished by the Faculty, and Faunce announced that “Modest annual dues will make it possible for all to join the new organization." The upper floors were rented as living quarters to single faculty members and also to assistants and graduate students. In 1938 the Faculty Club moved to the house at 1 Megee Street, the former home of Zachariah Allen 1813, designed by Alfred Stone and built in 1864, which had become the home of William Ely 1878. The house was officially called "Ely House." At about the same time a new Faculty House at 166 George Street was purchased to house bachelor faculty members who had lived at the old Faculty Club, which was converted into an infirmary and named Andrews House.

Membership in the Faculty Club was originally restricted to members of the faculty of professorial rank, full-time instructors, and administrative officers designated by the Board of Governors. Dining facilities were provided under the direction of the Cafe Committee. In 1944 the Board of Governors admitted women to the main dining room. Traditional activities of the Club were annual smokers in the fall to introduce new faculty members and special luncheons with guest speakers held twice a month. In 1957 a new room in the basement was opened as a self-service lunchroom and later in the afternoon as an informal cocktail lounge, for which the principal ingredients were stored by faculty members in rented lockers. The room was named the "Pine Room." In 1975 improvements were made to the building in the form of four new dining rooms. The basement room, now named the "Brown Jug," was decorated with memorabilia of the 1920s, and also with a Class D liquor license obtained in December 1975. At the same time the membership of the Club was augmented by the admission of alumni and alumnae members. A major renovation of the Faculty Club was undertaken in 1980, when a one-story wing to the north and east, designed by Ira Rakatansky, was added, providing a main dining room for 100.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Faculty Club files, OF-1LS-1, Brown University Archives.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Brown University Library staff
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012 December 7
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Sponsor:	Processing funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Additional Information

Inventory

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