Editing Brown University (section)

====Brown family====
[[File:Nicholas Brown Jr by Chester Harding 1836.jpg|thumb|Following the gift of [[Nicholas Brown Jr.]] (Class of 1786), the university was renamed in his honor.]] 
[[Nicholas Brown Sr.|Nicholas Brown]], [[John Brown (Rhode Island politician)|John Brown]], [[Joseph Brown (astronomer)|Joseph Brown]], and [[Moses Brown]] were instrumental in moving the college to Providence, constructing its first building, and securing its endowment. Joseph became a professor of [[natural philosophy]] at the college; John served as its treasurer from 1775 to 1796; and Nicholas Sr's son [[Nicholas Brown Jr.]] succeeded his uncle as treasurer from 1796 to 1825.<ref>Szep, Jason. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-slavery-brown/brown-exhibit-traces-links-to-slave-trade-idUSN2831643920070329#:~:text=PROVIDENCE%2C%20Rhode%20Island%20(Reuters),were%20shot%20dead%20or%20drowned. Brown exhibit traces links to slave trade] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719022715/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-slavery-brown/brown-exhibit-traces-links-to-slave-trade-idUSN2831643920070329#:~:text=PROVIDENCE%2C%20Rhode%20Island%20(Reuters),were%20shot%20dead%20or%20drowned. |date=July 19, 2020 }} Reuters, March 29, 2007.</ref>

On September 8, 1803, the corporation voted, "That the donation of $5,000, if made to this College within one Year from the late Commencement, shall entitle the donor to name the College." The following year, the appeal was answered by College Treasurer Nicholas Brown Jr. In a letter dated September 6, 1804, Brown committed "a donation of Five Thousand Dollars to Rhode Island College, to remain in perpetuity as a fund for the establishment of a Professorship of Oratory and Belles Letters." In recognition of the gift, the corporation on the same day voted, "That this College be called and known in all future time by the Name of Brown University."<ref>{{Cite book |last=University |first=Brown |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zl-AAAAIAAJ |title=Historical Catalogue of Brown University, 1764–1914 |date=1914 |publisher=The University |pages=11 |language=en |access-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028221008/https://books.google.com/books?id=6zl-AAAAIAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> Over the years, the benefactions of Nicholas Brown Jr., totaled nearly $160,000 and included funds for building Hope College (1821–22) and Manning Hall (1834–35).

In 1904, the [[John Carter Brown Library]] was established as an independently funded research library on Brown's campus; the library's collection was founded on that of [[John Carter Brown]], son of Nicholas Brown Jr.

The Brown family was involved in various business ventures in Rhode Island, and accrued wealth both directly and indirectly from the [[Transatlantic Slave Trade|transatlantic slave trade]]. The family was divided on the issue of slavery. John Brown had defended slavery, while Moses and Nicholas Brown Jr. were fervent [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]].

In 2003, under the tenure of President [[Ruth Simmons]], the university established a steering committee to investigate these ties of the university to slavery and recommend a strategy to address them.<ref>Howell, Ricardo (2001, July). "[https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Info/Slavery.html Slavery, the Brown Family of Providence and Brown University] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409001105/https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Info/Slavery.html |date=2008-04-09}}", ''Brown University News Service''</ref>