Brown is known for its open curriculum and Ivy League reputation. But beneath its surface image, Brown has a collection of quirky traditions, discrete rumors, and spooky secrets that are unheard by most students. If you’re wanting to get in on the underground history of Brown, here are six of Brown’s most surprising (and weird) pieces of campus lore.
1. Josiah Carberry: The Professor Who Never Existed
In 1929, a notice appeared on the university bulletin announcing a lecture by a “Professor Josiah S. Carberry” on the study of psychoceramics (study of cracked pots). Students gathered to attend his lecture, but no professor showed. And so, the legend was born. Now, every Friday the 13th and leap day, some at Brown celebrate “Carberry Day.” Students will leave cracked pots outside all the university libraries, and gifts in his name go to a fund that purchases whimsical books for the schools growing collections. Was Carberry ever real? Even so, his legacy remains as one of Brown’s unique pieces of history.
2. The Van Wickle Gates’ Curse
The Van Wickle Gates are iconic and open only on occasion. As many students know, the center gates only open to welcome first-years at convocation and to send graduates out at commencement. But the superstition behind it? It’s said that if you walk through the center gate at any other time, you’ll curse and ruin your chances of graduating. Some students avoid it altogether, while others avoid it by running backwards or skipping mid-step. Some of the band students have even gone as far as to climb over the gate when they play at convocation to avoid the curse. Whether or not you believe this superstition, it’s not somewhere you will see people strolling through.
3. Secret Tunnels Beneath Brown
Beneath the historic building and paths of College Hill, there’s said to be a secret underground network of steam tunnels. Some are simply for utilities — used for utilities — while others exist only as rumors. Years ago there were claims that students snuck in and explored the passageways. While access today is off-limits to the public and locked up, the rumors persist. So remember, as you walk around campus, there may be secret level of Brown beneath your feet.
4. Books Bound in Skin at the John Hay Library
The John Hay Library is home to many rare books such as manuscripts and special collections, but its most infamous rumor is definitely unsettling. Among its inventory are volumes that have been confirmed to be bound in human skin (anthropodermic bibliopegy). Part of its underground collection contains occult, magic, and other strange volumes that, as can be expected, are not on display. These books’ presence has made the Hay one of the most notable libraries in the country. Whether you find it interesting or disturbing, it’s one example that Brown’s archives contain things more unexpected than many believe.
5. Annmary Brown Memorial: Mausoleum Museum
The Annmary Brown Memorial may look like any other of the historic and grand buildings on campus, but its origin and purpose are far from usual. Built by General Rush Hawkins for his wife, Annmary Brown, the concrete and windowless structure is an art museum as well as a mausoleum. A gate lies in the back of the buildout in front of the couple’s crypt. The building is on a central part of campus and student life. Its a beautiful structure with a melancholy purpose, making it pretty surreal to pass on the daily—it stands as a reminder of Brown’s long history filled with both love and loss. Though the structure is their final legacy, it is mainly seen just as another piece of unique architecture.
6. Midnight Organ Recital: Halloween Tradition
Every Halloween, Sayles Hall fills with students with cozy blankets and costumes excited for the annual midnight organ recital on Brown’s infamous pipe organ. The show presents spooky classics such as Bach’s Toccata and Fugue with twists and surprises. The atmosphere is unlike anything. The eerie and candlelit room is known to be partly a haunted concert and part a cozy Halloween party. It is one of Browns most beloved traditions and shows how the university leans into the spooky side of its history.
From invisible professors to underground catacombs, Brown’s extensive lore is what makes College Hill so much more than academics. So the next time you sit on the Main Green or head to the library, remember, there’s always more to Brown than what’s on the surface.