A loyal reader who lived in Brown College a couple of years ago very kindly sent the Woodson some interesting documents. We’re extremely grateful but will be occupied for quite some time trying to unravel all the intricacies of this tracking system:
Bonus: I’m not sure why I so enjoy seeing things that are supposed to be vertical go horizontal.
One could argue that the brown check-out system was designed to prevent “things that are supposed to be vertical go[ing] horizontal”
You are so kind to say “a couple of years ago.” 😎 I’m so pleased that you found this stuff interesting!
There is a reason why the Resident Supervisors were called wardens.
Perhaps the horizontal thing in the picture has been taking lessons from the Italian cypresses?
That’s always my assumption. It’s catching.
So glad that we did not have to go through all of this when I was living at Brown College.
I’m not sure when the girls actually did, Melinda. I really don’t remember the system as described at all, but I think I was a freshman when these papers were sent to my mom (I’m sure it was she who saved them). I’m hoping some folks reading the blog can either jog my memory or tell us when they were actually in use.
There was an editorial in the Thresher in February 1971 in favor of “24-hour open house” which had apparently been voted down by a majority of Brown College residents. So apparently the curfew didn’t last much past that.
24-hour open house was THE hot topic of the day my senior year. Open house my freshman year was 2-6 EVERY OTHER Sunday afternoon. By the time I graduated if it wasn’t 24-hours it was close to it. I like to say that’s the ’60’s in a nutshell 😎
I know that Jones had 24-hour open house starting in September 1972. A visitor had to be signed in, signed out, and escorted at all times above the first floor. I think residents still had to sign in and out at night. There were two residence supervisors — one for North and one for South — with an apartment right next to the desk.
Given a daughter about to leave Houston for her freshman year, this sounds like an entirely workable system to me! She has to be up early for cross country practice every day anyway. I will send this along with her!
(Any idea of the date of these rules?)
Was there a similar system to track down the boys who might be out after 7 p.m.?
I think we all know the answer to that!