Brown Bedel

The Brown Bedel appeared in December 1931, announcing its attempt “to be something, new, smart, and different in college magazines, an undergraduate review.” It also announced the intention of providing “a frank and vigorous discussion of subjects vital to Brown – fraternities, athletics, publicity,” and went right to work on two of these topics in the first issue. Editor Wendell Barnes ’32 suggested that the University appoint a full time experienced publicity officer as other leading universities had done, and a writer on athletics advocated “tuitions for touchdowns.” A notable feature was the photography of Fred Stepina Niemann ’35. Some excitement was caused before the appearance of the first issue of the Bedel by the distribution of a mimeographed publication with the same title. The second and last issue in March 1932 contained a suggestion that the University build a new house for each fraternity with the provision that the chapters pay off the debt or rent the houses.