Brown Magazine

The Brown Magazine first appeared in April 1890. Henry R. Palmer 1890, Editor-in-Chief, wrote of its purpose, “The BROWN MAGAZINE aims to be the exponent of the university’s best literary attainment and expression. Its first appearance is accompanied by no apology, for it considers that its sufficient raison d’etre is in the recent quickening of every college department and the universally better appreciation of the immediate future. Hitherto there has been little opportunity for a public presentation of the college’s more serious literary composition, and the student has lacked in consequence an undeniably potent incentive to careful and painstaking work.” The magazine, which appeared monthly was editorially welcomed by the Brunonian, which, in response to demand of the college community had changed from a quarterly literary publication to a bi-weekly newspaper. The editors of the Brown Magazine were members of the senior class. The March 1891 issue noted a tendency to criticize the magazine’s policy of “freely admitting the professors to its pages.” Also admitted to pages were the newly arrived women students, and in 1893-94 the name of Mary Emma Woolley 1894 appeared in the list of editors (although she was not included in their photograph). The magazine printed prose and poetry, carried full texts of class orations, and had ongoing columns named “Outlook,” “Brown Study,” “College Press” (exchanges from other college publications), and “New Books.” Contributors who later pursued literary careers were editor Henry Robinson Palmer 1890, pageant writer William Chauncy Langdon 1892, editor and dramatist Albert Ellsworth Thomas 1894, professor and author Dallas Lore Sharp 1895, and newspaperman F. Severance Johnson 1899. The Brown Magazine ceased publication with the issue of June 1898.