Frank C. Brown Files, 1919-1941

Scope and content:

Frank Clyde Brown was the supervisor of construction of the new buildings on the West Campus of Duke University from 1925-1930, as well as a literature professor at Duke. The files in this series pertain mainly to planning the construction of new buildings on the Duke Campus. The biographical note in for the Frank Clyde Brown Papers (located in the Duke University Archives) notes:

"Between 1924 and 1930, Brown was deeply absorbed in the expansion of Trinity College into Duke University, serving as a member of the Building Committee of the Board of Trustees and as the first comptroller of the University. As comptroller, he acted as the liaison for architects, contractors, suppliers, administrators, and faculty in the designing, construction, and equipping of the redesigned East Campus, which became the Woman's College, and of the completely new West Campus. Brown is credited with contributing many original ideas to the building plans, foremost of which was the discovery of the nearby Hillsborough, N.C. stone and the recommendation that this material be utilized in the construction of the Gothic West Campus. He also served as university marshal, planning all major formal celebrations and entertaining numerous distinguished visitors to the new university."

Brown's files in this series mainly contain correspondence, plans, contracts, some architectural drawings, and other materials related to construction. Several files have more relation to his interest in literature and his position as professor. Researchers should be aware that the materials in this series and the materials in the Frank Clyde Brown Papers are very closely related, and both collections may need to be examined.

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