John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study

History

The John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study (JNBC) is named after John Nicholas Brown II (1900-1979), a founder of the Providence Preservation Society and of the Heritage Trust of Rhode Island, to honor his commitment to art and architecture, historic preservation and philanthropy.

History

The John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study (JNBC) is named after John Nicholas Brown II (1900-1979), a founder of the Providence Preservation Society and of the Heritage Trust of Rhode Island, to honor his commitment to art and architecture, historic preservation and philanthropy.

JNBC Timeline

Following the death of John Nicholas Brown (1900-1979), his widow, Anne Seddon Kinsolving Brown (1906-1985), and their children established a foundation in memory of her late husband. They conceived of the John Nicholas Brown Center as a place for the study of American civilization and public engagement, especially with regard to arts and culture.

1979

oil portrait of an adult in a blue shirt in front of a blue sky and ocean horizon

1995

oil painting of head and shoulders figure of a woman in flowered dress and pearls

From 1987 to 1993, the Nightingale-Brown House was restored and renovated to strengthen its structure, emphasize its mid-20th-century appearance, and provide modern amenities for scholars. In 1995, the descendants of John Nicholas Brown donated the restored Nightingale-Brown House, much of its contents, and an endowment to Brown University.

In 2004, the John Nicholas Brown Center revised its mission and became the Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, offering a Master’s degree in the field. The Nightingale-Brown House provided classrooms, public programming space, exhibit galleries, and study spaces for up to twenty students in the program.
 

2000s

exterior view of a massive house rennovation

2022

exterior view of a large victorian mansion with yellow walls and white trim

In 2022, Brown University announced an expansion of the JNBC’s traditional emphasis on public engagement by launching a center for advanced study to foster broad public discussion and the dissemination of academic research across the full range of disciplines.

The JNBC thus continues to perpetuate the legacy of John Nicholas Brown by serving as a catalyst for communicating the intrinsic value of academic scholarship to the wider public.

Contact

John Nicholas Brown Center for Advanced Study
Nightingale-Brown House
357 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903