The Class of 1976 experienced Brown at a time of significant historical changes, both on the national and university level. They were the first class who could vote at 18, the second class following the merging of the Pembroke and Brown campuses, and the first class to enter college under the passage of Title IX. They also came to Brown amid national tensions over the Vietnam War, racial equity, and political scandals, and were among the first students to engage in Brown’s “New Curriculum.” The moment of the mid-1970s thus served as a truly pivotal convergence of new local and national precedents, which were imbued throughout campus life at Brown University. In 2026 – the semiquincentennial of the United States – it is more crucial than ever to examine the role of universities as institutions that can navigate these historically significant events.

After conducting more than twenty oral history interviews of members of the Class of 1976, Mary Lynch ‘29 and Ian Cressman ’28 invite you to listen to “1976 in 2026: A Brown 2026 Oral History Exploration,” which is their podcast project available here.