When the Faunce House mailroom delivered more than just mail

From magazines to newspapers, the mailroom was a link to worlds outside of Brown.

“I was and still am a sports nut and was the only female student I saw who was getting Sports Illustrated every week,” said Carolyn K. DeFrancesco '81. “I was also getting the Narragansett Times from my summer community. It was published twice a week and was like a breath of fresh air from southern Rhode Island, another world from campus and Providence, especially since I did not have a car on campus!”

Mailroom clerks had their own rituals, too. Peter J. Morris '02, who worked there between classes, remembers the simple pleasures of stuffing mailboxes with letters and leaving blue slips for students who had packages waiting for them. “There was always at least one student who didn't have a blue card who just knew their package was there and needed us to find it for them. Spoiler alert: it wasn't,” he teased.

A hub for social interactions 

In many ways, the Faunce House mailroom was a focal point of campus—it wasn’t just the place to fetch mail. It was also where students socialized and built community. A mail run on campus could lead to a spontaneous encounter with a friend, a classmate, or even a crush. 

"The campus post office run served an important social purpose most days,” recalled Mary-Jo (MJ) Haronian '86. “There were always people milling about and spilling into the courtyard, good music playing, and announcements on flyers for upcoming events, protests, vigils, and parties.” 

A sunken patio led to the mailroom. Vendors would set up there, selling jewelry, tapestries, and other items. Student groups would hand out flyers, some of which were placed inside student mailboxes. And of course, every week without fail, there was one particular party that would spill outside the courtyard, bringing out all of Brunonia: Funk Nite.  

“I never knew who set up the large speakers along the roof or who sanctioned the event, but Funk Nite meant that whether you had people you were planning to meet or you were showing up alone on your way back from studying at the Rock, you had a place to go that without question, you belonged,” said Kauser Ahmed '89. “For me, it was one of my purest experiences of being at Brown where I felt simultaneously happy just being in my own company and a part of something bigger.”

Preserving a bygone era 

These days, mail services at Brown look a lot different. Students expect fewer letters, but more Amazon packages. Like many universities, Brown moved toward a centralized hub for postal services, including package delivery.

Page-Robinson Hall, formerly J. Walter Wilson Laboratory, became the new home of mail services when the University renovated Faunce House to create the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center in fall 2010. Soon, student mailboxes became a relic of the past. 

Around 2013, the Brown Bookstore commissioned the student mailboxes to be repurposed into wooden coin banks. It was a way to keep the memories of the old mailroom alive, and allow alumni to own a piece of Brown history. 

For alumni like Jody Katzner '86, who was able to snag one, it’s a prized possession. “I had this box for all four years and now it’s on a shelf in my home office!” said Katzner. 

To this day, many alumni still remember their box and combination numbers. 

“I’ve forgotten a lot of things since I graduated 50 years ago, but that’s not one of them,” added Woog. 

This piece includes information sourced from the Joukowsky Institute’s Art and Artifacts of Rhode Island Hall.