Date of Award

4-6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. David Gellman

Second Advisor

Dr. Alexander Komives

Third Advisor

Dr. Bridget Gourley

Abstract

This thesis pursues various avenues of inquiry. I analyzed a multitude of primary sources related to Sherwood Fiske Brown, including his undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, and doctoral dissertation. I visited Colby College over the summer of 2025 and uncovered many biographical documents and papers related to his time at Colby, as well as his sabbatical at MIT in 1957. Of particular interest is a biographical information packet completed by Brown upon his date of hire, which provides his occupational and familial history. I also obtained information from St. Lawrence University, MIT, UMass Lowell, and the Framingham Historical Society. These sources include course catalogs, registrar papers, article clippings, and yearbook pages. School newspapers, including Colby’s The Colby Echo and Lowell’s The Text, provide great insight into Brown’s life as an educator. My grandfather and great-uncle also have sharp memories of their father and his various roles and experiences, revealing the complexities of a family man caught in the fervor of mid-century scientific competition in American higher education.

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