Dr. William H. P. Faunce, 1859-1930, was most notable for being president of Brown University from 1899 to 1929. He is considered one of the great educational administrators and orators of his time.

A Brown graduate, he taught freshman mathematics before leaving Brown to attend Theological Seminary and later Divinity School. Faunce accepted the presidency of Brown in 1899. His tenure lasted thirty years, the longest presidential administration in Brown’s history. During this time, Brown grew from an institution of 860 students to a major university of 2,201 students. The campus took on it’s modern appearance with the building of the iconic Van Wickle Gates, John Carter Brown Library, modern scientific laboratories, Alumnae Hall at the women’s college and more.