The Brown family and in particular the four sons of James Brown (grandson of Chad Brown, who established the family in America), were associated Rhode Island College from its earliest days.

The merchant brothers, Nicholas, Joseph, John, and Moses, as a unit and individually, contributed to locating the College in providence, funding its buildings, endowing chairs, and more. Although not the largest, perhaps the most memorable gift of the Brown family was the $5,000 paid by Nicholas Brown, Jr. in 1804 that would give the College its name: Brown University.