A highlight of the recent Moses Brown reunion was a captivating book talk by alumnus Cliff Brown ’60, held at the Rachel Thayer House on campus. Brown, a distinguished professor from Union College, presented his expansive three-volume work entitled Teaching Us: The Class of 1960 at Moses Brown School, an unprecedented history of Moses Brown told from the student perspective.

Brown emphasized that his work was a collaborative effort, a "Class of 1960 plus book," crediting numerous alumni and influential faculty coaches like Doc O'Dell and Jerry Zeoli for their invaluable contributions. He highlighted that these dedicated educators were deeply invested in their students' lives, knowing them "better than we did ourselves." The book aims to honor these mentors and capture their unique teaching styles.

The book explores three pillars of the Moses Brown education: classroom experience, extracurriculars (student government, clubs, publications), and sports. Brown revealed how even activities like managing a team offered strategic insights, citing Coach Zeoli’s innovative approach to football that revolutionized the game for their smaller team.
 

Beyond the school's walls, Brown painted a vivid picture of the 1950s context: the rise of television, the Cold War's anxieties (like Sputnik), and the evolving American identity marked by pride in living standards rather than military might. He also touched on the shift in Rhode Island's industrial landscape during that decade.

Academically, Brown noted the lower school's focus on practical skills like multiplication tables, leading to a more intellectual and reasoning-based approach in upper school. He traced the evolution of history and English teaching, from storytelling and oral presentations to deeper literary and historical analysis. He even shared a humorous anecdote about "Babe" Herman, a legendary math teacher who used a broken yardstick to teach a geometric axiom, embodying his philosophy of making students discover answers themselves.

Brown's comprehensive work offers a rich, personal account of the Moses Brown experience during a transformative era, celebrating both the institution and the remarkable individuals who shaped it.