Book excerpt: Intro -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Part One: Starting from Scratch, 1879-1934 -- 1. The "Laughing Evangelist"--2. Creating a New Kind of College -- 3. From John E. Brown College to John Brown University -- Part Two: Achieving Permanence, 1935-1962 -- 4. College Life in the Early Years -- 5. Foundations for Growth -- 6. Emerging from the Founder's Shadow -- Part Three: Pursuing Excellence, 1963-2000 -- 7. Decades of Turmoil and Transition -- 8. A Third Brown Presidency -- 9. New Leadership, New Directions -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliographical Essay -- Index