Curated by Lydia Bennett ’24

In the 1920s, Student life revolved around fraternity living and student clubs. Many students read about local news and hyperlocal happenings through The Beacon. Rhode Island State College was a tight knit community.

Robert E. Blake: College Life in 1924

Robert E. Blake entered Rhode Island in 1924, joining Rho Iota Kappa and was active on campus. Blake played varsity football at RISC starting in 1925. He also played baseball, ran track, rose to Sergeant in the RISC Battalion, joined the Activities Committee of the Men’s Student Council, and was Chairman of Junior Prom Committee. Despite his active involvement in campus life, Blake dropped out of RISC in his senior year.

Blake kept careful notes on his college experience. He wrote about his frat friends, his professors, school dances, important trips off campus, and his experience playing football and baseball. Blake also attached pictures, many of which feature casual moments. Blake kept mementos: a class schedule sheet, an itemized tuition cost sheet, football programs, and postcards from trips.

In the “My Favorites” section, Blake consistently listed his hobby as drawing. Indeed, the standout star of Blake’s scrapbook are his cartoons. Blake seems to have drawn his cartoons solely for his own purposes; he never published them in the Beacon. Many of the punchlines hold up a century later. He drew about his experiences at his frat and dances. He also drew about the football team. The cartoons are full of self-references which show a sardonic and cynical side to him but also depict the small pleasures of college life.

Almost the entirety of the scrapbook isfocused on 1924 to 1926. In January 1927, Blake noted meeting a “fine” cartoonist named Pitt Parker, as well as attending a “short and snappy” freshman play and dance at Lippitt Hall.

It seems Blake dropped out of college at the end of his junior year (1927). No records of Robert E. Blake since his time at Rhode Island exist online.

The Puritan (1950-1960)

During the 1950s, the school underwent massive expansion in both size and staff to university status. The students formed new outlets to share their art. In 1950, students inspired by the Rhode Island Review formed the Puritan, “a lighter magazine with broader appeal.” Contributors published experimental short stories, poems, cartoons, and photography. The magazine followed an annual release schedule.

The Puritan featured relatable portrayals of student life. Students created photo spreads and drew cartoons about campus experiences.

The Puritan grew quickly on the backs of student writers, poets, and artists. Contributors focused on the more surreal aspects of their college experience. Ross Feinberg (1953-1957) portrayed the tired drunken student, a common subject of the Puritan.

Selected comics from the 1956 issue of the Puritan:

1955-57 was the high point in student participation for the Puritan. However, by 1958 the Puritan was struggling for student contributions. In 1960, the final Puritan was printed. Students continued its legacy. The Good Five Cent Cigar claimed the magazine as an inspiration.

1960s/1970s

In the 1960s and 1970s, URI continued to shift to new teaching styles and campus activism, led by both professors and students. Professor Arnold Claire taught at URI in the music department from the late 1940s to 1969, and fought for decades to establish the Fine Arts major. He began a Festival of Fine Arts in 1963 to help his cause.

1965 Festival of the Arts program