PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In 33 years as a custodian at Brown University, Leo Eastman guesses he has worked in just about every building on campus — and he knows for sure that he has made countless connections with the generations of people who have learned, taught, studied and moved through those spaces.
In his chief role as custodian and caretaker of Rochambeau House, Eastman has meticulously stewarded the home of Brown’s French and Francophone studies and Hispanic studies departments since 1993. He cares for the century-old 20,000-square-foot building filled with ornate fixtures and delicate furnishings that was once the home of Brown Chancellor Henry D. Sharpe and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, which they designed in the style of an 18th-century French chateau.
In the decades since he first came to Brown as a temporary employee, Eastman has built a career and left an indelible mark on Rochambeau House and beyond, so much so that he won Brown’s Excellence Award for Citizenship in Spring 2026 for his contributions to the University.
“He is eager to make people feel welcomed, always greeting them with a smile, a kind word or a fun story,” Eastman’s colleagues wrote in his award nomination. “He leads with warmth and compassion and passes along stories of both the University’s history and his life with enormous affection and pride… One of the greatest testaments to Leo’s exceptional work and dedication to the people around him comes from how often alumni and former employees ask about him when they visit.”
In this Q&A, Eastman reflects on his path from Liberia to Rhode Island, his career, and the connections at Brown that have sustained and enhanced his work and life.
Q: Where are you from originally, and what was your path to Brown?
I was born in Liberia, and then I came to the United States in 1984, and I went to Saint Augustine’s College in North Carolina. There was an uprising in Liberia so I couldn’t go back, so I moved to Florida. And from Florida, I came here, and I started at Brown in March of 1993. I had some family members who worked at Brown at the time, and they recommended Brown to me, and I started off as a temp.
Q: What was your first impression of the University?
Before Brown, I worked as a cleaner, I did some bartending and restaurant work, which also involved cleaning, but this was fairly new to me. I was nervous my first day, but one of the things that made me feel comfortable is the people in this building. The chair of the French department told me, “You look nervous, but don’t worry, just take your time.” As the year progressed and the longer I stayed on the job, the more I got to know how to do it. I was hired full-time six or seven months later. So it was the people — back then, and in this building now — who made me feel comfortable.
