Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe modern university towns. The metaphor is historical in its connotation but continues to be used in the literature on urban higher education and in common parlance.
Read more about Town And Gown: Origin of The Term, Town-and-gown Relations in The Post-medieval and Modern Eras, Post-1960s: Changing Climate, Changing Issues
Famous quotes containing the words town and/or gown:
“When, in some obscure country town, the farmers come together to a special town meeting, to express their opinion on some subject which is vexing to the land, that, I think, is the true Congress, and the most respectable one that is ever assembled in the United States.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Mr. Doctor, that loose gown becomes you so well I wonder your notions should be so narrow.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)