Most students know R.T. Carr as the voice that brings a little cheer into an otherwise dreary Dead Week as he announces that the loan desk is closed and that Green Library has turned into a study hall.

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Alvin Chow

R.T. Carr, whose voice is synonymous with late night studying at Green, says he tries to use his B.A. in drama to liven up public service announcements.

“Please conduct yourselves accordingly,” he says every night at 10 p.m. on the dot. “It’s okay to relax a little — you can put your feet up.”

Carr’s enthusiasm and Santa-like appearance have made him a bright spot during end-of-quarter gloom and doom.

“His overall good attitude and upbeat nature is really nice to have around,” said senior Jessica Satre. “He is always a smiling face and that’s really nice during finals when people are hardly looking at each other.”

Growing up at San Quentin Prison, where his father was a guard, Carr attended athletic events at Stanford with his godfather, who worked as an usher. He began working at Green Library in 1984 as a portal monitor. In addition to scanning IDs, checking backpacks and locating books, Carr actively engaged the students in conversation and became a distinct figure in the Stanford community.

“There were a lot of things I witnessed during those years,” Carr said. “We once had 55 guys dressed in Playboy outfits from some frat initiation. Students are really capable of doing anything, some of which we don’t want to discuss, but we’ve really seen it all.”

After working at the front desk for nearly five years, Carr became a library specialist and then moved to Media and Reserves in Meyer Library. For the last five years, Carr has held the late night shift at Green, working from 4 p.m to 1 a.m.

“The hours really work for me, and it’s an enjoyable time.” Carr said. “You talk to people all the time. We have contact with everyone here, with people from all different walks of life.”

In addition to working in the library, Carr is active in public service. For more than twenty years he has served as an usher at graduation and plays the role of Santa Claus for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the Salvation Army.

“I play folk music too, so they’ve come to call me the Singing Santa,” said Carr, who can often be spotted playing his guitar on the grass outside the library in the afternoon. His album “Christmas 2005,” filled with his favorite Christmas songs and his readings of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” was sold in the Bookstore several years ago.

Carr also served as a freshman advisor for five years, giving the students treats and notes during finals week.

“One of the people I used to advise was an RA in a freshman dorm,” he said. “And one year he sent the entire dorm over to shake my hand and say hello. All of Branner came over to Green to say hi to me.”

For fifteen years, Carr has been making the PA announcements that have become so renowned, and he credits his theatre background with much of their success.

“I learned in getting a drama BA that that if you give it a littler different spin, people that are used to listening to the same thing will start to pay attention,” Carr said.

After 15 years, the dozens of ears that perk up every night at 10 p.m. suggest he might be right.