Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/463

BROWN.BROWN. Henry Harrison. From 1825 to 1830 he was canal commissioner of Ohio. In the latter year he was appointed minister to Brazil by President Jack- son, holding the office four years. In 1835 he was made commissioner of the general land office at Washington, and in 1836 he removed to Indiana, where he served in the state assembly in 1842. He died in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 24, 1852.

BROWN, Fletcher, educator, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, August 2, 1850, and when fourteen years old removed to Jasper county, Iowa, with his father, who settled on a farm. He attended Central university of Iowa at Pella, and Simpson college, Indianola, Iowa, where he was graduated A.B., in 1877, receiving the Master's degree pro merito in 1880. Dur- ing his junior year in college he was given license to preach, and upon graduating became a student of Drew theological semin- ji ary, Madison, N. J., / where he received the B.D. degree. He then returned to

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by the Des Moines conference to Carlisle charge, where he served the people with marked success for three years. His next work was at Dunlap, where he remained two years; next at Carson, three years ; then at Adel one year. From Adel he was called to the vice-presidency of Simpson college. He was chosen a member of the execu- tive board, and on the resignation of President Holmes became president, serving 1892-'98. He was married in 1880 to Ervilla Holmes, a gradu- ate of Simpson college, sister of President Holmes, and daugliter of Elder Holmes. President Brown, when called to take charge of the finances of the college, found but one building on the grounds ; in the second year of his vice-presidency, Science hall was built and equipped, costing $25,000, and in two years more Ladies' hall was completed and occupied, also two other buildings. He be- came financial secretary of the Preachers' Aid Society, and edited Tlie Educator nine years.

BROWN, Foster Vincent, representative, was born in White county, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1854; was graduated at Burritt college, Van Buren county, Tenn., in 1871, and in law at the Cumberland university in 1873. He located in the practice of his profession at Jasper, Tenn., was elected attorney-general of the fourth judicial district in 1866, and held the office for eight years. In 1890

he removed to Chattanooga, where he became a partner with Charles D. Clark, U. S. district judge. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1884, and voted for James G. Blaine for President. In 1894 he was elected a representative to the 54th Congress from the third Tennessee district and declined a re-nom- ination in 1896.

BROWN, Francis, educator, was born at Han- over, N. H., Dec. 26, 1849. He was graduated at Dartmouth college in 1870, and from the Union theological seminary in 1877. He spent two years in Germany, taking university training in biblical literature. In 1881 he became associate professor in biblical philology in the Union theo- logical seminary. In 1890 he was caUed to the chair of Hebrew and cognate languages in the same institution. His principal published work is, " Assyriology, its Use and Abuse in Old Tes- tament Study" (1885). He received the degree D.D. from the Universities of Glasgow and Ox- ford and LL.D. from Dartmouth in 1901.

BROWN, Frank, governor of Maryland, was born at "Brown's Inheritance," Carroll county, Md. ; son of Stephen Thomas Cockey Brown. His first American ancestor, Abel Brown, came from Dumfries, Scotland, and settled near An- napolis, Md. Several of his sons served in the revolutionary war and some of his grandsons in the war of 1812-'14. Frank Brown was educated at Springfield academy, and at private academies in Baltimore city. In 1870 he was appointed to a clerkship in one of the state tobacco ware- houses, a position which he held for the ensuing six years. In 1875 he was elected a member of the house of delegates from Carroll coimty, and was re-elected in 1877. He inherited large estates from his father and his uncle, George Patterson, to the care of which he devoted much of his time. He was president of the Maryland state agricultural and mechanical association from 1880 to 1892. He took a prominent part in the presidential campaign of 1884, and in 1886 was appointed by President Cleveland post- master of Baltimore city ; during his term in this office he was instrumental in initiating various postal reforms. In the fall of 1887 he was a can- didate for gubernatorial honors, and failed of nomination. In 1891 he was the unanimous nominee of the Democratic convention, and was elected governor by a majority of thirty thou- sand votes. In addition to his duties as the chief executive of the state, he was e.v-officio president of the board of trustees of the Maryland agricul- tural college ; president of the board of trustees of the house of correction : of the board of trus- tees of St. John's college, Annapolis, Md.; presi- dent of the state board of education, and of the board of public works, 1892-96.