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Ron Brown (U.S. politician)
Encyclopedia
Ronald Harmon "Ron" Brown (August 1, 1941–April 3, 1996) was the United States Secretary of Commerce
, serving during the first term of President
Bill Clinton
. He was the first African American to hold this position. He was killed, along with 34 others, in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia
.
, and was raised in Harlem, New York
, in a middle-class family. He was a member of the African-American social and philanthropic organization, Jack and Jill
of America, where he met many African-American friends. Brown attended Hunter College Elementary School and Rhodes Preparatory School
. His father managed the Theresa Hotel in Harlem, where Ron lived growing up. His best friend John R. Nailor moved into the penthouse while a student at Rhodes. Nailor was one of the other few black students who attended Rhodes Prep. As a child, he appeared in an advertisement for Pepsi-Cola, one of the first to be targeted specifically towards the African-American community.
While at Middlebury College
, Middlebury, Vermont, Ron Brown became the first African-American member of Sigma Phi Epsilon
, a national men's collegiate fraternity
. Brown joined the army
in 1962, after graduating from Middlebury
, and served in South Korea
and Europe
, the same year he married Alma Arrington. After being discharged in 1967, Brown joined the National Urban League
, a leading economic equality group in the United States. Meanwhile, Brown enrolled in law school
at St. John's University and obtained a degree in 1970.
By 1976, Brown had been promoted to Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Governmental Affairs of the National Urban League. However, he resigned in 1979 to work as a deputy campaign manager for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Brown was hired in 1981 by the Washington, D.C., law firm Patton, Boggs & Blow as a lawyer
and a lobbyist
.
In May 1988, Brown was named by Jesse L. Jackson to head Jackson's convention team at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Brown was named along with several other experienced party insiders to Jackson's convention operation. By June, it was apparent that Brown was also running Jackson's campaign.
Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee
on February 10, 1989, and played an integral role in running a successful 1992 Democratic National Convention
and in Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential run
. President Clinton then appointed Brown to the position of Secretary of Commerce
in 1993.
On April 3rd, 1996 at age 54, while on an official trade mission, the Air Force CT-43
(a modified Boeing 737
) carrying Brown and 34 other people, including New York Times Frankfurt Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash, crashed in Croatia
. While attempting an instrument approach to Čilipi airport
, the airplane crashed into a mountainside. Everyone aboard was killed instantly except Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shelley Kelly, a flight attendant
, who died while being transported to a hospital. The final Air Force investigation attributed the crash to pilot error and a poorly designed landing approach.
Speculations as to the circumstances surrounding the plane crash that caused Brown's death include many government cover-up and conspiracy theories, largely based on Brown having been under investigation by independent counsel for corruption
.
by President Bill Clinton
. The award was accepted by Brown's widow, Alma Brown. President Clinton also established the Ron Brown Award
for corporate leadership and responsibility. The Conference Board administers the privately funded award. The U.S. Department of Commerce also gives out the annual Ronald H. Brown American Innovator Award in his honor. The California Black Chamber of Commerce, every August, holds the Ron Brown Business Economic Summit.
Many academic scholarships and programs have been established to honor Brown. St. John's University School of Law
established the The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development in memorial. The Ronald H. Brown fellowship is awarded annually to many students at Middlebury College
to pursue research internships in science and technology, and the Ron Brown Scholar Program was established in Brown's honor in 1996 to provide academic scholarships, service opportunities and leadership experiences for young African Americans of outstanding promise.
The largest ship in the NOAA fleet, the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown
, was named in honor of his public service not long after his death.
In March, 2011 the new United States Mission to the United Nations
building in New York City was named in Brown's honor and dedicated at a ceremony in which President Obama, former President Clinton and the United State representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice spoke.
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
, serving during the first term of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. He was the first African American to hold this position. He was killed, along with 34 others, in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia
1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash
On April 3, 1996, a United States Air Force CT-43A crashed on approach to Dubrovnik, Croatia while on an official trade mission. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-253 built as a T-43 navigation trainer, was carrying United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 34 other people, including The New York...
.
Early life and political career
He was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was raised in Harlem, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in a middle-class family. He was a member of the African-American social and philanthropic organization, Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill (organization)
Jack and Jill of America is an African American organization formed during the Great Depression. It was formed in 1938 by African American mothers with the idea of bringing together children in a social and cultural environment. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most well known women's...
of America, where he met many African-American friends. Brown attended Hunter College Elementary School and Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School
Rhodes Preparatory School was a private school located at 11 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City, USA. There was a lower school with students in seventh and eighth grades and an upper school for students from grades nine through twelve. For a brief period in its history, there were also...
. His father managed the Theresa Hotel in Harlem, where Ron lived growing up. His best friend John R. Nailor moved into the penthouse while a student at Rhodes. Nailor was one of the other few black students who attended Rhodes Prep. As a child, he appeared in an advertisement for Pepsi-Cola, one of the first to be targeted specifically towards the African-American community.
While at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, Middlebury, Vermont, Ron Brown became the first African-American member of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
, a national men's collegiate fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Brown joined the army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1962, after graduating from Middlebury
Middlebury
Middlebury may refer to:In education:*Middlebury College, a private liberal-arts college in Middlebury, VermontTowns:*Middlebury, Connecticut*Middlebury, Illinois*Middlebury, Indiana*Middlebury, New York*Middlebury, Vermont...
, and served in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the same year he married Alma Arrington. After being discharged in 1967, Brown joined the National Urban League
National Urban League
The National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest...
, a leading economic equality group in the United States. Meanwhile, Brown enrolled in law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at St. John's University and obtained a degree in 1970.
Rising star in the Democratic Party
Brown was hired in 1981 by the Washington, D.C., law firm Patton, Boggs & Blow as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and a lobbyist
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
.
In May 1988, Brown was named by Jesse L. Jackson to head Jackson's convention team at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Brown was named along with several other experienced party insiders to Jackson's convention operation. By June, it was apparent that Brown was also running Jackson's campaign.
Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
on February 10, 1989, and played an integral role in running a successful 1992 Democratic National Convention
1992 Democratic National Convention
The 1992 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for President and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee for Vice President; Clinton announced Gore as his running-mate on July 9, 1992. The convention was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New...
and in Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential run
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
. President Clinton then appointed Brown to the position of Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
in 1993.
Death
Boeing T-43
|-See also:-External links:* http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/T-43/T-43A_Gator.html* http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/t43a.shtml* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/12ftw.htm...
(a modified Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
) carrying Brown and 34 other people, including New York Times Frankfurt Bureau chief Nathaniel C. Nash, crashed in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. While attempting an instrument approach to Čilipi airport
Dubrovnik Airport
-Traffic statistics:Dubrovnik Airport handled 1,270,062 passengers in 2010.In 1987 Dubrovnik Airport handled 1.5 million passengers and 2500 tons of cargo, making 1987 year the busiest thus far...
, the airplane crashed into a mountainside. Everyone aboard was killed instantly except Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shelley Kelly, a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
, who died while being transported to a hospital. The final Air Force investigation attributed the crash to pilot error and a poorly designed landing approach.
Speculations as to the circumstances surrounding the plane crash that caused Brown's death include many government cover-up and conspiracy theories, largely based on Brown having been under investigation by independent counsel for corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
.
Honors and Legacy
On January 8, 2001, Brown was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Citizens MedalPresidential Citizens Medal
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded by the President of the United States, and may be given posthumously....
by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. The award was accepted by Brown's widow, Alma Brown. President Clinton also established the Ron Brown Award
Ron Brown Award
The Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership is a U.S. presidential honor to recognize companies "for the exemplary quality of their relationships with employees and communities"...
for corporate leadership and responsibility. The Conference Board administers the privately funded award. The U.S. Department of Commerce also gives out the annual Ronald H. Brown American Innovator Award in his honor. The California Black Chamber of Commerce, every August, holds the Ron Brown Business Economic Summit.
Many academic scholarships and programs have been established to honor Brown. St. John's University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school in Queens, New York City, affiliated with St. John's University. The School of Law was founded in 1925, and confers Juris Doctor degrees and degrees for Master of Laws in Bankruptcy and Master of Laws in U.S. Studies. Over 13,000 St...
established the The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development in memorial. The Ronald H. Brown fellowship is awarded annually to many students at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
to pursue research internships in science and technology, and the Ron Brown Scholar Program was established in Brown's honor in 1996 to provide academic scholarships, service opportunities and leadership experiences for young African Americans of outstanding promise.
The largest ship in the NOAA fleet, the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown
NOAAS Ronald H. Brown
NOAAS Ronald H. Brown is a blue-water research vessel of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She was launched on May 30, 1996 at Halter Marine's Moss Point shipyard in Pascagoula and then commissioned on July 19 in Charleston...
, was named in honor of his public service not long after his death.
In March, 2011 the new United States Mission to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
building in New York City was named in Brown's honor and dedicated at a ceremony in which President Obama, former President Clinton and the United State representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice spoke.
External links
- The Ron Brown Award
- Details from the USAF accident report
- The Presidency Project - William J. Clinton - Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Citizens Medal, January 8, 2001
- Ron Brown: Evidence of a Cover-Up at WhatReallyHappened (conspiracy theory)
Video
- "To Make a Real Difference in the Real Lives of Real People...", keynote speech at the Third African-African American Summit, Dakar, Senegal, May, 1995 - (an AFRICAN CONNECTIONS documentary) - Technical Note: playback requires Flash 10 Player