Nicholas Brown Jr.

Nicholas Brown Jr.
Nicholas Brown, Jr., painted by Chester Harding, 1836
Born	April 4, 1769 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died	September 27, 1841 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Resting place	North Burial Ground Providence, Rhode Island
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Brown University (1786)
Occupation	Legislator Philanthropist
Children	Nicholas Brown III John Carter Brown II
Parent(s)	Nicholas Brown I Rhoda Jenckes

Nicholas Brown Jr. (April 4, 1769 – September 27, 1841) was a Providence, Rhode Island businessman, and philanthropist who was the namesake of Brown University.

Nicholas Brown Jr. was the son of Rhoda Jenckes (1741–1783) and Nicholas Brown Sr. (1729–1791), a merchant and co-founder of Brown University (which was then called College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations). He was the nephew of John Brown (1736–1803) and Moses Brown (1738–1836) and a descendant of the English colonist and Baptist minister Chad Brown (c. 1600-1650) who co-founded Providence, Rhode Island. His maternal grandfather was Daniel Jeckes (1701–1774), a judge from a prominent family.

Both Nicholas Brown Jr. and his father were members of and large donors to the First Baptist Church in America. Nicholas Brown Jr. graduated from the College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1786. Brown created the company of Brown & Ives and served in the state legislature as a Federalist.

After inheriting his father's estate in 1791, Brown became such a great benefactor to the school that it was renamed Brown University for him in 1804 when he donated $5,000 to the college. His total gifts to the college totaled over $150,000. Brown also co-founded the Providence Athenaeum and was active in various Baptist and literary causes. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1813.

He was married to Ann Carter (1770–1798), daughter of John Carter (1745–1814), a prominent printer in Providence. Together, they had:

After his death September 27, 1841, Brown was interred in North Burial Ground in Providence. When Brown died in 1841 he left a $30,000 bequest to form a mental hospital, which eventually became known as Butler Hospital.