Ron Brown (U.S. politician)
| Ron Brown | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 30th United States Secretary of Commerce | |
|
In office January 22, 1993 – April 3, 1996 |
|
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Barbara Franklin |
| Succeeded by | Mickey Kantor |
| Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
|
In office February 11, 1989 – January 21, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | Paul G. Kirk |
| Succeeded by | David Wilhelm |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ronald Harmon Brown August 1, 1941 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | April 3, 1996 (aged 54) near Dubrovnik, Croatia |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Alma Arrington |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
Middlebury College (BA) St. John's University, New York (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1962–1967 |
| Rank |
 Captain
|
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
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.
Ron Brown was born in Washington, D.C., and was raised in Harlem, New York, in a middle-class family. He was a member of an 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, Brown appeared in an advertisement for Pepsi-Cola, one of the first to be targeted specifically towards the African-American community.
While at Middlebury College, Ron Brown became the first African-American member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, collegiate fraternity. As a result, the national charter of SPE at Middlebury was rescinded and the fraternity became a local known as Sigma Epsilon. Brown joined the United States 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.
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