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Ronald Harmon Brown
America's
first African American Secretary of Commerce was born August 1, 1941 in
Washington DC. Ronald Harmon Brown was actually raised in a
middle-class family up in Harlem, NYC. He attended Hunter College
Elementary School and Rhodes Prepatory School, both very prestigious
schools in the NYC area.
While attending Middlebury College, in Vermont, Ron became the very
first African American member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Once his
membership was noticed by the frat's national headquarters, his
explusion was demanded of the chapter or the chapter would be shut
down. The chapter refused to expell Brown and was thusly shut down.
After graduating in 1962, he entered the army, serving in South Korea
and Europe. Once discharged from the military, Ron Brown joined the
National Urban League, leading the economic equality group in the
United States. While part of the NUL, Mr. Brown enrolled in St. John's
Law School, acquiring his Juris Doctorate in 1970.
Mr. Brown's work in the National Urban League promoted him up to Deputy
Executive Director for Programs and Governmental Affairs of the
National Urban League in 1976. His 1979 resignation was due to his work
as deputy campaign manager for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who was
seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Brown continued
his work on the Beltway being hired as a lawyer and lobbyist for the
Patton, Boggs and Blow law firm. By 1989 he was elected chairman
of the Democratic National Commitee. He would go on to play a big part
in Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. To reward him for his
contributions Clinton appointed Ronald Harmon Brown Secretary of
Commerce in 1993.
April 3, 1996 Secretary Brown's Air Force CT-43 would crash in Croatia,
killing everyone onboard. Controversy surrounds the crash, as Brown was
under investigation for campaign fund raising irregularities during
Clinton's campaign.
