Frank Brown, the Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Education Leadership and Dean Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, passed away on March 12 at the age of 89.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Brown was dedicated to advancing research on legal and racial issues in education. He served as dean of UNC’s School of Education, making him the first-ever Black dean of a doctoral-granting professional school. During his tenure, he was a key leader in obtaining a grant to establish UNC’s first Black cultural center.
Prior to his time with UNC, Dr. Brown held several academic and administrative appointments at institutions throughout the country. He had stints as a lecturer and acting director of mathematics and science education at the University of California, Berkeley; associate director of the New York State Commission on the Quality, Cost, and Financing of Elementary and Secondary Education; professor and director of the Urban Institute at City College of New York; and professor of educational administration and policy studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also served as the first Black vice president of the American Educational Research Association.
A U.S. Army veteran and native of Alabama, Dr. Brown received his bachelor’s degree from historically Black Alabama State University, where he played football. He earned his master’s degree in chemistry from Oregon State University and his doctorate in policy planning and administration from the University of California, Berkeley.
