Biographical Data
of
Judge John R. Brown

Born: Nebraska, December 10, 1909

Education:

• Public schools, Holdrege, Nebraska - graduating high school 1926
• A.B. Degree, University of Nebraska - 1930 (includes first year in law school)
• Juris Doctor Degree (Law), University of Michigan - 1932
• Honorary Degree Doctor of Laws, University of Michigan -1959
• Honorary Degree Doctor of Laws, University of Nebraska - 1965
• Certificate of Honor and Merit, University of Nebraska - May 4, 1965
• Honorary Degree Doctor of Laws, Tulane University - 1979

Family: Judge Brown was married to the former Mary Lou Murray, who is now deceased. He has one son, John R. Brown, Jr. who is a Certified Public Accountant. On September 14, 1979, Judge Brown married Vera Smith Riley.

Religious Life:

• Member, Presbyterian Church, Holdrege, Nebraska
• Member, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, 1937
• Deacon, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas from 1949 to 1952
• Elder, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas from 1952 - present
• Assistant Superintendent Sunday School, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, January 1, 1953 to January 1, 1955
• Superintendent Sunday School, First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, January 1, 1955 to December 31, 1956

Societies, Clubs and Associations:

• Sigma Chi, College Social Fraternity (Univ. Nebr.)
• Phi Delta Phi, Legal Fraternity (Univ. Nebr.)
• Order of Coif (University of Michigan)
• Houston Bar Association
• Texas Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Maritime Law Association of United States
• Houston Country Club
• The Houston Club

Military Service:

• Graduate, Advanced R.O.T.C., University of Nebraska, 1930
• Recommissioned June 1942
• Air Force Officers' Training School, Miami, Florida, June 1942 to August 1942
• September 1942 through December 1945 transferred to Southwest Pacific, Service of Supply, Australia, New Guinea and Philippine Islands in the Transportation Corps, Major, Transp. Corp. A.U.S.

Professional Career:

• Admitted to Texas Bar, 1932
• Associated Royston & Rayzor, 1932 to 1936; junior partner, 1936; partner, 1939; and at time left firm, September 1955, was senior active partner specializing in admiralty, maritime and transportation matters.
• Appointed by President Eisenhower as Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (then comprised of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Canal Zone), April 1955; confirmed July 1955; qualified and took oath of office on September 12, 1955. Became Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit on July 17, 1967. Stepped down as Chief Judge on December 10, 1979 at attainment of age 70, in accordance with the maximum age limit for Chief Judges.
• Professor, Tulane University Law School, Thessaloniki, Greece, June 1980.
• Tulane University Law School, Seminar on Maritime Law, Athens, Greece, July 1982.
• Member United States Judicial Conference, 1967-1979.
• Member, Committee on the Judicial Branch, 1982 to present.
• Adjunct Professor, South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, 1985 to present.
• Professor, Tulane University Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1986.
• Honorary Member, Average Adjusters Association of the United States, 1986.

Political Activities:

• Formerly active in Republican Party.
• County Chairman Republican Party, Harris County, March 1953 to March 1955, Member of State (Texas) Republican County Committee from this Senatorial District (Harris County), September 1954 to March 1955.

Miscellaneous:

• Moderator of Texas Institute, University of Texas School of Law, 1956-1958, 1960-1969.
• Trustee, Austin College (Presbyterian), Sherman, Texas.

This page is a reproduction of a document housed in the Judge John R. Brown collection. The document is dated April 26, 1991.

The text was scanned and reformatted to match the original as closely as possible.