SPEECHES & WRITINGS FILE "Dr. Sara W. Brown," [1950] Dr. Sara W. Brown [1950] I Those who are cognizant of Dr. Sara W. Brown's innate ability, her high ideals and her strong determination to finish what she started are not surprised [*3*] at her many outstanding achievements or the valuable services she rendered to her own racial group in particular and to her country as a whole. [*3*] I was well acquainted with her for many years. I taught her in my second year [ele] class in the High School in Washington. When she was a pupil in this Latin class I was impressed with the sterling qualities which she possessed. She gave indisputable [*8*] proof of the fact that she not only wanted to understand every thing discussed [in] or read in class, but there was no doubt in my mind that she definitely intended [*10*] to do so. It was easy to see that she would leave no stone unturned to satisfy this desire. I do not recall having taught any student who seemed to enjoy improving her mind more than Sara Brown did. In the experience of every teacher there are students who stand out distinctly in the mind many years after they recite [to] in class because of the satisfaction and pleasure afforded in teaching them. Such [*When she became a teacher her effort to acquire knowledge was as persistent*] a student was Sara Brown when I recall the time I taught her. Persistent were [*and determined as it was in the High School.*] these qualities when I remember Sra [Sara] Brown as a teacher when she lived in my home. Sara attended Hampton Institute and was graduated with honors. Later, she entered [?iner] Normal School and distinguished herself by the fine record she made. After teaching here for a while she entered Cornell University and received the A. B. degree in 1897. The benefit derived from her course in Cornell was greatly increased by her extra curricular activities. She became a member of three societies, of them literary--the Wayside Club and the Aftermath Club, and one of them biological--the Jugatee. After receiving the degree of A. B. from Cornell Miss Brown returned to Washington, resumed teaching biology in the public schools and began the study of medicine at Howard University, form which she received her MD degree in 1904. Having enjoyed such perfect academic preparation Dr. Brown Dr. Sara W. Brown 2 devoted much of her time and strength to practicing medicine and to discharging her duty as a good citizen by assisting the various social projects designed to benefit the community as a whole. Not content with her unusual scholastic record Dr. Brown decided to study Sociology under Professor Giddings of Columbia University and Anthropology under Professor Boaz, and then added to her fund of knowledge by attending lectures at the Sorbonne during one of her trips to Europe. It was natural that various important organizations should call upon a woman who had availed herself of such exceptional educational opportunities as Dr. Brown had to assist [she] and serve them. For instance, the Women's War Council appointed her a member of the "Flying Squadron" which was composed of fifty women physicians. The American Red Cross appointed her a relief worker in the flooded areas of Mississippi and Louisiana in 1927. She was appointed a medical officer [of the National Board of the ?] to accompany the Gold Star mothers to France in 1930. Under the auspices of the National Board of the YWCA Dr. Brown was appointed a lecturer on health. In 1923 Dr. Brown enjoyed the distinction of being the first alumna trustee of Howard University. At the time of her death she was serving as trustee with two other women, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Dorothy Canfield Fisher, the writer. Among the organizations in Washington which were assisted by Dr. Brown may be mentioned the Freedman's Hospital Nurse Committee, the Lend-A-Hand Club for unmarried mothers, the first social settlement in Washington and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She was affiliated with the Saint Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church inWashington. But no attempt to give an outline, however brief, of Dr. Brown's achievements, services and activities would be complete without referring to the important part she played in founding the College Alumnae Club. She and I talked about Dr. Sara Brown 3 forming it for a long time. But we both knew there were difficulties connected with it and discussed the arguments for and against it many times. Neither one of us advocated or favored segregation. And yet we know that many of our women would not graduate form accredited colleges, so that they would be unable to become members of the American Association of University Women. Therefore, if a club for college women to which colored women could belong were not formed, many of our women would be deprived of the benefits, opportunities of various kinds and the pleasure which membership in a college club affords. After discussing the matter thoroughly Sara and I decided to go ahead and do something definite about it. I asked her to arrange for a meeting in our house, 326 Tea Street, Northwest, on March 10, 1910. She complied and on that date four women, Sara Brown, her sister Fairfax Brown, Mary Cromwell and I met to discuss the reasons why we should form a college women's club. We decided to form one then and there. Of the four women who met on March 10, 1910, at 326 Tea Street, all are living except the one who was so genuinely, deeply and enthusiastically interested in forming the College Alumnae Club All of us promised to invite all the college women we knew to attend a meeting at an early date, so that the club could start to work as soon as possible. The importance and significance of what had happened impressed me so deeply that I recored in my diary what we four women has done before I retired that night. A photostatic copy of that record from my diary was made for the College Alumnae Club a few years ago. The invitations extended to our college sisters were cheerfully accepted. The first meeting was well attended and the founders were greatly encouraged. In the twenty-fifth anniversary number of the Journal of the College Alumnae Club, under the title "The Day Before Yesterday", Dr. Brown gives some of the reasons why the club as [formed] founded. After stating that: "Through the haze of twenty-five years, some vivid recollections of the things we tried to do come to memory", she Dr. Sara W. Brown 4 tells what some of these things "we tried to do" were. In referring to the pioneers she says, "Do you ask what of them today, those pioneers?" She answers her question by saying, "Not one has marked time. All continued to grow and become leaders of women." Then she proves this statement by giving a list of the important services these pioneers have rendered. In giving a sketch of Dr. Brown's life it would be an unfortunate omission to fail to state that she belonged to a remarkable family. Sometimes one member of a family, or maybe two distinguish themselves by the service they render or the lofty heights they attain. But each and every member of Dr. Brown's family has a record of which [Each] might be proud. Dr. Brown's [her] parents lived in Winchester, Virginia, where she was born on July 12, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were held in high esteem in this community and had the reputation of being experts in handling business affairs, a trait inherited by Sara and their other children. There were eight children, seven living to adulthood to distinguish[and distinguishing themselves in rendering valuable service to their communities. Of the surviving members Dr. James Erroll Brown is a professor in the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. John W. Brown is a retired physician of Winchester and Pittsburgh, and Dr. Fairfax Brown is a retired teacher and pharmacist. On November 12th, 1948, the citizens of Washington were shocked to hear that while crossing a street on the green light, as she should have done, Dr. Brown was struck and fatally injured by a Capital Transit bus which was making a left turn. This appalling [fatal] accident suddenly closed the remarkable career of a woman with high scholastic attainments and fine training, who for many years and in various way had been actively, eagerly promoting the welfare of her group and demonstrating a democratic way of living to thousands of citizens throughout the United States. Mary Church Terrell Dr. Sara W. Brown Those who were cognizant of Dr. Sara W. Brown's native ability, her high ideals and her strong determination to finish what she started are not surprised at her many outstanding achievements or the valuable service she rendered both to her own racial group in particular and [or] to her country as a whole. I was well acquainted with her for many years. I taught her while she was in my second-year class in the High School here and when she was a teacher she lived in our home for a while. When she was a pupil in this Latin class I was impressed with the sterling qualities which she possessed. She gave indisputable proof of the fact that she not only wanted to understand everything discussed or read in the class, but there was no doubt in my mind that she definitely intended to do so. It was easy to see that she wanted to be thorough in her work, and it was evident that she would leave no stone unturned to satisfy this desire. I do not recall having taught any student who seemed to enjoy improving her mind more than Sara Brown did. In the experience of every teacher there are students who stand out distinctly in the mind many years after they recite in class because of the satisfaction and pleasure afforded in teaching them. Such a student was Sara Brown when I recall the time I taught her. [A friend told me] Sara's parents lived in Winchester, Virginia, where she was born July 12th 1868 and [that her parents] they were held in high esteem. They [warm] had the reputation of being experts in handling business affairs, a trait inherited by their daughter. [I heard and later I thought that their daught had inherited this trait.] Sara attended Hampton Institute and graduated with honor. Later, she entered the Miner Normal School and distinguished herself by the fine record she made. After teaching here for a while she entered Cornell University and received the A.B. degree in 1897. The benefit derived from her course in Cornell was greatly increased by her extracurricular activities. She became a member of three societies, two of them literary-the Wayside Club and the Aftermath Club and one of them biological- the Jugatee. After receiving the degree of A.B. from Cornell Miss Brown returned to Washington, resumed teaching biology in the public schools and began to study medicine 2 at Howard University from which she received her M D degree. Having enjoyed [r?ed] such perfect academic preparation Dr. Brown devoted much of her time and strength to practicing medicine and to discharging her duty as a good citizen by [by] assisting the various social projects designed to benefit the community as a whole. Not content with her unusal schlastic record Dr. Brown decided to [increase her fund of knowledge by] study[ing] Sociology under Prof Giddings of Columbia University and Anthropology under Professor Boaz, and then added to her fund of knowledge by attending lectures at the Sorbonne during one of her trips to Europe. It was natural that various [or] important organizations should call upon a woman who had availed herself of such exceptional educational opportunities as Dr. Brown had to assist and serve them. For instance, the Women's War Council appointed her a member of the "Flying Squadron", which was composed of fifty women physicians. The American Red Cross appointed her a relief worker in the flooded areas of Mississippi and Louisiana in 1927. She was appointed a medical officer to accompany the Gold Star Mothers to France in 1930. Under the auspices of the National Board of the YWCA Dr. Brown was appointed a lecturer on health. In 1925 Dr. Brown enjoyed the distinction of being the first alumna trustee of Howard University. With two other women, [?] Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Dorothy Canfield Fisher, the writer, she served in that capacity until her death. Among the organiztions in Washington which were assisted by Dr. Brown may be mentioned the Freedmen's Hospital Nurses Committee, the Lend-A-Hand Club for Unmarried Mothers, the first social settlement and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She was affiliated with the St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church in Washington. But no attempt to give an outline, however brief, of Dr. Brown's achievements, services and activities would be complete without referring to the important part she played in founding the College Alumnae Club. She and I had talked about forming it for a long time. But we both knew there were difficulties connected with it and discussed the arguments for [and] 3 and against it many times. Neither one of us advocated or favored segregation. And yet we knew that many of our women would not graduate from accredited colleges, so that they would be unable to become members of the American Association of University Women. Therefore, if a club of college women of which colored women could become members were not formed, many of our women would be deprived of the benefits, opportunities of various kinds and the pleasure which membership in a college club affords. After discussing the matter thoroughly Sara and I decided to go ahead and do something definite about it. I asked her to arrange for a meeting in our house, 326T street, Northwest on March 10th, 1910. She complied with that request and on that date four women, Sara Brown, her sister, Fairfax Brown, Mary Cromwell and myself met to discuss the reasons why we should form a college women's club, and we decided to form one then and there. Of the four women who met on March 10th, 1910, at 326 T Street, all are living today except the one who was so genuinely, deeply and enthusiastically interested in forming the College Alumnae Club. All of us promised to invite all the college women whom we know to attend a meeting at an early date, so that the [?] club could start to work as soon as possible. The importance and significance of what [we had done] had happened impressed me so deeply that [before retiring] I recorded in my diary [what we] [four women] what we four women had done before I retired that night. A photostatic copy of that record from my diary was made for College Alumnae Club a few years ago. The invitations extended to our college sisters were cheerfully accepted, the first meeting was well attended and the founders were greatly encouraged. In the twenty-fifth anniversary number of the Journal of the College Alumnae Club, under the title "The Day Before Yesterday". Dr. Brown gives some of the reasons why the Club was founded. After stating that "Through the haze of twenty-five years, some vivid recollections of the things we tried to do come to memory." she tells what some of the things "we tried to do" were. In referring to the pioneers she says "Do you ask what of them today, these [pioneers?"] 4 pioneets? "she answers her question by saying "Not one has marked time. All continued to grow and become leaders of women." Then she proves this statement by giving a list of the important services these pioneers have rendered. In giving a sketch of Dr. Brown's life it would be an unfortunate omission to fail to state that she belonged to a remarkable family. Someimes one member of a family, or may two distinguish themselves by [rendering] the remarkable service [or] they render or the lofty height they attain. But each and every member of Dr. Brown's family has a record of which they have a right to be proud. One of her brothers, Dr. James Erroll Brown, is a professor in the University of Pittsburgh. Another, Dr. John W. Brown is a retired physician of Winchester, Virginia and Pittsburgh. Dr. Brown's sister, Dr. Fairfax Brown, is a retired teacher and pharmacist. On November 18th, 1948, the citizens of Washington were shocked to hear that while Dr. Sara Brown was crossing a street on the green light, as she should have done, a Capital Transit bus had run over her and killed her. This fatal accident suddenly, painfully closed the remarkable carer of a woman with high scholastic attainments and fine training, who for many years and in various ways had been actively, eagerly promoting the welfare of her group and demonstrating [the meaning of] what Democracy was [means throughout the country as a whole.] to thousands of citizens throughout the United States. Mary Church Terrell Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.