Henry T. Brown*

Henry T. Brown was one of the original advocates for minority engineers in AIChE, beginning in 1968. He co-created AIChE's first outreach initiatives for underrepresented engineers, and held the position of AIChE's Minority Affairs Coordinator from 1983 through 2001.  Until his passing, Henry was a guide and mentor to the committee's leaders and active participants.  

Brown earned BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively, and began his chemical engineering career at Esso Research & Engineering Company. After working for E.R. Squibb & Sons as a development engineer, in 1972 he joined Polaroid Corporation, where he retired as plant manager of the Integral Coatings Division in 1996. In addition to his service to AIChE, Brown was one of the founders of the New Jersey State Urban Science Education Coalition, and was a Diamond Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2001, he received an honorary doctorate from the Univ. of Cincinnati.

Brown was a Fellow of AIChE and a recipient of its F.J. & Dorothy Van Antwerpen Award for Service to the Institute. He contributed a written history on minorities in AIChE for the Institute’s centennial celebration in 2008. Brown was also honored by the Minority Affairs Committee with its Williams Grimes Award and Pioneer of Diversity Award.