Miles Harold Brown papers.
Scope and Content
The Miles Harold Brown papers contain a blanket, correspondence, diplomas, drawings, athletic ribbons and other awards, a scrapbook, photographs and newspaper clippings collected by Brown beginning in his first year of college and continuing until his death. The materials span from 1929 to 1983.
Materials include all diplomas received by Brown, his Ohio University Athletic Hall of Fame award, and photographs from the 1932 football season. The numerous newspaper clippings also deal in large part with athletics and Brown's membership in the Athletic Hall of Fame. Also present is a large green athletics blanket with white lettering. The blanket was owned by Brown during his time at the University.
The documents were rearranged from their original order, and re-organized by tape of material: newspaper clippings, photographs, diplomas, et cetera. Photographs and diplomas have been enclosed in Mylar sleeves, and other delicate documents have been placed in individual acid-neutral folders. Most textual and photographic materials have been placed in a single standard-sized Hollinger box, while oversized materials such as the blanket and Brown's Hall of Fame certificate are in a larger box. One document, an issue of the Green and White
featuring a caricature of Brown, among other individuals, was removed from the collection during appraisal because it was in increasingly degraded condition.
Additional materials have been received from Martha Shepherd, Brown's daughter. These have been divided between the flat box and other Hollinger box. In the flat box have been placed an Ohio State Senate resolution and accompanying letter praising Brown for service to state and education, as well as a Green and White Club certificate doing much the same. Also, a scrapbook kept by Brown's younger brother, Max Brown, of Harold's athletic accomplishments is also in the flat box, as well as a packing tube containing two charcoal drawings of Brown.
There are numerous passes and pictures from Brown's time in Vietnam, as well as photographs and clippings from Brown's retirement as city manager in Gallipolis, and the roast held in his honor. Most of the documents received in the second section are in good condition. The main exception are the newspaper articles, especially those tucked into Max Brown's scrapbook, as well as the Green and White Club certificate, for which the frame is broken and the backing is pulling away and loose. No additional efforts have been taken to preserve these documents, as preservation efforts would damage the original order and material. Finally, the two charcoal drawings have been left in their packing tube, as no clear way to preserve them while putting them in folders has been discovered, due to problems of smearing. Finally, the pass button for the 1932 Naval Academy contains a ribbon which is in delicate condition, and care should be taken when examining the envelope containing that button.
Dates
- Creation: 1929-1983
Language of Materials
The records are in English.
Biography of Miles Harold Brown
Miles Harold Brown, once referred to as "the most valuable player OU ever had" by the Athens Messenger
, was born in Mason, West Virginia, on July 16, 1911. While he was a student at Parkersburg (W.Va.) High School, he earned athletic medals in a number of events.
After his matriculation in 1929, he attended Ohio University, participating in three varsity sports--football, basketball, and track. His daughter, Martha Shepherd, states that "his parents couldn't afford to send him to college, but he secured an athletics scholarship which obliged him to play football, basketball, and track (his favorite sport was baseball!). As part of the scholarship, I think that he waited on tables." He lettered three times each in track and basketball, and twice in football. During this time, the University basketball team won two championships and Brown was chosen as an All-Buckeye Conference forward. Meanwhile, Brown capped his track career by placing first in shot-put and second in discus at the All-Buckeye Conference Championships; setting Ohio University records in both events. Brown's football teams were even more successful, as the Bobcats won three championships during his playing days. His senior year was perhaps the most notable, as he quarterbacked OU to its storied 14-0 win over Navy in 1932, passing for both of OU's touchdowns and earning the game ball. In non-athletic student pursuits, Brown was President of the Torch honorary, Vice President of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, a member of the Blue Key honorary, and was one of three students on the Campus Activities Advisory Board. He graduated from Ohio University in 1933 with a degree in Commerce.
Brown was hired in 1933 to teach at the Gallia Academy High School in Gallipolis, Ohio. In 1942, he was appointed principal of that institution, and he commenced graduate studies at Ohio University soon after. In 1945, he received his Master of Arts degree in education, writing a thesis entitled A Study of the Student Withdrawals from the Gallia Academy High School with Proposals to Off-set Losses
. There is a copy of this thesis in the OU Archives, and it can be found under the call letters R378.771 137o 1945-br c.1.
Brown held the position of principal at Gallia Academy until 1952, when he became the principal of the Intermediate School in Miamisburg, Ohio. Four years later, he left education to serve as administrator and business manager for the Gallipolis Clinic, a medical clinic. Following the merger between the Gallipolis Clinic and the Holzer Hospital, Brown returned to academic life, becoming the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Miamisburg in 1962. After a year in that position, he became the Superintendent of Schools for Miamisburg, a position he held for three years. During that time, he was inducted into the Ohio University Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1967, Brown accepted an offer to join the Ohio University education program in South Vietnam, working especially to establish secondary schools in Saigon, Hue, and Da Nang. He served there for three years and returned to Ohio, accepting the position of interim city manager of Gallipolis twice during the 1970s. He died in 1983, leaving a widow, Eloise Niday Brown, and a daughter, Martha Katharine Shepherd, who lives in Australia. Mrs. Brown passed away in 2002.
Extent
2 cubic feet (4 Hollinger boxes)
Abstract
The Miles Harold Brown papers contain a blanket, correspondence, diplomas, drawings, athletic ribbons and other awards, a scrapbook, photographs and newspaper clippings collected by Brown beginning in his first year of college and continuing until his death. The materials span from 1929 to 1983.
Statement of Arrangement
Organized by size.
Description Note
Original, legacy collection inventories may contain inaccuracies or be incomplete. Collection descriptions may change or be updated as they are verified. Please contact Mahn Center staff if you note any errors or discrepancies.
Subject
- Brown, Miles Harold (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Miles Harold Brown papers.
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Ohio University Archives
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- The finding aid was converted into EAD with funding support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Revision Statements
- 5 January 2024: Subjects and other notes added from ALICE MARC records and Mahn Center Microsoft Office finding aids by Ohio University Libraries Metadata Services Department Python scripts.
Repository Details
Part of the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections Repository
