President Albert W. and Marjorie H. Brown
President emeritus Albert W. Brown, PhD, and Mrs. Marjorie Brown, established the President Albert W. and Marjorie H. Brown Scholarship at SUNY Brockport to provide scholarships for Honors College students. This scholarship also honors the memory of Albert’s mother, Edith Brown.
Dr. Brown, the third president of Brockport as part of the State University of New York served the campus from 1965 to 1981. A recognized leader in American higher education, he was committed to academic excellence, establishing programs to recognize outstanding students.
After discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946, he entered Syracuse University where he earned his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude and went on to earn his PhD from the Maxwell School there in 1952. He was on the faculty at Eastern Illinois University and at Eastern Michigan University before coming to Brockport.
During his tenure as president, the College grew from 3,000 to 12,000 students as it evolved from a teachers college to a comprehensive graduate and undergraduate institution. He oversaw an active building program, attracted an exceptional faculty, and initiated innovative academic programs, including Delta College, the Washington Semester, and the 3-1-3 high school program.
He taught at the University at Buffalo for several years after leaving Brockport and then served as a consultant in higher education. Dr. Brown passed away in 2017.
Mrs. Brown graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She became a practitioner, teacher, and authority on Early American art forms. She was a member of the Historical Society of Early American Decoration. As first lady of Brockport, Mrs. Brown was known for being kind-hearted, supportive, generous, and welcoming. She passed away in 2008.
Students eligible for the Dr. Albert W. and Marjorie H. Brown Scholarship must be incoming first-time freshman accepted into the Honors College. They also must submit two letters of recommendation from non-relatives in a position to evaluate the student’s academic and personal characteristics and achievements. In memory of Dr. Brown’s mother, Edith Brown and her interest in education, preference will go to applicants from LeFargeville, NY, and Clayton, NY, high schools in cases where those applicants are equally qualified as others.