Anna V. Brown (1914 – November 12, 1985) was an African-American advocate for the elderly who assisted Mayor

Carl Stokes Carl Burton Stokes (June 21, 1927 – April 3, 1996) was an American politician and diplomat of the Democratic Party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, and taking office on January 1, 1968, he wa ...

in developing aging programs in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, Ohio, in the 1970s. She was inducted into the Ohio Department of Aging Hall of Fame and served as the president of the National Council on Aging.

Biography

Anna V. Brown was born in 1914 in

Vivian, West Virginia Vivian is a census-designated place (CDP) in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. Vivian is located along U.S. Route 52, southeast of Kimball. As of the 2010 census, its population was 82. An old variant name was Clausen. The Peer ...

, to physician Joseph E. Brown and his wife Hattie. In 1938, she graduated from

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

and following graduation went on a tour of India. She was the recipient of the Juliette Derricotte Scholarship in 1939, which awarded her the trip, as part of a program initiated by

Sue Bailey Thurman Sue Bailey Thurman (née Sue Elvie Bailey; August 26, 1903 – December 25, 1996) was an American author, lecturer, historian and civil rights activist. She was the first non-white student to earn a bachelor's degree in music from Oberlin Coll ...

to honor outstanding students. After her trip abroad, Brown and her family moved to Cleveland, where she began working in 1941 for the

Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784), was an American writer who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates Jr., Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: ...

Association (PWA). The Association offered recreational facilities for social events and youth programs, such as dance and music lessons, as well as a day-care facility for working mothers. Brown began as an auditor and worked her way up to the assistant executive secretary of the organization. In addition to her work at PWA, she began managing her father's physician practice in 1946. There, she became aware of issues that faced aging patients. In February 1971, she was appointed by Cleveland Mayor

as the executive of the Commission on Aging. She began by organizing a list of services for the elderly, developed heating and transport response programs, programs to check on elders living alone, and many other innovations. In two years she generated in $2 million in revenues. In 1981, the Commission became a Department of the City Government. Brown participated in the White House Conferences on Aging between 1971 and 1981. In 1977, she was inducted into the Ohio Department of Aging Hall of Fame. In 1984, she became president of the National Council on Aging and served as a consultant to the Congressional Black Caucus Brain Trust. A member of many local organizations, Brown was recognized for her advocacy. She received honorary degrees from Oberlin College and

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

(1985). Brown's lifetime work improving the lives of older adults was recognized with the establishment of the Anna V. Brown Community Forum. Community partners including the City of Cleveland Department of Aging, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga County Division of Senior and Adult Services, and Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging conducted the annual event for 27 years. The event focused on the well-being of older adults, emerging issues, and effective practices that assisted with sustaining the lives of older adults. In addition, Brown mentored, coached, and inspired several individuals to pursue careers in gerontology. She died on November 12, 1985, in Cleveland.

Personal life

Brown married artist Elmer Brown, on June 7, 1943. He painted the Freedom Mural at the

City Club of Cleveland The City Club of Cleveland is a non-partisan debate forum in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1912, and known as "America's Citadel of Free Speech," it is one of the oldest continuous independent free speech forums in the United States. The City Club' ...

and worked for

American Greetings American Greetings Corporation is a privately held American company and is the world's second largest greeting card producer behind Hallmark Cards. Based in Westlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland, the company sells paper greeting ...

as an artist.

Biography

Personal life

References

Further reading