Remembering Brown Institute

As a student in 1976 and 1977 to an eight-year tenure as a broadcasting instructor, I witnessed the very best of what Brown Institute represented to the very worst.

Like so many others, Brown turned my life around.  Brown took a cynical young man who hated any form of education and transformed him into a dedicated, confident professional with a thirst for knowledge and improvement.  The lives that Brown enhanced and their contribution to the broadcast industry is indeed immeasurable.  My contribution to those endeavors will forever serve as a source of pride.  My most enduring friendships are with those I met and worked with at Brown. 

Founders - Richard & Helen Brown

However, under huge corporate ownership the model created and nurtured by Richard and Helen Brown could not survive.  Their beloved privately funded institution went to almost sole reliance on public grants and loans.  This influx of revenues moved the school to a profits before people enterprise.  The 12-month broadcast certificate program, the backbone of the school, was replaced by much longer, much more expensive programs.  Entrance exams were discontinued.  This resulted in the enrollment of students with both reading and English language limitations.  The destruction moved forward with the creation of a 4-year college.  This resulted in the dismissal of its most treasured resource, its broadcast instructors, many of whom had given 20 years or more to the school.  During this quest dominated by  greed, Brown went from a broadcast department student population of a steady 650 students to as low as 20 broadcast students.  When they finally showed mercy and closed the doors only three new students had been enrolled for the new quarter of study and the broadcast department had only 32 total enrollees. 

As the values of Richard and Helen Brown were no longer present it was only fitting and just that the school itself should perish. Yes, our memories and hearts should hold dear what Brown Institute once represented and its contribution to society.  But it is also paramount that we temper those “best of times” memories with the knowledge that yet another set of memories surrounding the school were forged in large measure by the “worst of times” which led to the long, painful demise of this once venerable and cherished institution.