Jesse Brown
| Jesse Brown | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs | |
|
In office January 22, 1993 – July 3, 1997 |
|
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Ed Derwinski |
| Succeeded by | Togo D. West Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 27, 1944 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 2002 (aged 58) Warrenton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvia Scott |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater |
City Colleges of Chicago Roosevelt University Catholic University of America |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1963–1965 |
| Rank |
 Corporal
|
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Jesse Brown (March 27, 1944 – August 15, 2002) was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served as United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997.
Jesse Brown was born on March 27, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, to Lucille Marsh Brown and David Brown. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated with honors from the City Colleges of Chicago. Married to Sylvia Scott Brown, they had two children, N. Scott Brown and Carmen Brown.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1963, and served as a Marine in the Vietnam War, reaching the rank of Corporal. He was seriously injured in 1965 near Da Nang when he was shot in the right arm, which was left partially paralyzed.
Returning to Chicago, in 1967 Brown became active in the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), a service and advocacy organization founded in 1920 to assist disabled veterans. He began taking classing at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Moving to the DAV's national office in Washington, D.C., he began taking classes at The Catholic University of America.
In 1967, Brown joined the staff of the Disabled American Veterans. He served in various supervisory roles with the DAV in the 1970s and 1980s:
In 1988, Brown became the DAV's first African-American executive director, serving until 1993.
In January 1993, Brown was selected by President Bill Clinton to the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving until 1997. He was the first African American to hold that post. During his tenure, Brown expanded the services offered to female veterans, homeless veterans, and veterans who were ill due to chemical exposures in Vietnam or the Gulf War. After he resigned as secretary, Brown founded a consulting firm, Brown and Associates.
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