[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S751-S752]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THOMAS WATSON BROWN

 Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, today I mourn the passing and 
pay tribute to a wonderful Georgian and a personal friend. Thomas 
Watson Brown passed away on January 13, 2007, leaving a tremendous void 
in the hearts of all who knew and loved this extraordinary gentleman.
  Although he was a longtime resident of Marietta, GA, Tom was actually 
born here in our Nation's Capital where he attended Saint Alban's 
School. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton with a degree in 
history and served a stint in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Harvard 
Law School in 1959 and moved to Atlanta where he practiced law until 
his death.
  Although Tom was not originally from Georgia, his family had deep 
Georgia roots. His great-grandfather was U.S. Senator Tom Watson, who

[[Page S752]]

was nominated in 1896 for Vice President on the Populist Party ticket 
with William Jennings Bryan. Brown's grandfather, J.J. Brown, served as 
Georgia's commissioner of agriculture.
  Tom was a character unlike any other. He often described himself as 
an ``18th-century gentleman'' and held court in his antebellum mansion 
on Cherokee Street near the Marietta Square arguing politics with a 
host of different personalities. History was his greatest passion, 
especially the Civil War era. He had an unmatched intellect and was a 
respected historian. He preferred his 10,000-volume library to a 
personal computer.
  Tom was also always ready to support education. He was the former 
chair of the Watson-Brown Foundation, established by his father Walter 
Brown in 1970 to provide college opportunities for underprivileged boys 
and girls. Today his son Tad is president of the foundation, which 
awards more than $1 million annually in merit- and need-based college 
scholarships to students from the Central Savannah River Area of 
Georgia and South Carolina. The foundation also gives grants in support 
of southern colleges and universities. Recipients of these grants 
include the University of Georgia for a broadcast museum, Georgia 
College and State University in Milledgeville for its library, and 
Mercer Press in Macon for publications of numerous books of Southern 
history and biography.
  Tom led numerous business, civic, philanthropic, and scholarly 
organizations. He served on the boards of the Atlanta Historical 
Society, the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Civil War 
Commission, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and the Georgia Legal 
History Foundation. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the 
Atlanta Press Club and helped fund its debates each election cycle.
  Tom was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center's community 
service award for peace and justice. Coretta Scott King herself 
presented him with the award for his substantial contributions to and 
support of the Legal Aid Society of Atlanta.
  This strong-willed and generous man will always be remembered for his 
keen intellect and his devotion to history and education. He touched 
the lives of many Georgians, including this Senator, through his 
efforts on behalf of our community and State.
  It was an honor to know Thomas Watson Brown and it is a privilege to 
pay tribute to his life.

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