John Brown papers

The papers of John Willcox Brown (JWB) consist of educational materials, working papers, correspondence, journals, agendas, notebooks, memorabilia items, and photographs. The collection represents the extensive service of JWB and his wife, Natale L. Brown (NLB), to their community and the state of New Hampshire, the scope of their social-network, and their various personal interests in connection to their overall activities. The collection represents JWB’s studies, forestry career, environmental and conservation activism, political activities, international cooperation, civil, social and historical causes. High-profile issues and aspects of JWB’s life represented in the collection are: the fight against the interstate through Franconia Notch; acid rain environmental and legislative issues; nuclear pollution and the battle against the Seabrook Nuclear Plant; JWB’s working papers as chair, trustee, director or member of organizations, committees, associations, and working groups; the cultural and technical cooperation between New Hampshire and Ceara (Brazil) through Partners of the Americas; planning, zoning and land conservation issues in New Hampshire towns; JWB’s political activities within the Democratic Party and his own campaigns for state representative; JWB’s teaching activities in Michigan and New Hampshire; JWB’s ongoing correspondence with government officials regarding numerous administrative, legislative, environmental and social issues; JWB’s interests in the outdoors and New England; JWB’s domestic and foreign network of people and organizations in the political, social, cultural, environmental, educational, academic, and personal spheres. The collection also represents NLB’s active involvement in several organizations, committees and associations such as: Council of World Affairs and COSERV as Chairman of the Hospitality Committee in cooperation with the U.S. State Department; Robert Frost Homestead as Trustee; the Advisory Council of the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester; Finisterre Fund, an advised fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation established by the J.W. Brown Family; mental health organizations (a daughter of the Browns suffered from mental illness); in addition to other activities in their community and for the environment, which they continued until their retirement to Havenwood/Heritage Heights (HHH) in 1991.