Oren Britt Brown

As printed in 1897

OREN BRITT BROWN, attorney at law, Dayton, Ohio, is a native of the Empire state, having been born at Jeddo, Orleans county, N. Y., on the 2 2d of June, 1853, a son of Col. E. F. Brown, who held the commission as colonel of the Twenty-eighth New York regiment during the late war of the Rebellion, rendering valiant service in upholding the Union arms and preserving the integrity of the nation. Col. Brown removed to Dayton a few years after the close of the war, and was made the first governor of the soldiers' home, which important office he held from 1868 until 1 880, enjoying the respect and affection of the veterans over whose interests he was thus placed in charge, and proving a most able and conscientious executive in directing the affairs of this great national institution. That his services were held in high appreciation by the national government is manifest from the fact that he is now an inspector general of the national soldiers’ homes of the Union, maintaining his headquarters at Hartford, Conn. The maiden name of our subject’s mother was Elizabeth Britt.

Oren Britt Brown was born on a farm, and his early education was secured in the public schools at Medina, N. Y., where he remained until the time of his parents' removal to Dayton, in April, 1869. Here he was a student in the high school until 1871, when he entered Dennison university, at Granville, Ohio, where he continued his studies until January, 1874. Pie then entered Princeton college, N. J., graduating from this celebrated institution as a member of the class of the Centennial year, 1876, having completed a thorough classical course. Thus fortified in a theoretical way for the duties of life, he returned to his home in Dayton and began the work of practical and technical preparation. In September of the year mentioned he entered the office of Gunckel & Rowe, prominent attorneys of this city, and under their effective guidance continued the reading of law for two years, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1878. He remained with his preceptors for one year, after which he established an individual practice, conducting a successful business until 1881, when, as the candidate of the republican party, he was elected to the office of county clerk of Montgomery county, assuming the duties of this position in February, 1882. He served for one term of three years, having proved a most acceptable and efficient incumbent, and then declined to become a candidate for re-election, having determined to resume the practice of his profession, in which he was already enjoying a marked prestige. On the 9th of February, 1885, he entered into a professional alliance with Oscar M. Gottschall, under the firm title of Gottschall & Brown, and this association continued until January 1,

1895, when the firm was changed by the admission of Ira Crawford, Jr., to partnership, whereupon the title of Gottschall, Brown & Crawford was adopted. This firm holds a prominent place among the leading legal practitioners of the county, having been retained in much of the important litigation that has come before the courts of this and adjoining counties, as well as in the state courts.

Mr. Brown is uncompromising in his advocacy of the principles and policies advanced by the republican party, and he has been prominent in the councils of the same in Montgomery county. He was a delegate from the Dayton district to the national republican convention at Chicago in 1888, when Harrison was nominated for the presidency. He was a member of the Dayton board of elections, having been one of the republican representatives thereon from the time of the formation of the board until he went upon the bench. He was nominated for judge of the third subdivision, Second district, in the spring of 1896, and after the death of Judge Henderson Elliott, in July,

1896, he was appointed his successor, having already been nominated by his party. He was elected in the fall of 1896, and entered upon his term of five years on the third Monday of November, 1897.

On the 1 2th of June, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Judge Brown to Miss Jeannette Gebhart, daughter of Simon Gebhart, one of the old and honored citizens of Dayton. In his fraternal relations Judge Brown is prominently identified with the Masonic order, being a Knight Templar and having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Royal Arcanum and the Dayton club, enjoying a marked popularity in professional, business and social circles.

As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.