J. Calvin Brown (January 12, 1893 - April 7, 1973) was an American

consulting engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

and patent attorney of Los Angeles, known as 70th president of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

in the year 1951-52.Rockwell Dennis Hunt, Nellie Van de Grift Sanchez.
California and Californians
'' Volume 4. 1926. p. 109Obituary: J. Calvin Brown (1893-1973)." in: ''Mechanical Engineering,'' Volume 95. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1973. p. 93

Biography

Youth, family and education

Brown was born in Pomona, California in 1893, son of James Calhoun and Lily May (Nichols) Brown. The father was a lawyer in Los Angeles from

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, descendant of the "famous Southern Calhoun family", known as liberally educated men, many with scholastic degrees. Brown attended

Los Angeles High School Los Angeles High School is the oldest Public education#United States, public high school in the Southern California, Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are royal blue and white and the teams are ...

and graduated in aeronautical engineering at Throop College of Technology, now the California Institute of Technology. Next he graduated at the Chicago School of Law, now University of Chicago Law School. He was engaged in war activities with the United States Army Air Service from the time America entered the World war until December 1918.William Richard Cutter. ''American Biography: A New Cyclopedia,'' Volume 51. Pub. under the direction of the American historical society, 1932. p. 328.

Career and acknowledgements

In 1920 Brown was admitted to the

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...

. He started with the

patent lawyer A patent attorney is an Lawyer, attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing patent applications ...

firm Raymond Ives Blakeslee, where he became a partner in June 1922. The practice of the firm was focussed on cases involving patents, trademarks, copyrights and unfair competition in the Federal courts. In a dozen years he to "a position of leading importance among the members of the Southern California bar." Brown was also admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the United States courts of appeals for California, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. From the early 1920s until the early 1940s Brown was president of the Los Angeles Patent Law Association, and participated in several United States Congress hearings on patents. By 1945 he Brown was head of his own firm of J. Calvin Brown, Los Angeles. In 1950 Brown was elected new president of the

at the Society's 71st annual meeting in New York City. From 1945 to 1949 he had served as vice-president. In 1952 he was succeeded as ASME president by Reginald J. S. Pigott.Plant Management and Engineering.'' Volumes 3-4. 1951. p. 24 Brown also served as member of the John Fritz Medal Board of Award, and was director of the Centennial of Engineering exposition held in Chicago in 1952.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, J. Calvin 1893 births 1973 deaths Engineers from California 20th-century American lawyers California Institute of Technology alumni People from Pomona, California Presidents of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 20th-century American engineers