Dorothea Brown 1950 Photo
Mrs. Brown was the daughter of an American father and a British mother. She began her illustruous life in the West Indies. Mrs. Brown's family set up housekeeping in Ohio after one year abroad. Seven years later a strong sense of adventure overcame the family and they set sail again - this time for Jamaica.
On their Jamaican plantation, Mrs. Brown adapted to her unique, uncivilized surroundings by becoming a self-styled Anne Oakley with "gun on hip." This unusual measure was followed to insure her safety against escaped criminals, which were common on the island.
At fourteen, Mrs. Brown and her family returned to the United States. She quickly reached the educational level of her American classmates and graduated from a Louisiana high school in three years. She then took an exam and became a teacher. She taught in Bogalusa and Hammond for five years; then, moved to the Rio Grande Valley where her sister and mother preceded her.
Mrs. Brown's teaching career in McAllen, Texas began at the junior high school in 1926. She later moved to the high school and taught American History. During her teaching career she took a one year absence to work on her Bachelor of Arts degree. She also earned, during her teaching career, a Masters degree from New York University. She also studied at the University of Southern California and Washington University in Missouri.
Mrs. Brown also coached debate for twenty years. She said she shifted her own thinking to more and more conservative lines during those years when she helped students seek out material for debate subjects. A former student said that Mrs. Brown "liked to teach. She was always where the action was." Mrs. Brown was always a happy person, always smiling.
For her outstanding school spirit, she was voted Most Spirited teacher at McAllen High School in 1969. Mrs. Brown led many cheers on the auditorium stage and from the gymnasium floor as she waved an American flag. She also wrote poetry for each football game. In 1970, her students honored her with "Dorothea Brown Day" which included a senior assembly attended by many of her ex-students. Other evidence of Mrs. Brown's popularity on the McHi campus was presented during each football game in the form of her namesake, "Dorothea." When the miniature cannon was acquired, enthusiastic students voted to christen it after the one and only Mrs. Brown. It was fired after each touchdown and extra point made at the football games.
Mrs. Dorothea Wilson Brown was a wonderful teacher and person to all who knew her.
