Brown, W. Norman (William Norman), 1892-1975

Professor of Sanskrit, University of Pennsylvania.

From the description of Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1928, 1944. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 122691516

William Norman Brown, founder of the first academic department of South Asian Studies, spent the early part of his life in India at Harda and Jubbulpore, Central Provinces. He was sent back to the United States for his education in 1905. Brown attended Hiram College Preparatory School, 1905-1907 and Hiram College, 1908; he transferred to Johns Hopkins, majoring in Greek, and received his Ph.D. in 1916 for his work on Sanskrit under Maurice Bloomfield.

From 1916 to 1919 Brown held the position of the Harrison Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1919 to 1926 he held several posts until his appointment as the chair of Sanskrit at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1926 Brown organized the American Oriental Society; by 1936, he was successful in obtaining funding from this group the Chanhu-Daro excavation. By the summer of 1947 Brown's summer program "India: A Program of Regional Studies" was being offered at Penn. Offerings continued to be expanded until a full program was available in the 1949-1950 academic year.

From the description of Papers, 1912-1975. (University of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 145429517