Brown, Robert V. N.

Robert V. N. Brown (1933-2006) was born in Belle Harbor, N.Y., and grew up in the Bronx, N.Y. In 1958, Brown moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., to study southern history at the University of North Carolina. In 1961, Brown began publishing the literary magazine "Reflections from Chapel Hill." In 1963-1964, at the height of the local civil rights movement, Brown published "The Chapel Hill Conscience," a newsletter of the Committee for Open Business. His role in the Chapel Hill civil rights movement is chronicled in John Ehle's book "The Free Men" (1965). In 1966, Brown, along with writer Leon Rooke, began publishing the alternative newspaper "The North Carolina Anvil,: which ran until 1983, when Brown retired from publishing. Brown also operated a job printing studio called Buffalo Printing during the 1970s and 1980s to support his other activities. He died on 5 February 2006 in Hillsborough, N.C.

Robert Vincent Brown (1933-2006) was born in Belle Harbor, Long Island, N.Y., on 10 June 1933 to Alexander Al Brown and Katherine Heinz Tottie Brown and grew up in the Bronx, N.Y. Brown added the second middle name, Neruda, to honor one of his heroes, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

In 1952, Brown joined the United States Air Force. He served in the Korean War as a gunner on more than 130 sorties and received several serious injuries when his plane was shot down. As a result, he was given several commendations for bravery in action. After serving in the Air Force, Brown studied history at Columbia University, then moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1958 to pursue graduate studies in southern history at the University of North Carolina.

In 1961, Brown began publishing the literary magazine Reflections from Chapel Hill . In 1963-1964, at the height of the local civil rights movement, Brown published The Chapel Hill Conscience, a newsletter for the Committee for Open Business, an organization dedicated to desegregation of Chapel Hill businesses. His role in the Chapel Hill civil rights movement is chronicled in the book The Free Men by John Ehle (1965). In 1966, Brown, along with writer Leon Rooke, began publishing the alternative newspaper The North Carolina Anvil . The newspaper ran until 1983, when Brown retired from publishing. Brown also operated a job printing studio called Buffalo Printing during the 1970s and 1980s to support the printing of the Anvil .

In 1970, Brown married Margaret W. Brown (nee Mason), a political and environmental activist in Orange County, N.C., who served as an Orange County commissioner, 1996-2004. Robert V. N. Brown died on 5 February 2006 in Hillsborough, N.C.