Laurie Lanham Brown was born on December 9, 1923 in Paxville, South Carolina to James Nelson and Mary Martha Bell Brown. A graduate of the College of Charleston, he later worked for Standard Oil Company in Columbia, SC while attending business school at night. In 1943, he enlisted with the Navy and served in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea during World War II. He was discharged from active duty in 1946 and remained in the Naval Reserve until April 1953. Upon his discharge from the military, Brown enrolled in the Medical College of the State of South Carolina (now Medical University of South Carolina) from which he graduated in 1953. Following his internship at Roper Hospital, he entered a residency program in anesthesiology at Medical Center Hospitals, which he completed in 1956. He had a private practice and served as part-time instructor in anesthesiology at the Medical College. In 1966 he became a full-time faculty member at the Medical College and Chief of Anesthesiology at the Veterans Administration hospital. He achieved the rank of professor in 1975 and was made emeritus upon his retirement in 1992. He was a pioneer in the development of anesthesia during heart surgery. He chaired the Charleston County Medical Society education program on drug abuse. In addition to active service in numerous professional organizations, Brown was an avid medical historian with a particular interest in military medicine and medical biographies. He conducted dozens of oral history interviews with local physicians who reminisced about their medical careers and military service in both World War II and the Korean Conflict. He was also acutely interested in social and political activities in the state and nation, with particular interest in national defense and civil rights. Dr. Brown retired from active practice in 1987. He died on February 28, 1998 and was survived by his wife, Susan Searcy Brown.
From the description of Papers 1923-1996 (Medical University of South Carolina Library). WorldCat record id: 145733767
