Herbert D. Brown (1870-1963) was born in Fort Madison, Iowa. He married Harriet Chedie Connor on July 29, 1897. They came to Washington, D.C., in 1903 where he entered government service, first in the Census Bureau, then in the Bureau of Corporations, the forerunner of the Federal Trade Commission. Mrs. Brown assisted her husband by writing reports, histories, and summaries of his work. Brown's study of actuarial and super-annuatation problems led to an interest in the agitation for civil service pensions, and to his support in 1908 of the Civil Service Retirement Association in promoting retirement legislation for civil service employees. From 1910 to 1913, he also served as assistant actuary in charge of work of the Joint Congressional Commission on Fidelity Bonds, accountant on President Taft's Commission on Economy and Efficiency to work on problems connected with the personnel of Civil Service, and as Chief, Division of Efficiency, U.S. Civil Service Commission. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Brown to chief of the newly formed U.S. Bureau of Efficiency. He served in that capacity until 1933 when the bureau was abolished by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The primary purpose of the Bureau of Efficiency was better economy through decreased appropriations achieved by increased efficiency. The Bureau provided a scheme for classifications and definitions for each civil service position bringing a greater equality to public service. Brown established the Bureau of War Risk Insurance during World War I and the military serial number. He also established procedures for investigating various private pension funds putting them on a sound financial basis. At the request of the Bureau of Labor, Brown introduced the study of retirement plans for civil servants and industrial corporations in foreign lands, including the governments of Great Britain, New Zealand, New South Wales, and Canada. At the request of President Hoover, the Browns made trips to Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands in 1930 and 1931 to report on political, social, and economic conditions. He also conducted an economic survey in Panama in 1929.
From the description of Brown, Herbert D. (Herbert Daniel), 1870-1963 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10611557
