J. Carter Brown
For 23 years, J. Carter Brown (1934 - 2002) served as Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., building one of the world's greatest collections of art, and keeping it available to the public, free of charge. Brown was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where his family had been prominent since before the Revolution. His father, John Nicholas Brown, served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Truman. While living with his family in Washington, the young J. Carter Brown fell in love with the National Gallery of Art and first conceived of a career that would allow him to pursue his love for all the arts and to share them with a larger public. Brown spent his undergraduate years studying history and literature, and acquired a master's degree from Harvard Business School. In 1961, Brown joined the National Gallery as an assistant to the Director. Eight years later, at the age of 34, he was appointed Director. He more than tripled the Gallery's annual attenda