Brown, Francis, 1784-1820

Francis Brown, (born January 11, 1784, Chester, NH. [U.S.] – died July 27, 1820, Hanover, NH. [U.S.]), graduated from Dartmouth College in 1805 and from 1806-1809 held tutorship there. Brown served as the College’s third president.

Brown was removed from his presidency at the college as part of the actions that resulted in the Dartmouth College case but was reinstated following the 1819 decision in favor of the college.

Brown, a pastor from Yarmouth, Maine, presided over Dartmouth College during the famous Supreme Court hearing of the Trustees of Dartmouth College v. William H. Woodward or more commonly called the Dartmouth College Case. Under the leadership of President Brown, the Trustees resisted the effort, and the case for Dartmouth was argued by Daniel Webster before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818.

While the outcome was a tremendous victor for Dartmouth, the turmoil of the four-year legal battle left the college in perilous financial condition and took its toll on the health of President Brown. His condition steadily deteriorating, the Trustees made provisions, in 1819, for “the senior professors… to perform all the public duties pertaining to the Office of President of the College” in the event of his disability. Francis Brown died in July 1820 at the age of 36.