James Ward Brown’s life began in Philadelphia on Jan. 15, 1934. He was the son of George Harold and Julia Elizabeth (Ward) Brown.
A lifelong scholar, James received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Harvard University in 1955, a Master of Arts degree at the University of Michigan in 1958, and a Doctor of Philosophy at U-M in 1964.
As an accomplished and notable educator, he had a long tenure as a professor of mathematics at UM-Dearborn. He held positions as an assistant professor, associate professor, professor, and acting department chair.
He was also an assistant professor at Oberlin College, an editorial consultant for Mathematics Review and a director of the National Science Foundation Grant. He retired from UM-Dearborn in 2012.
James was very committed to his work and career. He boasted accolades as an American mathematician, educator and published author.
James was also a family man. He married Jaqueline Read on Sept. 3, 1957. To their union two children were born, Scott Cameron and Gordon Elliot.
James Ward Brown of Ann Arbor departed this life on Dec. 22, 2022, in Saline.
He is survived by his wife, Jaqueline, as well as their sons, Scott Cameron Brown and Gordon Elliot Brown.
— Submitted by the Brown family
Jens Zorn
It should be mentioned that James Brown and Ruel Churchill wrote two books that have been, for decades, the standard texts for the teaching of complex variables and of Fourier series. That these continue to be adopted on a world-wide scale for the teaching of fundamental mathematics is a tribute to James Ward Brown’s legacy.