Frank Byron Brown, 1863-1920
From American Series of Popular Biographies. Massachusetts Edition. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Boston: Graves & Steinbarger, 1891)
Frank Byron Brown, a successful medical practitioner of Dorchester, Mass., was born September 3, 1863, in Chichester, N.H., in the old ancestral homestead, which has been the birthplace of five generations of the Brown family, the first of whom was David Brown, the Doctor’s great-grandfather. Dr. Brown’s grandfather, Abraham Brown, was born there on September 14, 1801, and died September 14, 1850. He was a farmer during his entire industrial period. He married Rachel P. Ring, born April 10, 1809, who died August 16, 1865; and they had one child, David T., the Doctor’s father.
David T. Brown was born on the Brown homestead in Chichester, N.H., January 16, 1837, and during his life was there engaged in agricultural pursuits. A citizen of great prominence, he served in the various town offices, and by his strenuous efforts did much to advance the best interests of the community. He was Town Clerk for a number of terms, served as Selectman at various times, was Town Treasurer a number of years, and represented the town in the Legislature. He also served as a Justice of the Peace. He was engaged in the insurance business, representing different companies. Politically, he was a Democrat, and in religion a strong Congregationalist, being one of the leading members of the local church of that denomination. He died on the farm on which he had spent his entire life, February 15, 1892. He married December 28, 1861, Julia Clark Prescott, the eldest daughter of John and Mary (Clark) Prescott. She survived him a few years, passing away March 9, 1897.
Frank Byron Brown received his early education in the public schools of Chichester, after which he attended Pittsfield Academy, winning one of the Kent medals for scholarship. He then went to the Pembroke Academy, where he was fitted for Dartmouth College, being of the class of 1886. In 1887 he received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from the medial school connected with Bowdoin College and at once began the practice of his profession in Salina, Kan. In 1892 Dr. Brown returned East and located in Dorchester, where he has won an extensive patronage. He occupies a high position in the medical fraternity, and is a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society and of the Norfolk County Medical Society. While residing in Kansas, he belonged to the Kansas State Medical Society and to the Mississippi Valley Medical Society, and was assistant surgeon of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company and of the Union Pacific Railway Company. Dr. Brown was formerly instructor of bacteriology and pathology in Tufts College. In 1896 he still further advanced his professional knowledge by going abroad and taking a course of study at the Berlin University.
The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. CLXXXIII, no. 4, (Boston, 1920), 119-120.
Dr. Frank Byron Brown died of apoplexy at his home in Dorchester July 1, 1920, at the age of 56 years.
The son of David T. and Julia Clark (Prescott), he was born at North Chichester, N. H., September 3, 1863. After attending the schools of his native town and Pittsfield and Pembroke academies, he entered Dartmouth College with the class of 1886, transferring to the Medical School of Maine (Bowdoin) and graduating there in 1887. Dartmouth conferred the A. B. degree on him in 1911 as of the class of 1886.
Dr. Brown practiced at Salina, Kansas, from 18887 to 1892, when he settled in Dorchester, join the Massachusetts Medical Society, the following year and becoming at that time instructor in bacteriology and assistant in pathology in Tufts College Medical School. He held this position until 1898, when he resigned to devote himself to general practice.
Dr. Brown was never married and left no near relatives.