Professor Moses True Brown

Born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in 1827, Moses True Brown was the first professor of oratory at Tufts University, serving in that capacity from 1866 to 1890. Prior to teaching in New England, Moses True Brown was superintendent of Toledo Public Schools (1861-1866), and was a literary critic. In 1884 Moses True Brown established the Boston School of Oratory, acting as its president until he moved to his wife's home town of Sandusky, Ohio in 1890.

Professor Brown had married Cora B. Barney, daughter of George Barney, in 1863. Mrs. Cora Barney Brown died in 1886 in Atlantic City, but she was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky. When Professor Moses True Brown died on September 11, 1900, his obituary in the Sandusky Daily Star stated that he was an "eminent educator, a highly respected citizen, and a man of high attainments."

Professor Brown was a mentor to Pulitzer Prize winning author Hamlin Garland. Several well known orators had studied with Moses True Brown, including Anna Morgan, the Chicago dramatist. In his will Moses True Brown left his personal library to the public library of Sandusky which was under construction at that time.

To learn more about about Moses True Brown and other early residents of Sandusky and Erie County visit the Archives Research Center at Sandusky Library.