In Memoriam: John A. Brownell (1924-2008)

Dr. John A. Brownell, a past president of California State University, Dominguez Hills, died on Feb. 22 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83.

Brownell served as interim president of CSU Dominguez Hills from 1987 to 1989, following the sudden death of Dr. Richard Butwell, who served as president from 1984 to 1987. Brownell earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Whittier College. He achieved his doctorate in education at Stanford University.

Brownell began his career in education as a teacher at Punahou School in Hawaii in 1948. After moving back to California in 1951, he taught at Whittier Union High School. From 1954 to 1958, Brownell was an assistant professor at CSU Long Beach in the education and psychology departments. He moved on to become a professor at Claremont Graduate School until 1966, when he relocated to Hawaii and became a researcher and professor at the University of Hawaii until 1982, working as the director of the institution’s Center for Cultural and Technical Exchange between East and West.

During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Brownell served in various positions as a visiting professor in Japan and Sweden, and in 1982 was appointed vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Alaska. He began his career at CSU Dominguez Hills in 1986 as a professor of education and vice president for Academic Affairs. In 1987, he became interim president of CSU Dominguez Hills and served in this position until the summer of 1989, when he retired from the CSU system.

An expert on Asian education systems and politics, Brownell continued to remain engaged in those fields, even after retirement. In 1997, he organized and chaired a major conference at the Australian National University at Canberra with the topic, “Higher Education and Human Development in the Pacific Basin.”

Brownell received many honors and awards during his long career. He was elected an honorary member of Kappa Alpha Alpha and selected as one of the 100 honored graduates of Whittier College for its centennial celebration. He was also elected to the Whittier College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983. His awards include the International Education Research Award, Phi Delta Kappa; the Harold Benjamin Fellow in International Education, Kappa Delta Pi; and the Fulbright Award, Ministry of Education, Cyprus. He also participated in the Rhodes Scholar competition of 1948.

Brownell’s professional memberships include International Association of University Presidents, Institute of Management Sciences, Society for General Systems Research, Society for College and University Planning, American Association for the United Nations University, American Educational Research Association, Hong Kong Association of Southern California, Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Kappa Alpha Alpha.

In addition to his teaching and administrative endeavors, Brownell authored a large number of publications, the majority of which deal with education management, including two books, one in Japanese.

Brownell, who lived in Placerville, Calif. at the time of his death, is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Rena, two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren.

“Jack Brownell was a thoroughly competent and accomplished educator,” says Dr. Donald Gerth, former president of CSU Dominguez Hills (1976-1984). “He gave great leadership to the Dominguez Hills campus through a complex transition period and was certainly a respected team player among the CSU presidents, which reflected well on the Dominguez Hills campus. In the years after his retirement, he was an active leader in higher education development in the Pacific Basin and brought together many faculty and administrative leaders into productive working relationships.”

A private memorial service is being planned in Hawaii for later this spring.

- Thomas Philo and Joanie Harmon

Photo above: Dr. John A. Brownell, his wife Rena, and former CSUDH president Dr. Donald Gerth (1976-1984) and his wife Beverly, enjoy a moment at Brownell's retirement party.

Photo courtesy of CSUDH Digital Collections