Notable Figures in the Story
Below are the fellow faculty members at George Mason Univeristy who were mentioned and played a significant role in this story of Lorraine Brown's history. This page offers a brief insight into their own contributions to the George Mason University, independent of their connection to Dr. Brown.
Following them are other faculty members who were briefly mentioned.
Stephen Brown featured in The Advocate in 1970.
Stephen Brown joined George Mason College in 1968 as an associate dean after teaching at George Washington University. Lorraine and Stephen married in 1969, but due to the university's nepotism policy, he stepped down from administration to teach in the English Department. He remained there until 1994. A Yale and Cambridge-educated scholar of the English Renaissance, Brown was known for his pioneering work on gender and sexuality in Shakespeare, as well as for his political activism in Washington, D.C. He passed away in July 2011 at the age of 82.
John O'Connor sifting through the Federal Theatre Project collection, September 12th, 1974.
John O’Connor joined George Mason College in 1969 as an instructor after earning his master’s degree in English from the University of Virginia. He completed his Ph.D. in 1974 and was promoted to associate professor of English. Around this time, he worked with Dr. Lorraine Brown to help secure the Federal Theatre Project collection, an important effort that started the beginning of his dedicated service to George Mason University. O’Connor later became a founding dean of New Century College in 1995, now known as the School of Integrative Studies. Today, he holds the title of professor emeritus in that school.
Lorin Thompson speaking to someone on September 24th, 1975.
Lorin Thompson was a significant figure in the evolution of George Mason University from a branch college to an independent institution. He was appointed as the first chancellor of George Mason College in 1966. Under his leadership, the college grew significantly, enrollment increasded from approximately 840 to over 4,000 students and campus expanded from 150 to 600 acres. Thompson is a distinguished figure in guiding the institution to independence, which led to the establishment as George Mason University in 1972. Thompson became George Mason University's first president which he served as until his retirement in 1973.