A. A. Brown

According to author Laura Jarmin in Arbors to Bricks: A Hundred Years of African American education in Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1865-1965, A. A. Brown was the first African American superintendent of education in Rutherford County. A. A. Brown was superintendent from 1867-1868. The 1870 census depicts a thirty-five year old African American man by the name of Abraham Brown. It is unclear if this is the A. A. Brown Jarmin refers to. Abraham Brown's occupation in the census is listed as DO, which refers to the occupation above it, in this case, farm laborer. It is possible that the A. Brown listed in the 1870 census is A. A. Brown.

Extensive research has turned up little on A. A. Brown.The main primary source identifying A. A. Brown is a series of correspondence between A. A. Brown and John Eaton, the first state superintendent of public instruction in the state of Tennessee. From the collection of correspondance between Eaton and Brown, it is probable that Brown resigned from his duties as superintendent of Rutherford County public education around September or early October of 1868.

In the letter included in this exhibit, A. A. Brown writes that he has found a man to be his replacement, "I have found a man who I think will make a good county Supt. for this county, He is well acquainted with all parts of the county and a teacher himself." [10] Brown is referring to Reverend W. H. Wallace, whom he refers to as a substantial landowner in Rutherford County and a "Union man." [11]