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John Brown was born in Staunton, Virginia in 1757 and attended Princeton College until the British took the city in 1777 during the American Revolution. In 1778, Brown came to William & Mary and studied Natural Science under William & Mary President James Madison as well as law under Thomas Jefferson. While a student at William & Mary, John Brown was an early member of Phi Beta Kappa. Brown left William & Mary in 1781 when the College closed down due to the British invading Virginia. After he left William & Mary, he studied law and was a member of the Continental Congress from 1787-1789. He was elected as a U.S. Senator from Kentucky in 1792 and was re-elected in 1799. He died in Frankfort, Kentucky in 1837.

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This website contains the best available information from known sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information in this website is not complete, and it changes as we continue to research and uncover new sources.