In Memory of Helen Brown

Mfss HELEN GERTRUDE BROWN, assistant to the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, died at the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, December 22, from leucoma and terminal pneumonia. Miss Brown was known to a host of alumni who as students had contact with her in the Superintendent's office in Parkhurst Hall. She had assisted in that office for 23 years, except for two years during the war when she served with the Red Cross in Paris.

Miss Brown spent nearly her entire life in Hanover having been born here, March 29, 1888, the daughter of Charles B. and Mary E. (Clement) Brown. After attending the local schools she studied at the Burdett Business School in Boston. In 1912, soon after graduation, she entered the employ of the Superintendent's office at Dartmouth. This was at the time of the retirement of E. H. Hunter '01 from the Superintendent's position, and the appointment of the late H. A. Wells '10. Mr. Wells was succeeded in 1920 by W. M. Gooding '11.

Miss Brown is survived by her brother, Albert G. Brown, of Hanover, and a sister, Mrs. Ruth Virginia Watso, of Westmoreland. Bearers at the private funeral service were Messrs. William M. Gooding, Max A. Norton, A. Df. Storrs, and F. M. Morgan.

Miss Brown's long service of 23 years in the Administration Building is equalled only by George Clayton, the venerable janitor, whose connection with the College dates back to the beginning of Dr. Tucker's administration, 1893, and earlier. It is Mr. Gooding's tribute to Miss Brown that throughout her long period of service he learned to rely completely upon her devotion to the best interests of the College as these might be affected through the work of the Superintendent's office. She worked without regard to sacrifice of time or energy; she was cheerful in the performance of duties which so often were concerned with complaints from occupants of College buildings, she ingratiated herself in the community by her willingness to go much further than her position required in assisting those who looked to the office for help at one point or another.

Prof. E. B. Watson '02 was head of a bureau of the American Red Cross, located in Paris during the war. His secretary was Helen Brown. In a communication addressed to the editors of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, Professor Watson writes:

"One aspect of Miss Helen Brown's careeris not, I believe, familiar to her Hanoverfriends. It would be fitting if some reference to her war service were made in herobituary.

"In the early part of 1918 she enlisted inthe American Red Cross with two associatesof the college offices, Miss Elsie and MissMyrtle Tarbell. All three were assigned tosecretarial work in the Bureau of MedicalIntelligence, the name given to that branchof Red Cross work in Paris which had to dowith medical research and publication. Thetwo activities of the bureau with which shewas most closely connected were themonthly meetings of the inter-allied medical officers at the Hotel Continental heldfor the benefit of our newly arrived surgreons, and the publication of The Medical Bulletin, later called War Medicine, issuedby the bureau to all the members of theAmerican medical and sanitary corps.

"Miss Brown had charge of the complicated mailing list of our constantly changing officers, and of the officers of the alliedforces who generously interested themselvesin the problems of our less experienced doctors. She rendered this important servicewith utmost efficiency and punctuality, although she had to revise the lengthy listalmost daily. She was popular with all theother members of the office staff and wasready at all time to share the overloads ofher colleagues in work not properly herown.

"Her arrival in Paris was at about thetime when the great German air attacks andthe great gun were active in the futile attempt to break the city's morale. Althoughshots frequently fell near the offices, firstsituated at the Rue Mont Tabor and laterin the Hotel Regina and the Place Vendome, Miss Brown never missed a minuteof her service or showed the least concernfor her own safety. As in Hanover she became also in war service in France an indispensable member of the staff."

In behalf of members of the College staff and other friends among the alumni and residents of the Hanover community the editors express their regret in Miss Brown's untimely passing and their appreciation for her long and valued services to Dartmouth College.

Miss Brown During the War, and, Right, a Recent Portrait