John Nicholas Brown

John Nicholas Brown I (December 17, 1861 – May 1, 1900) was an American book collector who donated his father's collection to Brown University. Early life John Nicholas Brown was born on December 17, 1861 to John Carter Brown II (1797–1874) and Sophia Augusta Brown (1825–1909). His father was a collector of American books in the mid-19th century and was the first American to join the Hakluyt Society as a charter member in 1846, and in 1855, he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society. His brother was Harold Brown (1863–1900) and his sister was Sophia Augusta Brown (1867–1947), who married William Watts Sherman (1842–1912). He prepared for college with private tutors, including William Carey Poland. In 1881, Brown entered Brown University, however, he left school after two years, citing poor health and a weak constitution. He continued his studies of his own accord, traveling extensively and studying history, architecture, languages and the classics. In 1895, the faculty of Brown University voted to confer a degree upon him as a member of the class of 1885. Family His paternal grandfather was Nicholas Brown Jr. (1769–1841), the namesake patron of Brown University (in 1804). His great-grandfather was Nicholas Brown Sr. (1729–1791), brother of John Brown, Moses Brown, and Joseph Brown, who was a merchant and slave trader who co-founded the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.