National Air and Space Museum Archives

Jesse L. Brown Photographs

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2003.0049
Creators:
Jones, Phillip
Dates:
1947
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.05 Cubic feet
1 folder
Repository:
Jesse L. Brown (1926-1950) was the first African-American US Navy pilot. This collection consists of twenty-two snapshots taken by Phillip Jones, many of which include images of his friend Jesse L. Brown, as well as friends John Brannon, Sam Clauzel, and Rex Vannoy, during their US Navy flight training at Pensacola, Florida.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of twenty-two snapshots taken by Phillip Jones, many of which include images of his friend Jesse L. Brown, as well as friends John Brannon, Sam Clauzel, and Rex Vannoy, during their US Navy flight training at Pensacola, Florida. In several of the photographs, they are shown posing in front of a North American SNJ Texan and in others they are posing in front of a Stearman N2S Kaydet. There are also a few images of Pensacola training facilities as well as Sikorsky HNS-1 and various other training aircraft.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Jesse L. Brown (1926-1950) was the first African-American US Navy pilot. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to sharecroppers, Brown attended The Ohio State University and enlisted in the US Naval Reserve on July 8,1946. The following spring, he accepted an appointment as a midshipman in the US Navy. Brown attended the Navy preflight school in Ottumwa, Iowa, followed by flight training at Pensacola, Florida, where he was one of only six (out of 100) to complete the training. In 1948, Brown began a tour of duty with VF-32 at Quonset Point, RI, and was commissioned an ensign on April 15th of that year. In June 1950, VF-32 was operating from USS
Leyte
in the Mediterranean on a routine cruise when it was diverted to the Korean War. By October 1950, Brown was flying Vought F4U-4 Corsair missions from the USS
Leyte
. Brown became a section leader and received the Air Medal for daring attacks against the enemy before getting shot down by enemy fire and perishing in the wreckage of his aircraft. Brown was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and on March 18, 1972, the Navy christened the USS
Jesse L. Brown
(DE-1098), the first time that a US Naval vessel had been named for an African-American.

Administration

Author
Patricia Williams
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Joan B. Jones, Gift, 2003, NASM.2003.0049
Processing Information
Arranged and described in 2003 by Patricia Williams. Encoded in 2021 by Jessamyn Lloyd.

Digital Content

More …

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access.
Preferred Citation
Jesse L. Brown Photographs, NASM.2003.0049, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
African American air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Korean War, 1950-1953 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Aerial operations Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Medals -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Naval Air Station Pensacola (Fla.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States -- Armed Forces -- Afro-Americans Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Snapshots Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brown, Jesse L., 1926-1950 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jones, Phillip Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy -- Aviation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Navy. Fighter Squadron 32 Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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