Anna V. Brown

Anna V. Brown (1914 – November 12, 1985) was an African-American advocate for the elderly who assisted Mayor Carl Stokes in developing aging programs in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s. She was inducted into the Ohio Department of Aging Hall of Fame and served as the president of the National Council on Aging.

Biography Anna V. Brown was born in 1914 in Vivian, West Virginia, to physician Joseph E. Brown and his wife Hattie. In 1938, she graduated from Oberlin College and following graduation went on a tour of India. She was the recipient of the Juliette Derricotte Scholarship in 1939, which awarded her the trip, as part of a program initiated by Sue Bailey Thurman to honor outstanding students. After her trip abroad, Brown and her family moved to Cleveland, where she began working in 1941 for the Phillis Wheatley Association (PWA). Brown began as an auditor and worked her way up to the assistant executive secretary of the organization.

Brown's lifetime work improving the lives of older adults was recognized with the establishment of the Anna V. Brown Community Forum. Community partners including the City of Cleveland Department of Aging, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga County Division of Senior and Adult Services, and Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging conducted the annual event for 27 years. The event focused on the well-being of older adults, emerging issues, and effective practices that assisted with sustaining the lives of older adults. In addition, Brown mentored, coached, and inspired several individuals to pursue careers in gerontology.

She died on November 12, 1985, in Cleveland.

Personal life Brown married artist Elmer Brown, on June 7, 1943. He painted the Freedom Mural at the City Club of Cleveland and worked for American Greetings as an artist.