J. Stanley Brown

James Stanley Brown (September 1863 in Cumberland, Ohio – September 6, 1939 ) was a leader in high school and post-secondary education in the United States. His work with William Rainey Harper led to the creation of the first community college in the country. alt=Portrait of J. Stanley Brown from 1918 Joliet Township High School memory book.

Joliet school district and first community college Brown became principal of Joliet High School in 1893, later becoming the Joliet Township High School superintendent. During his career in Joliet, the school started offering college-level courses which students could use towards college credit, similar to the current Dual Credit programs.

William Rainey Harper, president of University of Chicago, held conferences in Chicago known as "Conferences of the Affiliated and Cooperating Schools" to organize cooperation between regional high schools and the college. Brown's work with this conference led to Joliet High School being approved in 1899 as a secondary school that could offer college credit to their students. The high school was then able to offer a six-year program that included the first two years of college starting in 1901. Eventually, J. Stanley Brown obtained accreditation for Joliet Junior College in 1917. Here Brown continued his expansion of school offerings. He pushed for the two-year normal school to become a four-year bachelor's offering school. He also worked to integrate the school and the surrounding community, what NIU now describes as the "Communiversity Philosophy".

Retirement and return to Joliet Brown retired in 1927. He returned to Joliet where he spent time with family who still lived in the area. He died at his summer home in Frankfort.