Lucy J. Brown

Lucy J. Brown (September 5, 1933 – February 9, 2025) was an American social justice activist and public servant. She was the co-founder of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services in Ithaca, New York. Brown also served on the Ithaca City School District Board and on the Ithaca Board of Public Works.

Early life and education Brown was born on Albany Street in Ithaca. She attended Central Elementary School, Boynton Junior High School, and Ithaca High School. In 1976, she co-founded Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit organization focusing on affordable housing in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions of New York. She died at the age of 91 on February 9, 2025.

She was a member of Cayuga Temple 54 of the Daughters of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.

A bronze statue of Brown, made by Meredith Bergmann and commissioned by the Ithaca Historic Statues Steering Committee, was installed outside of the Henry St. John Building in Ithaca on August 16, 2024, and unveiled on August 17, 2024. The statue, featuring a QR Code with a voice recording by Brown, is part of the Talking Statues network created by David Peter Fox.