The University of Tennessee has a blend of lush trees and grassy areas mixed in with the historical, orange-tinted brick buildings all cozied up next to the Tennessee River, a
Jerry Summers: Clarence L. Brown – UTKs Movie Producer And Director Monday, June 7, 2021 - by Jerry Summers
Jerry Summers
One of the most famous personalities in Hollywood but relatively unknown in Tennessee is the late gentleman by the name of Clarence Leon Brown (1890-1987). Until recently he was also the largest financial contributor to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville having left a $12 million bequest at his death in 1987, contingent on the death of his fourth wife, Marian Spies.
Brown was born in Clinton, Massachusetts and at the age of 12 moved to Knoxville. After graduating from UTK with degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering, he initially worked for the Stevens-Duryea Automotive Company before forming the Brown Motor Car Company in Alabama. He then traveled to Fort Lee, New Jersey to serve as an assistant in the motion picture industry to French director Maurice Tourneur at the Peerless Studio in 1913.