Harold A. Brown
Harold A. Brown
We could say the usual things about Prof. Harold A. Brown and his time at NMSU — that he was a professor and department head in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department — but to many students who worked and learned under his guidance, Brown was far more than an ordinary professor or administrator.
Ray Black, an electrical and computer engineering alum who worked as Brown’s graduate student in the 1950s, recalls him as well‑liked, easy to work for, yet demanding in the best way — he knew exactly what he wanted students to learn and accomplish.
Black says Brown helped bring the college into the modern era by teaching classes on transistors and by obtaining surplus government equipment so students could gain hands‑on experience.
He also remembers Brown as a strong advocate for raising academic standards for engineers. Brown was instrumental in starting the graduate program, the co‑op program, and the Eta Kappa Nu Honorary Society in the College of Engineering.
Bill Kersting, professor in the Klipsch Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, remembers Brown as a dedicated teacher with an open‑door policy and a deep commitment to the college’s mission — at the time, 90% teaching, 5% service, and 5% research. Kersting says Brown made registration (long before computers) orderly and fair, with every faculty member knowing exactly what they were responsible for.
Although often remembered as a “loner,” Brown knew his students well. Kersting recalls that graduate students who returned to visit NMSU would often stop to see Brown before anyone else. Others remember him riding his Harley‑Davidson or driving his Mercedes convertible after retirement, as well as his unique hobby of repairing electric organs — he was the only person in town with that expertise.
Brown supported engineering students not only through teaching and administration but also through significant financial contributions. He owned several acres of land along Espina Street; when the university sought to acquire it (now married housing), Brown traded the land for scholarship funds in honor of his father. That scholarship remains active today. His estate left approximately $750,000 to fund engineering scholarships at NMSU.
Harold A. Brown was born November 4, 1907, in Alameda, California, and passed away January 2, 1998. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering (1931) and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering (1932) from Oklahoma A&M College. He joined New Mexico A&M College (now NMSU) in 1937 as a lecturer in electrical engineering and served as department head from 1955 to 1968.