A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of wade Edward brown, former member of the general assembly.

Whereas, Wade Edward Brown was born on November 5, 1907, in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to Jefferson Davis Brown and Etta Sudderth Brown; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown attended Watauga County schools and Mars Hill College prior to attending Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University), where he earned both undergraduate and law degrees; and
Whereas, in January 1930, Wade Edward Brown passed the North Carolina Bar Exam a year before graduating from law school in 1931; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown opened a law office in Boone on July 5, 1931; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, earning the rank of Lieutenant; and
Whereas, after the end of World War II, Wade Edward Brown returned to Boone, where he reestablished his law practice; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown served with honor and distinction in the General Assembly as a member of the Senate in 1947 and as a member of the House of Representatives in 1951; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown ably served his community in many capacities, serving as the Mayor of Boone from 1961 to 1967 and as a Charter member of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and the Boone Merchants Association; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown played a significant role in the development of the outdoor drama "Horn in the West," advocated for a public golf course to boost area tourism, and helped to expand the Watauga County Hospital (now Watauga Medical Center); and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown was appointed to a number of boards, including the North Carolina Board of Paroles, of which he served as Chair; the Board of Trustees at Appalachian State Teachers College (now Appalachian State University); and the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown's law career spanned more than six decades and, after his retirement, he spent several years as legal advisor to the students at Appalachian State University; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown was also an author, publishing his first book, "The Story of Golf in Boone," in 1981 and his autobiography, "Recollections and Reflections," in 1997; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown was active in the First Baptist Church in Boone, where he served in many positions of leadership from the 1930's on; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown received many honors during his lifetime, including being inducted into the North Carolina Bar Association Hall of Fame in 1992 and receiving the Liberty Bell Award by the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association in 1995; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown received the Alfred Adams Award for Economic Development from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, and in 2000, the Chamber renamed their Community Development Award, the Wade E. Brown Award for Community Development; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Gilma Baity Brown and by his second wife, Euzelia Smart Brown; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown died on March 9, 2009, at the age of 101; and
Whereas, Wade Edward Brown is survived by two daughters, Margaret Rose B. James, and Sarah B. Otey; a son, Wade Edward Brown, Jr.; four grandchildren, Emory Glenn Johnston, Jr., Alicia Brown Lyda, Kent Edward Brown, and Katherine Kirkwood Otey; and two great‑grandchildren, Grayson Emory Johnston and Andrew Michael Lyda; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Wade Edward Brown and extends its appreciation of this State and its citizens for the service he rendered his community, State, and nation.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its sympathy to the family of Wade Edward Brown for the loss of a beloved family member.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Wade Edward Brown.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 4th day of May, 2009.

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		 Walter H. Dalton
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives