It is with sadness that we convey the passing of Harold Brown, former Director of Advancement at Cranbrook Schools, on Jan. 14, 2025.
Harold had a long and distinguished career in independent school advancement, and from 1991 until this past year was a stalwart member of the independent schools community. After a 20-year career at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S., primarily in alumni/ae affairs, Harold then shared his talents with Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut, U.S., as Director of Development. He ultimately moved to Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S., in 2019 and remained Director of Advancement there until 2024.
During his long career, Harold was an integral volunteer for CASE, ultimately serving as secretary of the CASE Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2002. His many volunteer roles also included serving as the CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference chair, on the faculty for the Summer Institute in Alumni Relations, as a frequent speaker and mentor to new professionals, and as a member of the Independent Schools Leadership Group steering committee. CASE is and will continue to be a stronger organization due to his influence and contributions.
Harold is remembered both for his service to others and for his abiding kindness. As one colleague noted, “Harold Brown embodied the true meaning of service to others, and the Greek origins of the word philanthropy: the love of mankind. … He was funny, great to be with, and taught me many things but never in a stuffy or professorial way. That was how he lived his life and honored our work. … I am deeply grateful for having had the opportunity to become friends with Harold, learn from him, and enjoy his company. He was a bright light of goodness in our world.”
As another colleague said, Harold was “warm and welcoming of everyone … He communicates [the message] ‘if you are here, you belong’ … Before Chief Advancement Officers were charged to diversify our advancement staff and programs more intentionally, Harold Brown encouraged us to do so through authentically revealing what we were missing. He has always proclaimed that extraordinary opportunities are unlocked by achieving staffing and programming that fully represent our school communities.”
I can personally attest to Harold’s deep kindness. When I was a new member of the CASE team, not knowing many of our longtime volunteers and having come from a school much less distinguished than the ones Harold served, he made me feel immediately welcome. After every blog post, article, or presentation, he would offer a word of encouragement, which usually ended in “you’re doing great, kid!”
I will never forget Harold’s professional insights and encouragement of my own career. At CASE, we are privileged to work with professionals who impact both our profession and our lives. Harold will be sorely missed.
For more information about Harold’s personal and professional legacy, please click here.