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RALPH F. BROWNE, JR

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Ralph Francis Browne Jr. was born Feb. 20, 1931, was the oldest of five children and graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School in 1949. He served with the last all-Black Military Unit, the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion, of the Massachusetts Army National Guard awaiting activation for service during the Korean War.  While in the service, Mr. Browne married Wilma Washington, whom he had met at a Christmas party.

 

For 42 years he worked as a civilian for the Air Force, holding many positions in contract management.  In 1964, the year the historic Civil Rights Act was enacted, Mr. Browne became the equal employment opportunity (EEO) officer at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA.  Thus began a history of serving his community. In Massachusetts. 

 

He served as a Director of the Roxbury YMCA, Chair of the National Board of Blacks in Government, Commander of the William E. Carter American Legion Post 16 in Mattapan, President of the Meetinghouse Hill Civics Association and the Dorchester Allied Neighborhood Association, the State President of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees­ (NARFE) Organization, President of the 272nd Veteran’s Association and the Organization of Afro-American Veterans, Veteran’s Chair for the Boston chapter of the NAACP, Treasurer of the Boston Partnership of Older Adults, Commander of the Massachusetts 40&8 American Legionnaires (aka Chef de Gare), State Senator of the Silver Haired Legislature, 2nd Vice President for the local chapter of AARP, the Affirmative Action Officer for the Ward 15 Democratic Committee and Dorchester’s Representative on the City of Boston Mayor’s Advisory Committee.

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Mr. Browne was the co-chairman of the Massachusetts branch of the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign, which was instrumental in influencing Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the Government of Massachusetts to recognize Juneteenth. As of 2007,  Juneteenth is now Juneteenth Independence Day in Massachusetts.  Massachusetts follows 24 states that have officially recognized the date.  Juneteenth signifies the date that the enslaved in Texas were notified of their freedom, 2 years after the signing of the emancipation proclamation. That June, Mr. Brown served as grand marshal of the Dorchester Day Parade.

 

Ralph Browne was the Founding member of BIG Hanscom Chapter in 1975. He authored the original chapter By-laws and became the first Chapter President. He held the following positions in BIG over his 37 year tenure:  Chapter- President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian, Regional Director, Regional Representative, and Chapter Delegate. At the National Level Ralph was a Chapter Delegate, Committee Chair, Region One Council President, Vice President, Treasurer and Parliamentarian, Regional Director, and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

 

He was instrumental in changing the Chapter name from Hanscom to Middlesex County Chapter to include the surrounding community, especially Natick Labs who encompassed about 30 BIG members. Ralph retired from Hanscom and became the President of National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) of Boston. 

 

Although he was busy with work and civic organizations, he made spending time with family a priority.  Working throughout Boston to improve the lives of others, Ralph Browne Jr. paid particular attention to issues affecting those who, like him, were ­Korean War veterans.  Mr. Browne, who friends and family say did not seek the limelight for his volunteer work, died of congestive heart failure 3 September, 2012 in the VA Medical Center in West Roxbury.   He was 81 and lived in Dorchester. Massachusetts.

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