Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown and Siblings, Valerie Brown '85 and Gregory Brown '93 Establish New Fund in Honor of their Father
November 1, 2004

The Brown Family: Blythe, Richard, Dan, Gregory, Valerie and Connie

Exeter, NH—Dan Brown, author of the acclaimed best seller The Da Vinci Code, tends to stay out of the limelight. He made an exception to that low profile on October 30, when he and his wife, Blythe, attended a black-tie gala at his high school alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. The event marked the start of a $305-million fund-raising campaign for the independent secondary school, the largest effort of this kind in American secondary school history.

Brown, his sister, Valerie, and brother, Gregory, used the occasion to announce a $2.2-million gift to the school in honor of their father, Richard Brown. Professor Emeritus Richard Brown taught mathematics at the Academy for 35 years, from 1962 until his retirement in 1997.

Years before Dan Brown's novels dominated fiction lists, the author's father wrote a best-selling series of mathematics textbooks that became the standard in classrooms around the country. Advanced Mathematics: Precalculus With Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis is still considered a premier tool for teaching advanced mathematics. In 1989, Richard Brown was recognized for his contribution to the field of mathematics education when he was chosen by President George H.W. Bush to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching.

In speaking of his father, Brown said, "My dad's contribution to education through teaching and textbooks is a powerful legacy. My sister, brother and I want to honor our father's contribution to the Academy, and his lasting impact on the thousands of students whom he taught."

The Brown children grew up on the Exeter campus and all attended the school. Dan graduated in 1982, Valerie in 1985 and Gregory in 1993. Dan Brown later taught English at the Academy as well. Despite the tremendous demands on him, Brown continues to give generously of his time to the school: volunteering, meeting with alumni/ae groups, visiting classes and speaking at Academy assemblies.

The gift will fund the Richard G. Brown Technology Endowment, which will provide computers and other high-tech equipment to students in need. Dan Brown said of the donation, "By ensuring that all students at Exeter are on an equal footing in the area of technology, regardless of their financial means, we have taken the opportunity to give something back to a phenomenal father and an extraordinary school, both of whom have given us so much."

Tyler C. Tingley, principal of Phillips Exeter Academy, said, "Richard Brown has been one of Exeter's most dynamic and forward-thinking teachers of mathematics. A true pioneer of incorporating technology into the classroom, he has inspired countless colleagues and students to embrace learning and technology."

Richard Brown, who was surprised by the honor, said, "What a wonderful thing it is to be so honored by one's children! My wife and I are thrilled with their visionary gift to a school we love so dearly. Teaching and learning at Phillips Exeter Academy is a great privilege and joy."

In his retirement, Richard Brown keeps sharp by reading, playing bridge and doing cryptic and crossword puzzles with his wife, Connie, also an author. In addition, he is preparing a slide-show lecture entitled "Mathematics in The Da Vinci Code," which will delve into the secrets of The Divine Proportion (PHI) in his son's novel. With over 16 million copies of The Da Vinci Code now in print worldwide, Richard Brown's lecture should have no shortage of takers.

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