A Tribute to Jack Brown

For over 30 years, the name Jack Brown was synonymous with sports. Brown, a long time icon on the North Dakota sports and recreation scene, passed away September 1, 1999 at the age of 72.

A founding member of the Prairie Rose state games board of Directors, Brown was the former longtime director of the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department.
Brown served as a board member in the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department from 1961-1978 and was president of the board for 14 years. He was director of the Department from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. He served as a board member for Prairie Rose State Games from the program’s inception in 1987 until 1999.

Brown’s many accomplishments made him one of the most recognized athletic boosters in the state, and there is hardly any area of athletics in Jamestown that did not benefit from his work over the years.

The ballpark at Jamestown’s McElroy Park was renamed Jack Brown Stadium in 1993, and his work is reflected in athletic facilities all over Jamestown.

“He really did a lot for the city, and not just the baseball park, but all the parks, Wilson and Eagles arenas, the soccer complex, the neighborhood parks and also the recreation programs… he really had everybody in mind,” said Ron Frydenlund, who served on the park Board for 12 years while Brown was director and helped run the Jamestown American Legion baseball program.

“He was so good at promoting baseball that it made it easier for those of us who ran individual programs,” Frydenlund said. “He did so much and he left a great legacy, and that’s what we should remember.”

Brown was involved with athletics all his life. He was a charter member of the North Dakota Officials Association and served as president and was also the founder and first president of the Jamestown Officials Association. In his officiating career, Brown worked high school football and basketball games, umpired baseball games and was the official starter at the state high school track meet for more than 35 years.
He officiated more than 2,000 high school basketball games from 1943 to 1983, including district tournaments, 10 regional tournaments and nine state tournaments. He officiated football games until 1988, working more than 900 contests, including playoff games.

And it was Brown’s work behind the scenes that paved the way for the success of North Dakota Amateur Baseball, the Prairie Rose State Games and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, located in the Jamestown Civic Center.

“Jack really emphasized programs for the youth and expanding our neighborhood parks,” said Schulz. “He was very supportive of the baseball program and had a special interest in that, but was just as concerned with the track, the softball and soccer fields, the golf course… he pushed for them all.”

Our parks are second to none in the state and that’s due in large part to Jack Brown,” Schulz said. “It’s hard to say exactly what kind of impact he had on the Park and Rec Department, because he was the Park Rec Department. When people would think of the Park and Rec Department, they’d think of Jack.”

Brown was inducted into the Jamestown College Hall of Fame, the North Dakota Officials Association Hall of Fame and the North Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.

Other awards include the National Federation Interscholastic Officials Association distinguished service award in 1987, induction in the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, the Sertoma Humanitarian Award in 1994 and the Sporting Good Manufacturer’s Association Heroes Award.

In 1993, he won the Sports Achievement Award from the North Dakota Associated Press and Sportscasters and Sportswriters, the highest honor given out from the state’s sports media.

He was also a lifetime member of the Jamestown Elks, where he served as exalted ruler in 1973 and was the current chairman of the board of trustees. On the state level of the Elks, he served as past state president. He was the State Hoop Shoot chairman and youth activities committee chairman. At the national level he served as past district deputy director and special deputy grand exalted ruler.

A former captain of the Jamestown College football team, Brown was the recipient of the N.D. Jaycees Physical Fitness Promoter Award in 1967.

The list of Brown’s awards and achievements goes on and on as will his legacy.
Brown is survived by his wife Mirt; four children, Jacquelynn (Christopher) Stratford Jamistown, Jill (Richard C.) Newark Las Vegas, Nev., Barbara Brown, El Paso, Texas, and Richard (Deidra) Brown of Jamestown; and ten grandchildren.

Reprinted with permission of the Jamestown Sun.