Kathleen & William Brown
Kathleen Brown was born January 5, 1947 in Weldon, North Carolina, but moved to Newsome Park in Newport News early in her childhood when her father remarried. Kathleen attended Newsome Park Elementary, Carver Elementary, and Carver High, after which she attended Howard University for three years before transferring to finish her last year at Hampton University. Kathleen later received her Master’s Degree from Old Dominion, as well as an Advanced Teaching Certificate from William and Mary. In 1972 she began teaching in the Hampton Public Schools. She taught at Davis Junior High until 1980 when she received a teaching position at Thomas Eaton Fundamental School. After eight years at Eaton, she was hired to the position of court liaison for the Hampton Public Schools Central Office. She also served as Director of Student Services and Assistant Superintendent there. Following her retirement, she returned for a stint as Interim Superintendent.
William Brown was born April 19, 1946 in Newport News and also grew up in Newsome Park. William was one of four brothers, and like his wife, attended Newsome Elementary, Carver Elementary, and Carver High. However, after graduating from Carver in 1964, he attended the Apprentice School of Newport News. He was the first African American to play basketball, the second to play football and one of the first two to run track at the Apprentice School. In 1964, he won Apprentice School Athlete of the Year. In 1968 he graduated from the Apprentice School and began work in the Newport News shipyard. Brown worked in several different departments, but ultimately ended up in engineering for much of his time there. Later in his life he earned an online degree in General Studies from Columbia University in 2001. The two met in the third grade, and went on their first date when William had just graduated from Carver High.
-Interview and biographical information recorded in 2016.