Terry Brown ‘79 (computer and information science) arrived at The Ohio State University in the fall of 1975, but his connection to Ohio State began decades earlier when his parents attended as journalism majors.
His parents, ‘49 journalism alums Donald (Don) and Margaret (Peg) Brown, met after Don returned from military service in World War II. He joined the Army after his freshman year and took part in the D-Day landing in Normandy. When he returned to Ohio State to resume his studies, he met Peg (then Margaret Slack), on campus. Both were active on The Lantern staff, with Don serving as a daily news editor during fall quarter ‘48 and Peg as a daily advertising manager in winter quarter ‘49.
After the passing of his parents in 2015, Terry contributed a sizable gift to Ohio State’s School of Communication as a tribute to his parents’ enduring belief in the power of thoughtful, well-communicated clear reporting.
“I’m hoping that it will give people a chance who maybe don’t have the funds on their own or just need a little extra to get through,” he said. “There are so many people out there and voices that I want to give an opportunity to. I just want to enable more people to practice good journalism.”
After graduation, Don worked at a small newspaper in Conneaut, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie near the Pennsylvania border. He later returned to Columbus to work at several advertising agencies before transitioning to freelance writing for Country Living magazine and The Electron, a newsletter for the Cleveland Institute of Electronics. Peg’s career also flourished in communications as she wrote for the Ohio Home Builders newsletter. After raising her family, she became a copy editor and mentor to young journalists at Tri-Village News and later Suburban News Publications.
With parents devoted to the craft of writing that flourished in college, Terry grew up surrounded by language, stories and a deep love for The Ohio State University. Those moments of curiosity and shared discovery helped shape his approach to learning and collaboration.Choosing to study at Ohio State felt natural. The Columbus campus was close to home, and his parents were passionate Buckeyes.
“ It was kind of a no-brainer,” he said.
Though he attended Ohio State, Terry didn’t follow in his parents’ journalistic footsteps. Instead, he pursued computer and information science, a field that intrigued him even in high school. After graduating in 1979, he moved to Los Angeles to begin his career in the tech industry. Within a year, however, he found himself missing the academic environment. He attended UCLA part-time, earning a master’s degree in computer science to help him advance his career in the field.
Within his fraternity, Terry served as treasurer and later as president, experiences he considers valuable training for his future career. He still fondly remembers crisp autumn walks across the Oval and the excitement of game days with his fraternity brothers. “We’d all walk over as a group to the stadium on Saturday mornings,” Brown said. “That was always a lot of fun.”
Terry’s gifts to the university and School of Communication honor Ohio State’s impact on his life and the lives of his parents.
“Support your school in big or small ways, whatever works for you. Don’t walk away and forget about it once you’re out.”
Written by student Audrey Radick