Former Secretary of Defense Harold Brown — who served during the Carter administration and was the first scientist to lead the Pentagon — has died in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
According to the Rand Corp., where Brown served as a member of the board of trustees, Brown passed away at the age of 91 on Friday. Brown’s daughter, Deborah Brown, said he had been battling pancreatic cancer, per the New York Times.
Brown, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981, worked to boost Pentagon spending during his time heading the Department of Defense. Additionally, Brown headed the Pentagon when the U.S. navigated the Iranian hostage crisis that involved the death of eight U.S. service members. He characterized the crisis as the “greatest regret and most painful lesson learned.”
Even so, Brown said in his farewell address after leaving his post as defense secretary that it was fulfilling keeping the U.S. at peace amid global tensions.
“Most satisfying of all is that for four years, our nation remained at peace despite the world tensions and turmoil that constantly pose challenges to our interest and peace,” Brown said.
Before serving as defense secretary, Brown became Secretary of the Air Force in 1965. He became a visiting professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and was the chairman of Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute after he departed the Pentagon. He also received the Energy Department’s Enrico Fermi Award for achievement in science and technology under former President Bill Clinton.
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said that Brown “led a remarkable life” and contributed to the United States’ military by “revolutionizing the development of naval munitions, renovating America’s post-Vietnam War weapons platforms, developing stealth aircraft, and leading nuclear weapons research.”
“As Secretary of Defense, Dr. Brown’s steady leadership piloted our nation through a consequential segment of the Cold War,” Shanahan said in a statement. “His focus on deterrence through a strong nuclear triad facilitated long-term peace and stability in the United States and Europe.”
“We in the Department of Defense are forever grateful for Harold Brown’s devoted leadership and lifetime of service,” Shanahan said.
