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HARRY B. BROWN
Early Wright Sportsman and Exhibition Pilot

Harry B. Brown was born at Walpole, Massachusetts, October 9, 1883, the son of wealthy parents. He attended Amhurst [[Amherst]] College and later lived in Boston. In late 1910 and early 1911 he became interested in ballooning and made several ascensions with A. Leo Stevens, a nationally-known professional balloonist. In June, 1911, he had a few airplane rides with Harry Atwood at Boston and this sold him on flying.

Brown then decided to go to Europe where he took a flying course at a Farman School at Brooklands, England. His instructor was Marcel Blondeau. After finishing his instructions he obtained British License No. 102 late in July, 1911.

Back home in the early spring of 1912, Brown bought a Wright Model B plane and took some instruction from George Beatty on Long Island. In May, A. Leo Stevens became his exhibition manager. Stevens was also managing Miss Harriett Quinby and three other pilots as an exhibition team. Brown established himself at Hicksville, Long Island, for the season and had his own private flying grounds. There he made almost daily flights, continuing is practice and occasionally carrying passengers. On June 26, 1912, he took up Rodman Law to make a parachute jump at Hicksville. Law, who was a professional chute jumper and a member of the Stevens exhibition team, was a brother of Ruth Law, the nationally-known aviatrix.

At that time Stevens was advertising Law's chute jumps from Brown's plane for fair attractions. On August 1st, Brown made a flight of one hour and fifty six minutes with William Piceller as a passenger at Hicksville. August 12th, he flew for fifty-seven minutes, carrying J. J. Wilson, as well as making several other short flights that day. August 24th, he made a long solo flight over Long Island, then returned to carry passengers for the remainder of the afternoon. On