Paul E.X. Brown was born in Weir, Mississippi on December 20, 1910 and passed on August 2, 2007 at 2:45 am.
Paul grew up in St. Louis, attended the University of Minnesota, received his AB Degree from Columbia College in Chicago and later attended Moody Bible Institute.
He was a 33rd Degree Mason and Shriner. He moved to Atlanta in the late 1940s to accept a position with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia. Previously, Paul was well known in 1942 as the radio host for Hammond, Indiana’s WJOB Radio. Then on June 6, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, the former Verna Alexander and Paul became man and wife.
In addition to hosting a popular Sunday morning radio program in Atlanta called, “Hi, Neighbor,” Paul was the first African American to announce a Major League game between the Atlanta Black Crackers and the Brooklyn Dodgers featuring Jackie Robinson.
After a stint at WEDR Radio in Birmingham, Alabama, Paul returned to Atlanta and to yet another position with WERD, the first African-American-owned broadcast property in America. In 1954 he became its third program director. Then, in 1957, Paul established WAOK Radio’s news department where he was responsible for many outstanding news stories such as his historical interviews with James Farmer and Martin Luther King, Junior.
Paul left WAOK in late 1962 and began his storied relationship with the Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company as its Sales and Community Affairs representative where he remained until retiring in 1975. He continued as a consultant through the 1990s.
For years, as the executive director of the National Association of Market Developers, Paul mentored and developed African-American officers working for corporations all over America.
Paul is survived by his wife, Mrs. Verna Brown, brother, Poncey Brown, sister, Pauline Brown Payne, many sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, 14 God Children, five sisters-in-law: Ella, Vivienne, LaVerne, Bernice and Doris Brown as well as numerous other relatives, friends and business associates.
Funeral service on Friday, August 10 at 11 am at Sellers Bros. Funeral Home, 889 MLK Junior. Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30314; 404 522-6924. Repast immediately follows at: Wheat Street Baptist Church, 359 Auburn Avenue, NE (corner of Auburn Ave. & William H. Borders Drive; 404-650-4328).
At Paul’s request, in lieu of flowers, please send contributions to Clark Atlanta School of Journalism & Communications.