Charles H. Brower

After graduation, Charles H. Brower joined the prestigious advertising firm of Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn, where he became chair of the board, CEO, and president in 1957. He retired in 1970 and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Fame in 1981. His book, Me and Other Advertising Geniuses, is an industry classic. Brower's devotion to Rutgers included many years of service as class correspondent for Rutgers Magazine. In 1946, he became an alumni trustee, and in 1955, he chaired the committee that proposed the reorganization of Rutgers as the state university of New Jersey. In 1956, he was elected one of the first trustee members of the newly created Board of Governors, where he served 12 years, including three terms as vice chair and six terms as chair. As a trustee emeritus, he established the Charles and Elizabeth Brower Rare Book Fund and was the guiding force of the Friends of the Rutgers Libraries. He received the Rutgers Medal in 1983 and also the Rutgers Alumni Association's Loyal Son award. The College Avenue complex Brower Commons is named in his honor. Brower died in 1984 at age 83.