WHEREAS, Mr. Al Brown was a graduate of Edward Bok High School, an excellent product of the Philadelphia Public School System; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown loved his family. He married his wife, Donna, in 1971. They have a daughter, Ashley, and two sons, Basil and Leslie. Family came first, last and always for Mr. Brown. He was a kind and gentle man and embodied the spirit and motto If I Can Help Somebody; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was a believer in all things good and spent his life helping others and mentoring young people. Mr. Brown's service to the community began with his service in the Vietnam War and continued throughout his life. Mr. Brown mentored countless children and often became a surrogate father to many young people in the community; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was a dedicated community advocate and key player in helping to direct the planning, economic development, and revitalization of the Point Breeze Area. Throughout his life, Mr. Brown received numerous awards. In particular, Governor Ed Rendell awarded him and his spouse the prestigious Governor's Award for Creative Communities in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was the Senior Vice President of Point Breeze Performing Arts Center (PBPAC) and held that position for over 20 years. While with PBPAC, he provided opportunities for public performance; solicited corporate sponsorships; and organized and expanded the Annual Point Breeze Summer Fest, which brought together neighbors and talent for a full day of entertainment and fun. Along with numerous City and state foundations, Mr. Brown created the 'Christmas Caroling Caravan' which distributed toys, food, and clothing throughout the city. Mr. Brown aided in enhancing the visibility of PBPAC, and its activities, through media relations, and played a major role in securing a $6 million dollar grant that PBPAC received from the State of Pennsylvania, and was a participant in CORESTATES Bank, Philadelphia Plan; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown lived and believed in PBPAC's mission, arts for social change. Mr. Brown was instrumental in getting partial and full scholarships for countless students that became successful adults and accomplished artists. He leveraged his contacts in, and outside of, the community in order to provide goods and services to people that they otherwise would not have; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown loved travel and had visited almost every continent. He provided opportunities for people throughout the community to travel inside and outside of the country through orchestrated trips to Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Texas, Syracuse, and throughout the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Prior to joining PBPAC, Mr. Brown owned and operated his own engineering consulting firm, Philadelphia Design Collaborative (PDC) which won numerous awards and had a part in designing the Philadelphia Convention Center; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Point Breeze Avenue between Morris Street and Moore Street is also named Alfred Milton Brown Way to honor the memory of Alfred Milton Brown and to recognize his life and memorialize his lasting legacy.
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