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A BJA Profile -
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Lillian Lee was born in 1911, in Luverne, Alabama. During her junior year in high school, she came to know the Lord and attended a series of tent meetings conducted by Bob Jones, Sr. He told of a school that would soon open in College Point, Florida, and she decided that would be a good place to strengthen her Christian life as she trained to be a teacher. She enrolled at BJC its second year and worked waiting tables and other campus jobs to pay for her education. She graduated in 1932 and began her graduate work at Colorado State College of Education. She earned her MA in Chemistry in 1934,
Lillian Lee taught science, Bible, and English to cadets and other high school students in Florida. She moved with the school to Tennessee and was one of the few who taught only high school classes in the early days in Cleveland. She also worked in the office of Eunice Hutto, the Dean of the College. Tennessee state law required that principals be at least 25 years old. When she graduated with her Masters Degree, Hutto told Lee that as soon as she turned 25 she would become BJA's principal. At the age of 25, Dr. Jones, Sr. asked her to assume the principal's chair. Lee also studied at the University of Tennessee (1934-6), Columbia University (1937), University of Wisconsin (1940), University of South Carolina (1950), and Peabody College (1955-6). She was a member of Lambda Sigma Tau, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the South Carolina Education Association. She was listed in Who’s Who in American Education in 1957. |
Her senior year Lee served as society secretary and vice-president, Student Body secretary, and Class Editor for the BJC yearbook.
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Faculty Remember Lillian Brown
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Lillian Lee - 1947
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The summer following the school’s first year in Greenville (June, 1948), she married fellow BJA science teacher, Paul Brown, in the War Memorial Chapel. They had two children: Paul Lee and Mary Lila.
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Paul Brown was born in Blanden, Pennsylvania, and was saved at 6 years of age. His elementary education was in a one-room “little red schoolhouse.” He graduated as valedictorian from Fleetwood High School and earned a teacher’s certificate at Kutztown State Teacher’s College. He served as principal of a school in Pennsylvania, until he enlisted in the army in 1942. While in the service, he took a Laboratory Technician course and then taught the course to army personnel. In 1947, he came to BJC and completed his Bachelor's degree and began teaching science at BJA. He received his MEd in 1950 from the University of South Carolina. While teaching at BJA he also taught chemistry at BJU, and served as the laboratory technician for the University Hospital. As his children were young, he served as associate principal with his wife. As a widower he taught in the University science department. He passed into the presence of his Saviour in 2006.
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The Brown family.
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During her 28-year tenure as BJA principal (the longest in the school's history), she supervised the development of the Academy societies, Inter-Society Council, Junior-Senior Banquets, class organizations, the Triangle, fine arts programs, and graduation ceremonies. She also maintained the Academy's accreditation in Tennessee and South Carolina. Although most discipline was handled by the Dean of Men's and Dean of Women's offices, classroom discipline fell under her purview. She met daily with the University's Administrative Conference and represented the Academy on the chapel platform.
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Colleagues Describe Lillian Lee Brown
Bill Kintigh: When called into her office, "after discussing something that made you feel like the ‘world’s worst teacher’ she led you to believe that you were ‘the world’s best teacher.’” A teacher described her as “a gentle soul, Mrs. Brown went quietly about her tasks.” George Youstra: “One never questioned her loyalty to Christ and Bob Jones. She used to say, ‘If one is not loyal, he isn’t anything.’” |
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Ethel McCown: Mrs. Brown was “a sweet Christian personality whose philosophy about discipline made a lasting impression: ‘be sweetly firm, but be firm.’ . . . When you use something of someone else’s, or visit a recreation area, leave it in better condition than it was when you received it or used it.”
Edith Smith: “It is very difficult to say briefly the lasting impression that Mrs. Brown made upon me and others. Her concern was focused on the educational and spiritual welfare of the individual students. It was clear that she considered herself and her faculty to be here for the purpose of meeting the needs of students. She kept us aware of small ways in which we could help a student before his problems overwhelmed him. She taught students and faculty alike by example. The need to conserve electricity, supplies, etc., was easier to remember when we could see her go down the hall, turning out lights and closing windows that had been overlooked. Or when we noted how much information she managed to write on one call slip to conserve stationery. Her love for the Lord and for those she served was evident in the rare admixture she had of gentleness and firmness.” - Triangle 1977
Edith Smith: “It is very difficult to say briefly the lasting impression that Mrs. Brown made upon me and others. Her concern was focused on the educational and spiritual welfare of the individual students. It was clear that she considered herself and her faculty to be here for the purpose of meeting the needs of students. She kept us aware of small ways in which we could help a student before his problems overwhelmed him. She taught students and faculty alike by example. The need to conserve electricity, supplies, etc., was easier to remember when we could see her go down the hall, turning out lights and closing windows that had been overlooked. Or when we noted how much information she managed to write on one call slip to conserve stationery. Her love for the Lord and for those she served was evident in the rare admixture she had of gentleness and firmness.” - Triangle 1977
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When Lillian Brown developed cancer, she continued in her duties as long as she was able. Her primary responsibilities fell to Gene Fisher during the Christmas break of the 1962-3 school year. Her retirement became official at the 1964 Academy Commencement. She went to be with her Savior that summer. |
Lillian Brown, Jones, Sr., Jones III - 1964
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The 1964 Academy Graduation was the first one that Bob Jones III awarded the diplomas and gave the final challenge to the graduating seniors. He also presented Lillian Brown with a silver tray as a retirement gift. The recording below includes his remarks, her acceptance of the gift and the closing prayer of Bob Jones, Sr.
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Information about Lillian Lee Brown is also found in:
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