Charles Lee Brown (August 23, 1921 – November 12, 2003) was an American businessperson.[1][2]
Life and career
Charles L. Brown was born on August 23, 1921, in Richmond.[3][4] His father was a traffic manager, and his mother was a phone operator for AT&T.[4] He studied electrical engineering at the University of Virginia and graduated with a degree in 1943.[3][4] For a brief time, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[5] Brown married Ann Lee Saunders Brown in 1959.[3]
Brown joined AT&T in 1946.[6] Before becoming president of AT&T in 1977, he served as executive vice president from 1974 and as CEO of Illinois Bell.[5] Between 1979 and 1986, he served as the chief executive officer of AT&T.[7]