John Thompson Brown (1802-1836) was born at Otter Hills, near Bedford, Virginia and was the son of Henry Brown (1760-1841). He attended the New London Academy, 1816; studied at Princeton, 1817-1820; traveled to the South and the West Indies, 1821; and studied law with Judge Creed Taylor in Cumberland County, Virginia, 1822-1823. He began his law practice in Clarksburg, Virginia (later West Virginia), in 1824, and represented Harrison County in the House of Delegates, 1827-1830. He was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830. He married Mary E. Willcox June, 1830, and moved to Petersburg, where he again was elected to the General Assembly, 1831-1836. He was a delegate to the national convention of the Republican (now Democratic) Party, but died on 20 November 1836, at his father's home, Otter Hills, after a brief illness. The first two letters in Box 14 date from the period of his attendance at New London Academy; then follow the papers relating to Princeton, where he matriculated in 1817 at the age of 19. He was placed in the Sophomore Class on the basis of an examination before the faculty, and received the highest mark given at the College, in each of the three years he spent at the College. His report sheets show the requirements for entrance, lists of courses, and contain a resolution passed by the trustees which condemned the sharp practices of the merchants in town. Some of the correspondence of John Thompson Brown with his brother-in-law Dr. William B. Steptoe in this period is interesting for the comments it contains on the Missouri question and other matters then being debated in the U.S. Senate. The remarks made by John Thompson Brown in letters from his collegiate period may be compared with his statements on the subject of slavery later made on the floor of the House of Delegates. After graduating from Princeton, John Thompson Brown traveled to the South, and made a brief trip to the West Indies, keeping notes on his impressions. Upon his return he took up the study of law with Judge Taylor. From this period come interesting musings on such subjects as "the family fireside," "youthful recollection," "friendship," and "behavior of a lawyer if he is to succeed." His license to practice law, dated 7 March 1824, is included in the collection. He journeyed to Clarksburg, Virginia, to set up his law practice, and kept a notebook on the trip West which reveal his first impressions of the Clarksburg area. At the end of this box is a scrapbook containing some of his published writings, speeches, and newspaper articles.