Brown

Charter member, Charles D. Brown, 96, passed away peacefully January 22, 2024, at his home in Scottsdale, AZ. He was born Oct 31, 1927, to Leonidas Carlton Brown and Willie Pearl Graves Brown in Mineral Springs, AR. He met his late wife Marjorie Fischer Brown while attending the University of Arkansas and they were married in Van Buren, AR on June 1,1951. They were married for 72 years until her death in 2023.

They shared three children, Brant C. Brown (Roberta) of Landenberg, PA; Karyn D. Brown (Jon Weeks) of Leyden, MA; and Christopher D. Brown, as well as grandchildren Christian and Heather and one great grandchild, Wyatt. He was preceded in death by his brother L. Carlton Brown and his grandson Ari Brown-Weeks, a casualty of the war in Iraq.

Charlie served in the United States Army between 1946 and 1947 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1951. Employed by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company for the remainder of his career which began in 1951, he worked in various positions and places and was promoted to Vice President for Corporate Engineering in 1984 and held that position until he retired in 1989.

Charlie chaired the construction committee of the Business Roundtable between 1978 and 1981. In this role he led the Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness Project (CICEP), which was the most concerted effort ever made to streamline construction of the country’s industrial and commercial projects and establish zero injuries as a primary goal. It produced 220 recommendations, many of which are still in service today. A leading example is CII’s formation.

For his leadership, Charlie was the recipient of the 1982 Construction Industry Man of the Year Award from Engineering News Record. He was also honored as a charter member of the National Academy of Construction. His role in the CICE effort and his leadership at DuPont earned him CII’s highest honor, the Carroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence, the second person to be recognized with the award after Carroll H. Dunn was honored with the initial award that bears his name.

Charlie was a principled leader who championed DuPont core values: Safety, Health, Environment, Ethics, People Treatment. Under his leadership, construction safety was a top priority, and he worked with the contractor and owner communities to develop and put best practices in place. The positive impact was immediate and continues today. The same is correct for the business effectiveness of current project management processes in that their frameworks are based on many of the 220 recommendations. He had a tremendous influence on the entire construction industry and his legacy lives on.

Charlie never stopped being involved. Loss of his wisdom and easy manner are true losses to the “force”!

― Jim Porter, 2025