Howard Brown was co-founder and president of United Communications Corporation, which owned the Kenosha News and Lake Geneva Regional News until selling them to Lee Enterprises in 2019.
Brown bought the Kenosha daily newspaper in 1961 and added the Lake Geneva weekly to UCC in 1999. He served as president and publisher emeritus until his death in 2011.
Brown instilled a deep sense of community service throughout the family-owned newspaper and broadcast company that he led. In Wisconsin and across the nation, he supported activities that advance an understanding and appreciation for the First Amendment.
Nonetheless, Brown eschewed public recognition of his contributions — but the residents of Kenosha County knew of his innumerable good works to benefit their quality of life.
Brown’s commitment to community journalism was most widely known in Wisconsin through the pages of the Kenosha News and Lake Geneva Regional News.
In addition to his numerous personal philanthropic activities, he served as president of Kenosha Christmas Charities, Inc., and as a director of the Kenosha Youth Foundation and the Kenosha Jewish Welfare fund, and as a trustee of Carthage College. As a publisher, he was well regarded for his emphasis on local-community coverage.
He was named the 2006 recipient of the Ralph D. Casey/Minnesota Award, one of the Inland Press Association’s highest honors for service to the newspaper industry. In consideration for the award, he was described as “a lifelong ambassador for newspapers and puts a human face on what is oftentimes a faceless industry.”
