Brownlee O. Currey Jr.
Brownlee O. Currey Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brownlee Owen Currey Jr. August 14, 1928 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 2020 (aged 91) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Agneta Currey |
| Children | Christian Brownlee Currey Stephanie Currey Ingram and Frances Currey Briggs |
| Parent | Brownlee O. Currey |
| Relatives | John R. Ingram (son-in-law) |
Brownlee Owen Currey Jr. (August 14, 1928 – March 18, 2020) was an American businessman and philanthropist.[1][2][3]
Early life
[edit]Currey was born in Nashville on August 14, 1928.[4] Currey's father, Brownlee O. Currey, was the owner of the conservative newspaper Nashville Banner.
Career
[edit]Currey co-founded Equitable Securities with his father, Brownlee O. Currey.[3] In 1967, it merged with American Express, and he received a sizeable stock portfolio in the company.[3] In 1979, he bought the Nashville Banner from the Gannett Company, and sold it back to them in 1998, for an additional $25 million.[3] He sat on the Board of Directors of Thomas Nelson, where he held a $2.3 million stake.[2][3] He served as President of Currey Investments.[2] He served as Chairman of the Board of OCC, Inc., the Star Communications's principal subsidiary, since 1989.[2]
Philanthropy
[edit]Currey's donations have helped build Montgomery Bell Academy's Currey Gymnasium, Vanderbilt University's Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center, and the Currey Ingram Academy in Williamson County, Tennessee.[3][5] He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the United States Equestrian Team and as a Trustee of the Phelps Media Group, a public relations and marketing firm dedicated to the equestrian industry.[6][7] He also sat on the Board of Trustees of the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and Vanderbilt University.[2] Professor Richard L. Daft is the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Professor of Management at Vanderbilt, as is Professor Bruce Barry.[8][9] The Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Gallery at the Watkins College of Art, Design & Film in Nashville is named in his honor.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Currey was married to Agneta Currey.[3] They had a son, Christian Brownlee Currey, and two daughters, Stephanie Currey Ingram (married to John R. Ingram) and Frances Currey Briggs.[3] They owned River Circle Farm in Williamson County, a 300-plus-acre property around the Harpeth River.[3] They also owned a home in Manhattan, Southampton, New York and Wellington, Florida.[3] He was an avid tennis player.[3] In 2002, he was named the tenth richest person in Middle Tennessee.[3] He died on March 18, 2020, aged 91.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Brownlee Owen Currey Jr.
- ^ a b c d e Bloomberg BusinessWeek[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brian A. Courtney, The Rich List 2002, NashvillePost.com, July 1, 2002
- ^ Who's Who in the South and Southwest, 1984-1985. 1984. ISBN 9780837908199.
- ^ "Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center". Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ United States Equestrian Team Board of Trustees
- ^ "Phelps Media Group". Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ Richard L. Daft's faculty webpage
- ^ Bruce Barry's faculty webpage
- ^ Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Gallery Archived August 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Owens, Ann Marie Deer (March 27, 2020). "Alumnus and philanthropist Brownlee O. Currey Jr. has died". vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved March 28, 2020.