Gene Brown Jr.
Winnsboro, Louisiana, native Gene Brown first came to Oklahoma as a soldier at Fort Sill in Lawton and later moved to Duncan with Sun Oil Company. There he met and married his wife, Mary. After 18 years Sun Oil closed the Duncan refinery and the Brown’s were faced with the decision of whether to stay with the company and move to Los Angeles, California, or to remain in Duncan, where Gene had recently been elected to the City Council. They chose Duncan as the place to raise their two children, and he has served on the city council for a record-setting 22 years.
Twice losing reelection bids, he bounced back each time to reclaim his seat after a term on the sidelines. While on the council he was a moving force for transfer of the Duncan Higher Education Center to Cameron University. As such, Duncan residents now have a university branch in their community so they may earn a college education with leaving home. In February of 2006, he was elected Mayor of Duncan, garnering 54% of the vote in a four-candidate primary.
During his municipal career, Brown served as an original board member for the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority and the Stephens County Youth Services; as well as serving with Leadership Duncan, Crime Stoppers of Duncan, Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma, and the Stephens County Historical Association. In addition, he has been active with the local Boy Scouts, serving as Leadership Committee Chairman. In addition, he is a founder and board member for the Douglass Community Center and Elm Terrace Apartments.
He was appointed by Governor David Walters as the local governing body representative on the board for the Department of Environmental Quality. Gene received the Stephens County Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award that honors individuals for their quest to ensure smooth working relationships within the criminal justice system.