TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 48 years, the former Mary J. Hemphill, brother Zedrick T. Braden, Jr. (Beta 1947), and sister Ruth Rob- ertson. He is survived by his daughter, Marilynne Braden; nephew, Attorney Zedrick T. (Diane) Braden III (Chicago (IL) Alumni 1987); nephew, Attorney Stanton C. Braden; nephew, Attorney Jeffrey Robertson (Deborah); niece, Lisa K. Robertson; great-nephew, Daniel Braden; great-nephew, Alec Braden; great-nephew, Miles Braden; great- nephew, Taron Robertson; great-niece, Emma Robertson; sister-in-law, Mary Jane Braden; a host of extended family, and friends. Dr. Val J. Brown 1924-2022 Wichita, KS Physician, U.S. Army
attending Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. While at Howard, Brown brought his late father’s 1899 daily journal, which chronicled his experience in medical school. The U.S. Army’s specialized training program financed Brown’s medical edu- cation. After completing medical school and serving two years in the service, he returned to Wichita to open his medical practice. An African American doctor, Dr. J. E. Farmer, told Brown that an of- fice is “waiting here for you for $15.00 a month office space rental. For nearly half a century, Brown practiced medicine at 17 th Street and Hydraulic, amassing more than 8,000 patients until his retirement in January 1995. Brown served the Black community of northeast Wichita during an era when doctors still made house calls, ran their practices, and let their patients pay what they could afford. Wichita hospitals were still segregated when Brown began his medical prac- tice in 1948. Many African American patients did not receive adequate care and attention from the hospital staff, and there were no African American sur- geons. African Americans were relegated to only outpatient services. Brown had 25-30 patients per day at the height of his practice. He became the first Black doctor at Wesley Medical Center to re- ceive admitting privileges as time passed. Brown became a member of the City- County Board of Health and the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. A Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Brown was a longtime member of the Wichita (KS) Alumni Chapter, where he was a past polemarch and past chapter historian. He also held life memberships with Sigma Pi Phi Fra- ternity, Inc. He was a member of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Wichita. Brother Val J. Brown, Sr., is survived by his wife of 72 years, Josephine (née Pace) Brown; sons Val Jr. and Gratz (Beta Psi 1975); daughters Sheila and Martienne; four grandchildren; and four great- grandchildren.
earned a J.D. in 1961 and later an LL.B from the Marshall Law School. After passing the Illinois Bar, he joined the Office of the Cook County Public Defender in 1969 and became a supervising trial attorney. Braden was appointed Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1977, and then ran for a vacancy and was elected a full Circuit Court Judge of Cook County after that. He also served for some time as an Illinois Appellate Court Judge. While serving on the bench, Judge Braden served in various divisions at the Daley Center, including Chancery, Law, Probate, and Domestic Relations. He also served a term as chairman of the Illinois Judicial Council, director of the Illinois Judges Association, and president of the John Marshall Law School Alumni Association. In addition to being a member of the trial bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in 1990, he received the honor of being admit- ted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Braden retired from the bench in 2001 but continued to practice law. A Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Braden was also a member of the Prince Hall Masons, N.A.A.C.P., South Shore Valley Community Orga- nization, Legal Assistance Foundation Chicago, ), Illinois Bar Foundation, Illinois State Bar Association, Mark’s United Methodist Church, the Chicago Assembly, Cook County Bar Associa- tion, International Lions Club, Chicago Assembly Club, and Phi Alpha Delta. Braden was a Cook County Bar As- sociation Hall of Fame inductee. Of his other numerous awards and hon- ors, Braden was the recipient of the: Founder’s Award from Illinois Judicial Council; Distinguish Service Award from the John Marshall Law School; Freemasonry Service Award; Merito- rious Service Award from the Cook County Bar Association; and the Mary Merrick Lifetime Achievement Award Brother Everette A. Braden was
Dr. Val Jean Brown (Wichita (KS) AL 1949) was from a long past era when hometown doctors made house visits and were part of the Wichita, KS community for
over 70 years. He was known in his com- munity for never turning down a patient. Brown’s family spanned three genera- tions of medical doctors, starting with his father, Dr. Grant Gratz “G.G.” Brown, one of the first Black physicians in Wichi- ta, and Brown’s son Val Jr. (Mu 1973). Prominent Wichita, KS physician Dr. Val J. Brown, Sr. entered the Chapter Invis- ible on April 20, 2022, at age 98. He was born on February 14, 1924, to Dr. Brown and Daisy (née Ball) Brown, the second of two children. Sadly, Brown’s father passed away one year after he was born. Growing up, people called him “Little Dr. Brown” with the idea that he would become a physician like his father. Brown attended Wichita High School North and Wichita University, now known as Wichita State University. He followed in his father’s footsteps by
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