Born in Chicago, Illinois, Brown completed an apprenticeship as an electrician, and found work for a telephone company.
From 1926, he was chief electrician for Robert White & Co., and during this period, he completed an LLB degree with the Chicago Law School.
[1][2] In 1930, Brown began working full-time for IBEW, in which role he successfully organized electricians in Milwaukee.
In 1940, the union's president, Daniel W. Tracy, resigned, and Brown was appointed to the post, being confirmed when he won an election the following year.
[3] Over the next few years, Brown set up a law practice in Wisconsin and Washington D.C., and also worked as a consultant to the Fuqua Insurance Company.