John Herbert "Babe" Brown, Jr. (October 12, 1891 – June 10, 1963) was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral during World War II and an American football player.

Following the graduation from local high school in summer of 1910, he earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and became active in football and wrestling teams.

[2][3][1] Among his classmate were several admirals, who distinguished later during World War II including Wilder D. Baker, Carleton F. Bryant, Robert W. Cary, Edward L. Cochrane, Richard L. Conolly, Edward Ellsberg, William K. Harrill, Robert W. Hayler, Oliver Kessing, Herbert J. Ray, Joseph Redman, Theodore D. Ruddock, John B. W. Waller and Lloyd J.

[5][6] In early 1919, Brown was ordered to Boston Navy Yard, where he joined the crew of newly commissioned submarine R-2 under Lieutenant Commander Charles M. Cooke.

He later relieved Cooke as commanding officer and participated in the summer exercises off southern New England, before proceeded through Panama Canal to ship's new base in San Pedro, California.

[7][8] Brown was detached in September 1921 and ordered to the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, for duty in connection with fitting out of submarine S-42.

He was ordered to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in September 1929 for duty in connection with fitting out of submarine Narwhal, the lead ship of her class.

He served consecutively under Captains John W. Wilcox Jr. and Robert C. Giffen as graduate manager of athletics and was promoted to commander on June 30, 1935.

He participated in the patrol cruises through the Western Pacific during the period of tensions between China and Japan and returned to the United States in December 1938 for duty as officer-in-charge of the Naval Recruiting Station Philadelphia.

Brown participated with his ship as the part of rear admiral Abel T. Bidwell's Cruiser Division 3 in the neutrality patrols off the coast of Chile against Nazi Germany raiders and after Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he led Richmond to Panama Canal Zone.

While in this capacity, Brown also established an intensive training program at Pearl Harbor, which included a Torpedo Data Computer school to improve proficiency in submarine fire control.

[1][29] Brown assumed his final assignment in May 1951, when he was transferred to Philadelphia Navy Yard for duty as commandant, Fourth Naval District, which consisted of the following geographic areas: Pennsylvania, the southern part of New Jersey (including the counties of Burlington, Ocean, and all counties south thereof), and Delaware (including Winter Quarters Shoal Light Vessel).

He was succeeded by Rear Admiral Ernest H. Von Heimburg and retired from active duty on January 31, 1954, after almost forty years of commissioned service.