Former Brown-Forman Chairman W.L. Lyons Brown Jr. Dies At 87

Former Brown-Forman chairman and CEO W.L. Lyons Brown Jr., known as Lee, passed away Sunday, June 9 in Gulf Stream, Florida at the age of 87.

Brown served as president and CEO of Brown-Forman beginning in 1975, and added the chairmanship to his duties in 1983. A decade later, he stepped down as chief executive, and completed his tenure as chairman in 1995. He had begun his career with the family firm back in 1960 as a sales representative in its international division. During his time leading the company, annual sales grew from $365 million to $1.7 billion.

Brown also served as an international trade advisor to several U.S. Presidents. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, and reappointed by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, serving from 1987 to 1994. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Brown as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria.

“Lee was a giant in the spirits industry and a champion for the family business. For many of us in the Brown family’s fifth generation, he was the first company leader that many of us knew,” said current Brown-Forman chairman Campbell Brown. “He was a person of remarkable vision and unparalleled dedication and we are grateful for his leadership.”—Daniel Marsteller

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