About the Author

A Charlottesville resident since 1985, John K. Brown earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia in 1992. He taught history, ethics, writing, and public speaking for twenty-five years to undergraduates in UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. His students called him “Doc Brown,” a nickname derived from the handsome, charismatic character in Back to the Future. Research specialties in American industrial, business, and technological history led him to the Eads Bridge. He lives in Charlottesville and is happily married to the dynamic Wendy Brown. They have two adult children.