Key Takeaways
- • William Noble Brown and his wife, Patricia Meloon Brown, established the Ariosto and Mittie Wiley Library Lecture Series Endowment to fund an annual guest lecturer at a Troy University library.
- • The endowment honors Brown's great-grandparents, Ariosto Appling Wiley and Mary Ann Freeman Noble, whose public service shaped their community, state and country.
- • Ariosto Wiley, a Troy native, served in the Alabama House and Senate, held military leadership roles in the Spanish-American War and the U.S. occupation of Cuba, and represented Alabama's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- • Wiley helped draft the 1886 legislation that established the State Normal School at Troy, the institution that later became Troy University.
- • Dean Chris Shaffer of University Libraries said guest lecturers will bring real-world insights and new perspectives to students and the community.
Summary
William Noble Brown and his wife, Patricia Meloon Brown, have established the Ariosto and Mittie Wiley Library Lecture Series Endowment, which will bring an annual guest lecturer to a Troy University library. The endowment honors the legacy of Brown's great-grandparents, Ariosto Appling Wiley and Mary Ann Freeman Noble, whose service shaped their community, state and country, according to the university's announcement.
Wiley, a Troy native, served in the Alabama House and Senate, held military leadership roles during the Spanish-American War and the U.S. occupation of Cuba, and represented Alabama's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also helped draft the 1886 legislation that established the State Normal School at Troy, which would become Troy University. The endowment ties that record of public service to the Browns' continuing support for the university and its libraries.
Brown said he was prompted to preserve the family papers after a Montgomery cousin, Neal Brantly, told him about Wiley's role in founding the institution, and that his great-grandmother Mittie had been overlooked in family history. The couple chose a library endowment to help preserve both their legacies.
Dr. Chris Shaffer, dean of University Libraries, said the guest speakers will furnish real-world insights and new perspectives, supporting the university's mission of providing access to information and preparing students for future opportunities and challenges. He said guest lecturers can encourage active learning and help students connect and grow.
Brown has also worked to document his family's history by writing a biography of the Wileys, creating a descendant chart, and donating scrapbooks, photo albums, artifacts and diaries to the Wiregrass Archives and Troy University. He is president of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C., the district's oldest historical organization.
Wiley, a Troy native, served in the Alabama House and Senate, held military leadership roles during the Spanish-American War and the U.S. occupation of Cuba, and represented Alabama's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also helped draft the 1886 legislation that established the State Normal School at Troy, which would become Troy University. The endowment ties that record of public service to the Browns' continuing support for the university and its libraries.
Brown said he was prompted to preserve the family papers after a Montgomery cousin, Neal Brantly, told him about Wiley's role in founding the institution, and that his great-grandmother Mittie had been overlooked in family history. The couple chose a library endowment to help preserve both their legacies.
Dr. Chris Shaffer, dean of University Libraries, said the guest speakers will furnish real-world insights and new perspectives, supporting the university's mission of providing access to information and preparing students for future opportunities and challenges. He said guest lecturers can encourage active learning and help students connect and grow.
Brown has also worked to document his family's history by writing a biography of the Wileys, creating a descendant chart, and donating scrapbooks, photo albums, artifacts and diaries to the Wiregrass Archives and Troy University. He is president of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C., the district's oldest historical organization.
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