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Ron Brown

Secretary of Commerce · 1993

Ron Brown, Secretary of Commerce. Ronald Harmon Brown (August 1, 1941 – April 3, 1996) was an American politician and lobbyist who served as the 30th United States secretary of commerce during the first term of President Bill Clinton. Before this, he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He was the first African American to hold these positions. He was killed, along with 34 others, in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia.

Positions

  • Secretary of Commerce1993-01-22–1996-04-03

Biography

Ronald Harmon Brown (August 1, 1941 – April 3, 1996) was an American politician and lobbyist who served as the 30th United States secretary of commerce during the first term of President Bill Clinton. Before this, he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He was the first African American to hold these positions. He was killed, along with 34 others, in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

More

From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.

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Capitol Receipts, “Ron Brown: Secretary of Commerce,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/wQ1193187/ron-brown (accessed 2026-10-13).