A historic Midwestern business college chain founded in 1876, offering commercial and office training across 29+ locations.
Brown's Business College was established in 1876 when George W. Brown (1845–1918) took over Jacksonville Business College, which had been founded in 1866. Brown rapidly expanded the chain, acquiring schools in Peoria and Decatur by 1889, and reaching seven locations by 1894. By 1907, the chain had grown to 19 schools, eventually peaking at 29 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska during the 1910s. The colleges provided instruction in accounting, stenography, business practice, and office management.
Brown's Business College schools offered practical business education focused on commercial skills. Curriculum included accounting, business and office practice, writing, expert accounting, stenography training, and general business success principles. The schools served as career-focused institutions preparing students for white-collar employment in the early 20th century.
After George W. Brown's death in 1918, the chain gradually contracted. Most locations had closed or changed names by the 1960s and 1970s. The Springfield location was the last to operate, remaining open until 1994. Several successor institutions continue today, including Midstate College in Peoria (originally Brown's Peoria location) and Rockford Career College in Rockford. The Sanford–Brown group also traces its history through a St. Louis Brown's location.