Ward Brown enjoyed a 41-year career in high school athletics. He was a four year player at Rossville High School, graduating in 1935.
He went on to earn three letters in basketball for Hall of Fame coach Glenn Curtis at Indiana State while a student-athlete from 1937 to 1941.
Brown went on to teach at Attica and Martinsville before becoming principal at Martinsville for five years (1955-59) and then at Crawfordsville for 10 years (1959-1969).
He served on the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Council from 1963 to 1968 and the IHSAA Board of Control in 1968. He went on to become assistant commissioner (1969-1976) and commissioner (1976-1983).
During his tenure as commissioner, he steered the planning, relocating and reorganization of the new IHSAA headquarters in Indianapolis, a period of high growth with the girls' basketball tournament and football playoffs developed at this time.
He was inducted IHSAA Hall of Fame in 1981.
At the conclusion of the individual state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents the Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award to an outstanding senior participant in the wrestling state tournament. The recipient of this award, who is nominated by his principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in wrestling. Beginning in 1985, the award was named in honor of Brown, who served as the fourth commissioner of the IHSAA from 1976 until 1983.
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Assistant Commissioner of the IHSAA (1969-1976)
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Commissioner of the IHSAA (1976-1983)
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Inducted into Hall of Fame February 28, 2004
