Melburn Brown Junior set to join his father in the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame

Following in the footsteps of his father, Melburn P. Brown Sr., Melburn Brown Jr. made quite the impact during his one season as a member of the Cowley College men's tennis team. Junior's father, Mel, was a three-sport athlete at Cowley and was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. It is now Junior's turn to be honored as he will join his father in the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 27.

Junior Brown began playing tennis around the age of nine and started competing in his first tournaments at the age of 10, regularly playing in Missouri Valley Tennis Association events.

As a sophomore, he became a four-year varsity letterman at Topeka High School and placed second in doubles with his older brother Jason, helping the team win the only state title in school history.

"My father was the driving force behind getting me started in tennis," Junior Brown said. "He kept me going and is the reason I have accomplished the achievements I have throughout my career."

Junior had known then-head Cowley tennis coach Larry Grose since the age of 11, and when he needed a place to attend college, coach Grose welcomed him with open arms. 

"I knew he was a good coach, and the tennis program here was always solid, so I jumped at the opportunity to become a Tiger," Brown said.

In 1994, Junior Brown was a Region VI champion in singles and doubles and was a No. 1 flight doubles national champion. The All-American helped the Tiger men's tennis team finish as the national runner-up.

He thoroughly enjoyed his one season at the school playing for Coach Grose.

"He was like having a father while I was away from home," Brown said. "He was a great coach who disciplined us when we needed it, gave us the opportunity to grow and mature as young men, and, along the way, made us better tennis players and competitors. I have great memories playing for the Tigers. Our success as a team came from the understanding that hard work and dedication pay off. Everyone on the team bought into the goal of physically preparing ourselves off the court to improve our ability to compete on the court.  Plus, we all got along so well that everyone wanted to be their best for each other."

After leaving Cowley, he captured another doubles national championship at NCAA Division II University of Central Oklahoma and was again named an All-American.

As a senior, he led UCO to one of the best years in school history, with the Bronchos going 16-2 and winning the Lone Star Conference title en route to making it to the quarterfinals in the NCAA Division II national tournament.
Brown was a singles and doubles All-American in his final season with a 44-13 combined record, ranking No. 1 nationally in doubles, and he also won the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award for the South Central Region.

Brown, who was inducted into Central Oklahoma's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012, was inducted into the Topeka Tennis Association Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

He has spent the past 20-plus years as a full-time tennis instructor and has served as the director of tennis at the Topeka Country Club for the last 11 years. Junior and his wife Marissa have won Three gold balls as national USTA couples champions. Along with being named the USPTA Missouri Valley Player of the Year, Junior and his wife were named the Missouri Valley Family of the Year.

The couple has one daughter, Emmersyn, who is in seventh grade.

Junior's father, Melburn Brown Sr., was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and was a three-sport athlete for Arkansas City Junior College.

"I am incredibly honored to have even been considered for the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame, and it's extra special to enter into the Hall of Fame alongside my father," Brown said. "Achieving something my father also achieved makes me incredibly proud as I know what a fierce competitor he was at everything he did, so to receive this honor as he has done in the past makes me incredibly grateful for all the time, energy, and sacrifice not only I put into my sport but my entire family as well. I am just very grateful for all the support I have had over the years from all of my great coaches, teammates, friends, and most importantly, family.