Alexander Ostrand Brown died at Glasgow on July 25th, 1943, at the age of 63.
He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1897, and graduated B.A. in the Natural Science Tripos in 1900. Two years later he became a student at the Royal School of Mines, gaining his A.R.S.M. in Mining in 1905.
In October of the same year he joined the staff of the Peña copper mines, Huelva, Spain, first as assistant chemist and later as surveyor and assistant to the mine manager. In 1909 he left this position to visit Patagonia, on behalf of Messrs. Charleton, Dickinson, and Co., to report on a gold prospect, and from 1910 to 1912 he reported on mineral properties in the Northern Transvaal for Messrs. Alexander Hill & Stewart. He returned to Spain in August, 1912, as manager of the iron and manganese mines of the Asturiana Mining Co., and remained in sole charge of this work until the end of 1914.
In May, 1915, he joined the 21st Royal Fusiliers, and was later transferred to the Royal Engineers, in which Corps he served until May, 1918, with the rank of lieutenant.
During the remainder of 1918 he was engaged in mining work in North Wales, under the Ministry of Munitions, and in 1919 was appointed manager of the Santa Rosa mine of the United Alkali Co., where he remained for 10 years.
From 1929 to 1932 Mr. Brown carried out inspections in Africa, Norway, and Portugal and from then until his retirement in 1940 spent most of his time in Spain and Portugal. During this period he was manager of the Urgeirica radium mine (1932), the Peña copper mines (1932-3), the Rodalquilar mine (1934), and the Bodiosa mine of Beralt Tin and Wolfram, Ltd. (1935-8).
Mr. Brown was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1909 and was transferred to Membership in 1920.
Vol. 53, Trans I.M.M. 1943-4, pp. 425-6
