Ray Browne, Pop Culture Pioneer, R.I.P.
Ray Browne, who died at his home last weekend at age 87, did more than study and teach popular culture, he served as an embodiment of its ideals and a driving force behind its creation. His personal story is one of humble beginnings, overcoming a poor childhood in rural Alabama, and ultimately carving out a piece of the American Dream as an internationally-recognized writer and scholar.
Given that it is virtually impossible to escape popular culture’s reach in today’s world, it’s hard to imagine that Ray had to fight to get the topic accepted in academic circles. Out of this effort, Ray and a close band of like-minded colleagues founded the Popular Culture Association (PCA) and the American Culture Association (ACA), which serve as the intellectual home for untold scholars devoted to exploring popular culture in all its guises. One of the thoughts members of the PCA/ACA most often express is the friendliness and welcoming nature of these organizations. When one joins the PCA/ACA, there is a sense of entering a family. This culture is a direct reflection of Ray’s leadership, and may ultimately serve as his most lasting legacy.
On a personal note, Ray served as a mentor for me and countless others. I still remember my anxiety in meeting him for the first time, since this was “THE Ray Browne.” Yet he could not have been more kind. Unlike many senior scholars in other fields, Ray reached out to younger scholars, offering publishing opportunities and priceless counsel. I owe much of my philosophical thinking and writing to his influence.
One of the last projects I worked with Ray on was when he graciously agreed to write the foreword for the four-volume collection I edited: American Pop: Popular Culture Decade by Decade (2009). In it, Ray presented a lyrical definition of popular culture that I treasure: “Similar to a growing garden, culture is the gatherings of community beliefs and behaviors, which depends on its roots for sustenance. As the plants grow both individually and collectively, they develop and influence the surrounding societies.” It will be difficult for a scholar to more beautifully or succinctly analyze American popular culture in the 21st century.
Editor’s note: Ray Browne was the series editor of the American Pop Culture through History series by Greenwood Press, and the author of the Civil War and Reconstruction book in that series (see cover above). Those of us that take pop culture seriously owe him a debt of gratitude for his pioneering work in the field. R.I.P.
Archives
October 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I agree with the above commentary. Ray Browne and Ron Denisoff first pulled me in to the world of pop culture writing in the late 1960s when I joined the Pop Culture Association and helped found the Journal Popular Music and Society. Botlh he and his wife were amazingly active and gracious at national and international meetings all their lives.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I was a graduate student when I first discovered PCA and eventually met Ray and Pat Browne. For a number of years I was regular at PCA meetings and always looked forward to talking to Ray who had a particular interest in what was going on in Canadian popular culture. I eventually got a position teaching popular culture in Canada and I always remember Ray’s counsel and his enthusiasm of the importance of doing this kind of work. He was a pioneer in the field and he is missed.
Joe Galbo
University of New Brunswick
October 29th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I was a doctoral student in American Culture Studies with a concentration in Popular Culture Studies at Bowling Green. Dr. Browne had retired from teaching by the time I arrived there, but whenever he passed me as he made his way to his office at the back of the library, he always made time to exchange a friendly word and chat about my research. So, while my relationship towards him was one of awe and gratitude for busting down doors so whelps like me could do serious research on comics, gadgets, and movies… his relationship towards me was one of sincere interest and affirmation. I did not know him well at all beyond our brushes in the library…. but his down-to-earth way with students speaks volumes about his openness to real thinking and commitment to people. I wish more academics were like him.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
What a fitting tribute for a gracious man with such a generous spirit!