AARON VAIL [VENABLE] BROWN, Governor of Tennessee, 1845-1847, was the son of Rev. Aaron Brown, of Virginia. He was born August 15, 1795. He graduated at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1814, and was valedictorian of his class. His father moved to Tennessee this same year and Aaron Vail entered upon the study of law under Judge Trimble at Nashville. He later moved to Giles County and was a law partner of James K. Polk until 1825. He was a member of the State Senate, 1821-1825, and of the Lower House, 1831. He was a member of Congress, 1839-1845, retiring to become candidate for Governor. His opponent was Ephraim H. Foster, a Whig, and the contest was close. He was elected, however, but was defeated two years later by the Whigs, and Neill S. Brown became Governor. They were not related. While Aaron V. Brown was Governor, the Mexican war was fought. Tennessee’s quota of soldiers was 2,800; but when the Governor made the call for volunteers 30,000 answered; only four regiments were accepted. The school for the blind at Nashville and the one for deaf and dumb at Knoxville were incorporated during Aaron V. Brown’s administration. The East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad (now Southern) was incorporated in 1847. Governor Brown was Postmaster-General in Buchanan’s Cabinet. He died March 8, 1859. (Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923, Vol. 2, John Trotwood Moore and Austin P. Foster, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1923, pp. 49-50)