William Noble Brown and his wife, Patricia Meloon Brown, have established the Ariosto and Mittie Wiley Library Lecture Series Endowment to bring an annual guest lecturer to a Troy University library.

The endowment honors the legacy of Brown’s great-grandparents, Ariosto Appling Wiley and Mary Ann Freeman Noble, whose service shaped their community, state and country. A Troy native, Wiley served in the Alabama House and Senate, held military leadership roles during the Spanish-American War and the U.S. occupation of Cuba, and represented Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Wiley also helped draft the 1886 legislation that established the State Normal School at Troy, the institution that would become Troy University. The endowment connects that legacy of public service with Brown’s continuing support for the University and its libraries.

“When deciding what I should do with [my great grandfather’s] papers, my Montgomery, Ala., cousin Neal Brantly informed me that he had been instrumental in the establishment of what is now Troy University,” William Brown said. “After a few emails … his memorabilia was on its way to the Wiregrass Archives. But I had always felt that great-grandmother “Mittie” had been left out of or marginalized in family lore. Pat and I thought a library endowment would help preserve both their legacies.”

The Guest speakers supported by the endowment will bring real-world insights and new perspectives, furthering the impact Troy University has to offer its students and community, said Dr. Chris Shaffer, dean of University Libraries.

“The Troy University Libraries support the University’s mission by providing access to information and helping prepare students to meet future opportunities and challenges,” Shaffer said. “Guest lecturers can encourage active learning and give students opportunities to connect and grow. Ariosto Wiley helped create Troy University, and William Brown continues to support that legacy.”

Brown has worked to preserve his great-grandparents’ history by writing a biography of the Wileys and creating a descendant chart. He has also donated scrapbooks, photo albums, artifacts and diaries to the Wiregrass Archives and Troy University. Brown continues his family’s commitment to community served as president of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C., the district’s oldest historical organization.