Brownlee Owen Currey Jr.

A financial entrepreneur, philanthropist, athlete and a Nashville native, he graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1949, served as trustee since 1968, became emeritus in 2004. The day after graduation, he began working as a securities broker for Equitable Securities until 1957, when he transferred to the company’s New York office. A year and a half later, he became a director and helped manage Equitable Securities’ eastern division. After the firm was sold to American Express Company in 1968, he continued in the position of director, a senior vice president and a member of the executive committee of Equitable Securities Morton & Company, Inc., a subsidiary of American Express. In 1970, he became vice chairman in New York of the Commerce Union Corporation, which subsequently became Bank of America. He resigned and went on to purchase the Nashville Banner, where he held at varying times the positions of chairman, chief executive officer and publisher between 1980 and 1998. In 1989, he co-founded Osborn Communications, a public radio company, and served as chairman until it was sold in 1997.

He was an avid golfer and tennis player, having won many trophies in both sports. He was nationally ranked in senior tennis and raised funds for The Brownlee Currey Tennis Center at Vanderbilt University.

Mr. Currey served on the boards of Thomas Nelson Publishing Company, the United States Equestrian Team and the United Stated Equestrian Team Foundation (chairman), the International Tennis Hall of Fame, myFace, previously known as the Foundation for Facial Reconstruction, ESC Strategic Funds, Leadership Nashville, One Sutton Place South of NYC, the Volunteer State Horsemen’s Foundation, Watkins College of Art, Montgomery Bell Academy, the Tennessee Tennis Association Hall of Fame, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, the Southampton Association and Vanderbilt University. He was a founder and supporter of Currey Ingram Academy. In 2019, Mr. Currey was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by Watkins College of Art.

In 1984, Mr. Currey received Tennessee’s Outstanding Achievement Award from Governor Lamar Alexander. He also received the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Bronze Seal of Honor in 1984 for the two gold medals that the horse Touch of Class, ridden by Joe Fargis, received in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Curreys were among the owners of the horse syndicate.

Mr. Currey is survived by his wife, Agneta Akerlund Currey, and children, Christian Brownlee Currey, Stephanie Currey Ingram and Frances Currey Briggs and twelve grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Nashville and New York at a time to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Vanderbilt University, Gift Processing Office, PMB 407127, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240 or Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205.