David Randolph Brown was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma. The oldest son of Harry L. Brown and Louise Herbert Brown, he was named for two uncles who were physicians. His father Harry was a drilling superintendent who had worked in the oil fields since having to quit school after 8th grade, when his father died. One cannot overstate how much David admired his father’s work ethic, integrity, strength, mechanical skill, self-education, and ability to lead by character and example. David’s mother Louise earned her master’s degree at Texas Women’s University and taught both school and Sunday school. At an early age, David and his two younger brothers received phonics instruction, basic arithmetic, and a clear expectation from her that they excel in school. “She considered A+ possibly adequate,” he would say.