 Obituaries noted his versatility and compared him to polymath poet and doctor Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Modern sources have also recognized his wide range of pursuits and accomplishments.In 1875, Brown joined the Torrey Botanical Club of Columbia College in New York and was an active member for many years, serving as president from 1893 to 1905.As the club's president, Brown served on the Botanical Garden Committee and became a principal founder of the New York Botanical Garden.