Department of Education Nomination of Cynthia G. Brown To Be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

The President today announced his intention to nominate Cynthia G. Brown, of Washington, D.C., to be Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights, a new position. Brown has been Principal Deputy Director and Deputy Director for Compliance and Enforcement at the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, since 1978.

She was born March 18, 1943, in Plainfield, N.J. She received a B.A. from Oberlin College in 1965 and an M.A. in public administration from Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1966.

From 1966 to 1970, Brown was with OCR as a civil rights specialist in elementary and secondary education for Texas and Louisiana, assistant to the Chief of the Education Branch, Division of Program Planning and Development, and Special Assistant to the Director of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

From 1970 to 1975, she was a program associate with the Children's Defense Fund of the Washington Research Project, Inc., where she was responsible for oversight of Federal education programs affecting poor and minority students. From 1975 to 1977, she was codirector of the Federal Education Project of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which provides basic information and technical assistance to parents, community groups, and school officials.

From 1977 to 1978, Brown was Deputy Director of OCR for Compliance and Enforcement. She is the author of several articles on school desegregation.