R.B. Brown, photo courtesy of Calvin Brown

A code of caring can start at home. It’s how some families define their commitment to each other. It’s their safety net ensuring no one is left out or left behind. And when that net is extended beyond the family, an indelible legacy is created.

This is the theme of one man’s vision, R.B. Brown, who was born into a family of modest means in central Oklahoma. R.B. was a self-made man who made his money in the oil industry, raised a family, and developed a code of caring in his backyard of tiny Wilson, Oklahoma.

If R.B. learned a child needed clothing to go to school, he’d frequently and anonymously buy them something to wear. On occasion, for the senior prom, he purchased suits and dresses for the needy students so that they could attend and celebrate their rite of passage.

R.B.’s compassion and concern for others has been passed down to his son, Calvin, who is carrying on the family tradition in Wilson. After his wife, Katie, died, Calvin started a memorial scholarship in her name for graduating high school seniors.

The annual scholarship enables one deserving senior from Wilson High School to go to college. The winner receives funding for the freshman and sophomore years, considered the most difficult to get through. To be considered, students must demonstrate scholastic achievement, be inclusive, demonstrate a pattern of giving to others in need, and be well-liked by teachers, staff, and classmates.

R.B.’s legacy of caring continues with his grandchildren, including Scott, who lives in a large city and regularly buys meals for homeless individuals he meets on the street.

What began as one man’s vision to help others has expanded over three generations. R.B.’s commitment to others and his code of caring set an example for his family and was the catalyst for a net of compassion cast far beyond Wilson.