Hank Brown served as president of the University of Colorado from 2005 to 2008. He then was named to the Quigg and Virginia S. Newton Endowed Chair in Leadership at CU Boulder and was an adjunct professor in the CU Law School.

Born in Denver, Brown was the first student body president of the Boulder campus to later become president of the university. He played football as a freshman but later traded his football scholarship for academic and wrestling scholarships when his football career fell short.

He graduated from CU Boulder with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1961 and earned a law degree in 1969. He also earned a master's degree in law from George Washington University.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1966, where he was an aviator and was decorated for his combat service in Vietnam. He served in the Colorado Senate from 1972 to 1976, the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991 and the U.S. Senate from 1991 to 1997. Brown was president of the University of Northern Colorado from 1998 to 2002 and president of the Daniels Fund from 2002 to 2005.