Brown is one of three children of June Hafer Brown and Ralph Edison Brown, who fought in both theaters of World War II and was employed by the Veterans Administrationmedical center in Pineville. The senior Brown was an area commander of the American Legion and active in the Boy Scouts of America in south Grant Parish. Both Browns are interred at Colfax Cemetery. Terry Brown's siblings are Michael L. Brown of Colfax and Jimmie Brown Ballard of Camden, Arkansas. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional education from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Active in the Grant Parish community, he is a charter member of the Louisiana Pecan Festival Association and a vice chairman of the Grant Parish Library Board. Brown is a member of the United Methodist Church. He and his wife, the former Lou Altazan, have a daughter, Ann-Elizabeth Brown. Brown's uncle, Daniel Wallace "Dan" Brown of Colfax, only five years his senior, is a son-in-law of the late District 22 state representative, Richard S. Thompson, a Democrat from Colfax who served from 1972 to 1984.
Legislative career
In the nonpartisan blanket primary held in October 2011, a third candidate, Republican businessman James Timothy "Tim" Murphy of Natchitoches, previously from Montgomery in Grant Parish, polled 3,666 votes, sufficient to force a runoff between Chandler, who led with 5,790 and Brown, who polled 4,724. Brown then unseated Chandler, 6,015 to 5,465. He lost only in the combined eight precincts in Natchitoches Parish within the district. Brown sits on these House committees: Administration of Criminal Justice, Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs, and Transportation, Highways, and Public Works. He is also a member of the Louisiana Rural Caucus. Brown holds a 60 percent rating from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Brown opposes the controversial Common Core State Standards Initiative, which was first supported by GovernorBobby Jindal, who then reversed his position on the issue. Brown told a public forum in Alexandria that some of his constituents have children who are "literally pulling their hair out" or faking illnesses because of frustration with Common Core. Brown said that 84 percent of his constituents oppose Common Core. The lawmaker criticized Louisiana Education Superintendent John White for insistence on keeping Common Core. Brown said that he favors returning to an elected state superintendent who unlike White would be "answerable to the people." In his bid for re-election to the state House in the October 24, 2015, non-partisan blanket primary, Brown defeated a Republican challenge from John Robert Stephens, I, of Jena in LaSalle Parish. Brown polled 6,627 votes to Stephens' 6,026. Brown is the author of House Bill 11, which if implemented would halt open burning of munitions or explosive waste. Such burning is underway at the company Clean Harbors Colfax, which is located five miles northwest of Colfax. The neighboring Rapides ParishPolice Jury approved a resolution opposing Brown's bill. Juror Richard Vanderlick explained that Brown's measure "might shut that operation down, and that's going to cause some people to lose their jobs." Brown insisted that the open burning is a health hazard and must be stopped.
