Charles Randall Brown (23 December 1899 – 8 December 1983) was a United States Navy four-star admiral.

Charles R. Brown
Portrait of Admiral Brown by Alfred Jonniaux
Birth name	Charles Randall Brown
Nickname(s)	Cat
Born	(1899-12-13)13 December 1899 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, US
Died	8 December 1983(1983-12-08) (aged 83) Bethesda, Maryland, US
Buried	United States Naval Academy Cemetery Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1917–1962
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	USS Gannet (AM-41) USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68) USS Hornet (CV-12) United States Sixth Fleet
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit

Brown was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1917, graduating in 1921. He was assigned to USS Arkansas (BB-33) in July and then transferred to USS Columbia (AG-9) in December. In December 1922, he was assigned to USS Langley (CV-1).^[1]

In February 1924, Brown reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training. He was designated a naval aviator on 15 August 1924.^[1]

As a Vice Admiral, he commanded the United States Sixth Fleet. He became the Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH), 1959–1961, as a full admiral. It was in this role in 1959 that he instigated the creation of the Gray Eagle Award.