Matt Brown’s introspective journey from Holy Cross to Hollywood

You may wonder what William James, a Harvard-trained physician of the 19th and 20th century and Matt Brown, a Holy Cross-trained actor of the 21st century have in common, but their parallels of challenge, introspection, and commitment are deep and inspirational. Both men grew with the foundational support of loving parents and siblings, one in Cambridge the other in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Their respective collectives enjoyed the benefits of cosmopolitan footprints that walked comfortably between chums and church yet both blazed trails off the beaten path. Separated by time, their struggle to settle into their professional lives are two everyday examples of a quest for perspective and the profound rewards of tenacity. Ultimately, they remind us all to believe in the wisdom of listening to our own mystical inner voice.

William James' biography is complex. His father, a famed minister of wealth, provided the family with a foundation that was theological and materially comfortable. Of frequent poor health, William studied painting and traveled until he pursed a career in medicine. The physician turned to an academic's life. In 1873, becoming an instructor of anatomy and physiology, his analytical curiosities further drew him to explore the emerging science of psychology. Appointed the first instructor of that practice in the country, James was often disappointed and depressed finding hard science insufficently answered the true mysteries of life. After 34 years of blending theoretics his tenure at Harvard concluded in 1907, as Professor Emeritus of Philosophy.