Ronald Harmon Brown ( August 1 , 1941 – April 3 , 1996 ) was an American politician . He served as the United States Secretary of Commerce during the first term of President Bill Clinton . Prior to this he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) . He was the first African American to hold these positions . He was killed , along with 34 others , in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia
1996 plane crash in Croatia
1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash
Ron Brown (U.S. politician)