Career
Born in New York City, Browning dropped out of Cornell University after attending for only one month and moved to Waco, Texas, where he was hired as a newspaper reporter. Because of a childhood injury, he was rejected by the United States Army when he tried to enlist during World World War II, so he worked as an ambulance driver in England and France. In the late 1940s, he was a chicken farmer operating an egg route in Ridgefield, Connecticut when one of his customers offered him a job in the music library at National Broadcasting Company. The clerical position led to his directing live televised performances by the National Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini.
Soon after he was made a stage manager of the network"s newly formed opera company, and he later became its Director.
He also received two Christopher Awards and a Peabody Award. Browning died of a heart attack in 2008.