Browne was a founder and professor of geology of Lofayette College; and a Philadelphia lawyer, busying himself in botany and geology. Founder-member of the Franklin Institute and once its Corresponding Secretary. Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, contributing to its Proceedings and donating specimens. Three botanical papers, namely (1) “Catalogue of plants, woods, seeds, etc., Collected in the West India Islands and presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences”... 1842 (2) “Description of a monstrous rose,” collected by Prof. Walter R. Johnson, and preserved and described by P. A. Browne, 1842 (3) “A description of the Carica papaya, or papaw...” 1843.