Amy Frances Brown was born on a farm near Galesburg, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Education at Western Illinois State in 1930, her M.S. in Nursing from Western Reserve in 1940, and in 1955 her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 1941. Her career encompassed nursing and the development of nursing curricula, teaching, and scientific writing. Her published works include Curriculum Development (1960), Clinical Instruction (1949), Research in Nursing (1958) and in 1945 her most notable book, Medical Nursing. In addition, she was a highly requested guest speaker for various medical conferences across the country.

In 1965, the Amy Frances Brown Prize for Excellence in Writing was established. This award was given to juniors and seniors annually who met course requirements, and submitted the best comprehensive scientific writing.

Amy Frances Brown retired in 1974 as Professor of Medical Surgical Nursing, Emerita after 33 years of service to the Vanderbilt University medical community. She died on December 14, 1983.