 From 1936 to 1939 he served as an agricultural advisor to the United States Department of Agriculture.As a supervising editor for Harper & Brothers during the 1940s, he edited several books that were designed to integrate various fields of specialized knowledge.In addition to his long and distinguished connection with Northwestern, Brownell was also a visiting lecturer at other universities including the University of Kansas City, the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, and the Garrett Biblical Institute.