Willie Brown (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Brown
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Brown in 2019
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| 41st Mayor of San Francisco | |
| In office January 8, 1996 – January 8, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Jordan |
| Succeeded by | Gavin Newsom |
| Minority Leader of the California Assembly | |
| In office June 5, 1995 – September 14, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Brulte |
| Succeeded by | Richard Katz |
| 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly | |
| In office December 2, 1980 – June 5, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Leo McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | Doris Allen |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 13th district |
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| In office December 7, 1992 – December 14, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Barbara Lee |
| Succeeded by | Carole Migden |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 17th district |
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| In office December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | John Miller |
| Succeeded by | Dean Andal |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 18th district |
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| In office January 4, 1965 – November 30, 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Edward M. Gaffney |
| Succeeded by | Leo T. McCarthy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Willie Lewis Brown Jr.
March 20, 1934 Mineola, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Blanche Vitero
(m. 1958; separated 1982) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | San Francisco State University (BA) University of California, Hastings (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States ArmyCalifornia Army National Guard |
| Years of service | 1955–1958 |
| Unit | 126th Medical Battalion |
Willie Lewis Brown Jr. (born March 20, 1934) is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He served as mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004. He was the first African American to hold this important office.
Brown was born in Mineola, Texas. He moved to San Francisco in 1951 after finishing high school. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 1955. He then earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1958. After that, he worked as a lawyer. He also took part in the civil rights movement.
In 1964, he was elected to the California Assembly. He became very popular in San Francisco. He was known as one of the most powerful state lawmakers in the country. Brown supported the civil rights of gay and lesbian people. He was good at working with other lawmakers and keeping his party organized. From 1980 to 1995, he served as the speaker of the California State Assembly.
His long time in office led to a new rule in California. This rule limited how many terms state lawmakers could serve. Even with this new rule, Brown kept control of the Assembly. This was true even when the Republicans had a small majority. Near the end of his last term, he decided to run for mayor of San Francisco.
As mayor, San Francisco's budget grew a lot. There was also a big increase in building projects and city improvements. Brown was mayor during the "dot-com" era. This was a time when San Francisco's economy grew very quickly. His team included more Asian-Americans, women, Latinos, and African Americans than before. Brown was reelected in 1999. However, term limits meant he could not run for a third term. His political friend, Gavin Newsom, took over after him. The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper called Brown "one of San Francisco's most notable mayors." They said he was famous even outside the city. After leaving office in 2004, he retired from politics. He wrote a book about his life. He also continued to help raise money and advise other politicians.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Willie Brown was born on March 20, 1934. He grew up in Mineola. This was a small, segregated town in East Texas. It had many racial challenges. His parents were Minnie Collins Boyd and Lewis Brown. He was the fourth of five children. When Brown was a child, African-Americans were often stopped from voting.
His first job was shining shoes in a barber shop for white people only. He also worked as a janitor, cook, and farm helper. He learned to work hard from his grandmother. He graduated from Mineola Colored High School. He later said this school was not very good. In August 1951, at age 17, he moved to San Francisco to live with his uncle.
Brown first wanted to go to Stanford University. An interviewer from Stanford was also a professor at San Francisco State College. He was surprised by Brown's strong goals. Brown did not meet the requirements for Stanford or San Francisco State. But the professor helped him get into San Francisco State on a trial basis. Brown worked very hard in his first semester. He soon caught up with his college studies.
He joined the Young Democrats group. He became friends with John L. Burton. Brown first wanted to be a math teacher. But his interest in campus politics changed his mind. He became active in his church. He also joined the San Francisco NAACP. This group works for civil rights. Brown worked as a doorman, janitor, and shoe salesman to pay for college. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He also joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
In 1955, Brown earned a bachelor's degree in political science from San Francisco State. He later said he went to law school mainly to avoid being drafted into the military. He left the ROTC. He joined the California Army National Guard's 126th Medical Battalion. There, he trained as a dental hygienist. Brown went to the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He also worked as a janitor there. He became friends with George Moscone, who later became San Francisco Mayor. Brown helped manage Moscone's election campaign. Brown earned a law degree in 1958. He was also his class president.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Brown opened his own law business. He was one of the few African-Americans practicing law in San Francisco. He worked as a criminal defense lawyer. He took cases that other lawyers would not. One early case was defending Mario Savio. This was for Savio's first arrest for civil disobedience. Brown quickly became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He led a protest against housing discrimination. This happened after a real estate office refused to work with him because of his race. Brown helped organize the protest and get media attention. His role in these protests helped him become known enough to run for the State Assembly.
Brown first ran for the California State Assembly in 1962. Local African American ministers helped him raise $700. He lost that election by 600 votes. But he won his second election in 1964.
California State Assembly
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In 1965, Brown was one of four Black Americans in the Assembly. The others were Mervyn M. Dymally, F. Douglas Ferrell, and Byron Rumford. He was reelected to the Assembly until 1995. In the 1960s, Brown led the Legislative Representation Committee. This was a powerful role that helped him move up in the Assembly. In 1969, he became the Democrats' Assembly whip. Brown also served on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. In 1972, he gave a speech at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. He tried to become Speaker in 1972 but did not win.
In 1975, Brown wrote a bill that made homosexuality legal in California. He worked hard to get it passed. This earned him strong support from San Francisco's gay community. In 1977, he voted against a bill that banned same-sex marriage. This further showed his support for the civil rights of gay and lesbian people. In the 1970s, Brown also expanded his law practice. He represented several large real estate developers. He finally won the Speakership in 1980.
Brown was California's first Black American Speaker of the Assembly. He held this office from 1981 to 1995. In 1990, he helped end a 64-day disagreement over the state budget. In 1994, the Democrats lost control of the Assembly to the Republicans. But Brown got votes from some Republicans to stay as Speaker. He made a deal with Republican lawmakers Doris Allen and Brian Setencich. Both were elected Speaker by the Democratic minority.
Brown's many years in the Assembly gave him strong political connections. He was also very good at negotiating. By the time he became Assembly Speaker, he had almost complete control over the California legislature. The New York Times newspaper said Brown became one of the most powerful state lawmakers in the country. He even called himself the "Ayatollah of the Assembly."
Brown was very popular in San Francisco. However, he was less popular in other parts of the state. Still, he had great control over state laws and political appointments. This made it hard for his opponents to stop his power. In 1990, a new state law was proposed and passed by voters. It put term limits on state lawmakers. This was partly done to remove Brown from his leadership role. Brown tried to raise money to defeat the law, but it passed. The law also cut the legislature's staff budget by 30 percent. This caused Brown to reduce staff by at least 600 people. Because of this law, no future speaker of the California State Assembly can serve longer than Brown did.
Brown was known for knowing everything happening in the state legislature. In 1992, he gave $1.18 million to the Democratic Party. This money helped with voter registration and campaigns. Some of it came from tobacco and insurance companies. As Speaker, he worked to defeat the Three Strikes Law. This law gives longer sentences for repeat offenders. Critics said Brown did not do enough to improve ethical standards in the legislature. They also said he did not do enough to protect the environment. During his time in Sacramento, he estimates he raised about $75 million. This money helped elect and reelect state Democrats.
Brown led efforts in the Assembly for state universities to stop investing in South Africa. He also worked to increase funding for AIDS research. He helped get state money for San Francisco. This included funds for public health and mental health. In 1992, he held up the state budget for 63 days. He did this until Governor Pete Wilson added another $1.1 billion for public schools.
Brown had a reputation for being good at managing people in the Assembly. Republican State Senator Ken Maddy said Brown could "size up the situation and create, sometimes on the spot, a winning strategy." One person said, "He was a brilliant daycare operator. ... He knew exactly how to hold the hand of his Assembly members. He dominated California politics like no other politician in the history of the state."
Mayor of San Francisco
In 1995, Brown ran for mayor of San Francisco. In his speech, he said San Francisco needed a "resurrection." He promised to bring the "risk-taking leadership" the city needed. Brown got the most votes in the first round. But no candidate got 50% of the vote. So, he faced the current mayor, Frank Jordan, in a runoff election in December. Brown got support from Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg. She had finished third in the first round.
Brown promised to work on poverty and problems with Muni (the city's public transport). He called Jordan "inept" and criticized his leadership. Jordan criticized Brown for his connections with special interest groups. Brown easily defeated Jordan.
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Brown's inauguration party was open to everyone. 10,000 people attended. Local restaurants gave 10,000 meals to homeless people. President Bill Clinton called Brown to congratulate him. The call was broadcast to the crowd. Brown gave his speech without notes. He led the orchestra in "The Stars and Stripes Forever." He arrived at the event in a horse-drawn carriage.
In 1996, more than two-thirds of San Franciscans approved of Brown's work as mayor. He appeared on national TV talk shows many times. Brown asked for more money for San Francisco's budget. This was to pay for new employees and programs. In 1999, he suggested hiring 1,392 new city workers. He also proposed a budget with a $100 million surplus for the second year in a row. He helped settle a two-day garbage strike in April 1997. During Brown's time as mayor, San Francisco's budget grew to $5.2 billion. The city also added 4,000 new employees. Brown tried to create a plan for universal health care. But there was not enough money in the budget. He worked long days as mayor. He often had many meetings and sometimes two at once. Brown opened City Hall on Saturdays to answer questions. He later said that as mayor, he helped bring back the city's spirit and pride.
Brown's opponents in his 1999 reelection campaign were former mayor Jordan and Clint Reilly. They criticized Brown for spending the city's $1 billion budget growth. They said he did not fix major problems. They also claimed he created corruption and favoritism at City Hall. Tom Ammiano was a late write-in candidate. He faced Brown in the runoff election. Brown won reelection by a 20-point difference. Most major developers and businesses supported him. Ammiano promised to raise the minimum wage to $11 per hour. He also wanted to check corporate business taxes more closely. Brown repeatedly said Ammiano would raise taxes. President Clinton recorded a phone message to support Brown. Brown's campaign spent $3.1 million, while Ammiano's spent $300,000. The 1999 mayoral race was featured in the documentary See How They Run.
Social Policy
Brown stopped San Francisco's policy of punishing people for feeding the homeless. However, San Francisco continued to enforce rules about how homeless people behaved in public. In 1998, Brown supported removing homeless people from Golden Gate Park. He also supported police actions against homeless people. Brown started job training programs. He also began an $11 million drug treatment program. San Francisco was the country's 13th-largest city at the time. It had the nation's third-largest homeless population, with up to 16,000 people. In November 1997, Brown asked for nighttime helicopter searches in Golden Gate Park. His team spent hundreds of millions of dollars. This money created new shelters, housing, and drug treatment centers. But these efforts did not end homelessness.
In 1996, Brown approved the Equal Benefits Ordinance. This law required city contractors to give their employees domestic partner benefits.
Transportation
Mass Transit
One of Brown's main promises was his "100-Day Plan for Muni." He said he would fix the city's bus system in 100 days. Brown supported the "Peer Pressure" Bus Patrol program. This program paid former gang members and troubled youth to patrol Muni buses. He claimed the program helped reduce crime. He fired Muni chief Phil Adams. He replaced him with his chief of staff, Emilio Cruz. In 1998, Brown was mayor during the "Muni meltdown." This happened when Muni started a new train control system. Brown promised riders that things would get better. A voter-approved plan the next year helped improve Muni services. Brown increased Muni's budget by tens of millions of dollars during his time as mayor. He later said he made a mistake by promising too much with his 100-Day Plan.
Brown helped settle the 1997 BART strike.
During his first term, Brown supported tearing down the Transbay Terminal. This was to build new housing. The terminal was located near the Financial District. It was a major bus station for people traveling from the East Bay, San Mateo County, and the North Bay. Today, the terminal is being redeveloped. It will be a major public transport hub. It will keep bus services. A new tunnel will extend the Caltrain commuter rail line to the site.
Critical Mass
Since 1992, cyclists in San Francisco's monthly Critical Mass bike rides had blocked traffic at intersections. In 1997, Brown approved the police chief's plan to stop these rides. He called them "a terrible demonstration of intolerance" and "an incredible display of arrogance." After some arrests were made, Brown said, "I think we ought to confiscate their bicycles." He also said "a little jail time" would teach riders a lesson. On July 25, 1997, 115 riders were arrested. They were jailed, and their bicycles were taken.
By 2002, Brown's relationship with Critical Mass had changed. On September 27, 2002, the city closed four blocks to cars for the annual Car-Free Day Street Fair. Brown said, "I'm delighted. A new tradition has been born in our city."
Urban Planning and Development
As mayor, Brown was sometimes criticized for having too much power. Some said he favored certain businesses over the city's needs. However, supporters point to many building projects completed or planned under his leadership. These include restoring City Hall and old waterfront buildings. He also started one of the city's largest mixed-use development projects in Mission Bay. He also helped develop a second campus for the University of California, San Francisco.
Critics did not like the building of many live-work loft buildings. These were in neighborhoods that used to be for working-class people. Critics believed this led to gentrification. This means that wealthier people move in, and original residents and small businesses are forced out.
Under Brown, City Hall was repaired after damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. He insisted on restoring the light courts. He also had the dome covered with more than $400,000 worth of real gold. The Embarcadero waterfront area was redeveloped. The Mission Bay Development project began. Brown also approved the restoration of the century-old Ferry Building. He oversaw the new Asian Art Museum and the new M. H. de Young Memorial Museum. He also oversaw the expansion of the Moscone Convention Center and San Francisco International Airport's new international terminal.
Brown worked to change the Housing Authority. He helped create a housing trust to build affordable homes. He worked to get more federal and state grants for the city. During his first term, crime rates went down. The city's economy, finances, and credit ratings improved.
Brown was known for his clever ways of handling development projects. For example, he wanted a parking garage on Vallejo Street. Neighbors in North Beach and Chinatown were against it. Brown ordered the old building on the site to be torn down on a Friday night. It was gone by Monday morning. This was before the opponents could get a court order to stop it. Brown said, "It was with the demolition permit I outsmarted them." He claimed that as critics rushed to court, "someone shouted out to them that the building had disappeared over the weekend. They've never recovered from that little maneuver."
During his time as mayor, Brown wanted to build a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers football team. He worked with them on a plan. But no new stadium was built for the team while he was mayor. Brown worked with the San Francisco Giants baseball team to build a new stadium in the China Basin. Previous attempts to build a stadium had failed. San Francisco voters approved the stadium in June 1997. It opened in 2000.
Before 2000, Brown could appoint eight of the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors. This was because of empty seats. But in 2000, San Francisco's election laws changed. The board changed from city-wide elections to district-based elections. All seats were up for election. Voters elected new supervisors who wanted to change the city's development policy. Voters also passed a measure that reduced the mayor's power over the Planning Commission and Board of Appeals. The new majority limited Brown's power over the Elections Department, the Police Commission, and plans to extend San Francisco International Airport's runways into the bay.
After Mayorship
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After leaving the mayor's office, Brown thought about running for the California State Senate. But he decided not to. From January to September 2006, he hosted a morning radio show. He also has a weekly podcast. Brown started The Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service. This is a non-profit organization at San Francisco State University. It trains students for jobs in city, county, and regional governments. This center is one of the first to focus on local government in the country. Brown gave his collection of items, videos, and legislative papers to its library. These cover his 40 years in public office. He also plans to mentor students, teach a course on leadership, and invite guest speakers.
On February 5, 2008, Simon & Schuster released Brown's book about his life. It is called Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times. The book came out on the same day as California's Democratic presidential primary. On July 20, 2008, Brown started writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.
In September 2013, the western part of the Bay Bridge was officially named after Brown. In early 2015, he joined the board of directors of Global Blood Therapeutics. This is a biopharmaceutical company in San Francisco.
Brown has often been connected with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger served for seven years after Brown's time as mayor. In retirement, Brown continued to help raise money for and advise other politicians.
Transportation Company
In late 2012, Brown became a lawyer for Wingz. This is a ride-sharing service. He represented the company before the California Public Utilities Commission. This group was creating new rules to make ride-sharing services legal in California.
In the Media
As mayor, Brown was often shown in funny ways by political cartoonists and columnists. They pictured him as a proud emperor ruling San Francisco. He enjoyed this attention. He would use humor to distract from his political plans.
Brown's flashy style made him well-known as a politician. In the 1990 movie The Godfather Part III, the director wanted an actor to play a politician like Brown. When the actor didn't understand, the director hired Brown himself for the role. Brown later appeared in the 2000 movie Just One Night as a judge. He also played himself in two Disney films: George of the Jungle and The Princess Diaries. In the 2003 film Hulk, he played the mayor of San Francisco. He appeared as himself in an episode of Nash Bridges.
In 1998, Brown contacted the Japanese cooking show Iron Chef. He suggested San Francisco Chef Ron Siegel to compete. Brown himself appeared on the TV show.
Brown stayed neutral in the 2008 presidential campaign. He has worked as a radio talk show host. He is also a political expert on local and national TV shows. He is seen as trying to build trust by not supporting candidates for office. Brown said, "I've never been high on endorsements." He added, "When you get one, all it does is keep the other guy from getting one. Really, what did getting John Kerry's endorsement do to help Barack Obama?"
Personal Life
Family
In September 1958, Brown married Blanche Vitero. They had three children together. He has four grandchildren and a step-granddaughter. Brown and Vitero separated in 1982.
Retinitis Pigmentosa
While he was Assembly Speaker, Brown was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This is a disease that slowly damages eyesight. It has no cure. RP is a genetic disease that causes a steady loss of side vision. It often leads to total blindness. Brown's two sisters also have RP. Brown said, "Having RP is a challenge." He added, "As Speaker of the Assembly it was very important that I recognize people in the halls of the legislature. But I couldn't see people unless they were right in front of me. I needed to have the security people give me notes to tell me who was in the room. Reading is also very difficult so I use larger print notes and memos. Living with RP means having to use more of your brain function—I listen more intently, I memorize vast amounts of information, and I have trained my computer to recognize numerous verbal commands."
Personal Style
Brown has always shown his personality through his style. This helped him become well-known and was good for his political career. Even in high school, he cared a lot about how he looked. In office, Brown became famous for his British and Italian suits, sports cars, going to nightclubs, and his collection of fancy hats. Esquire magazine once called him "The Best Dressed Man in San Francisco."
In his 2008 book Basic Brown, he wrote about his love for expensive suits. He also wrote about his search for the perfect chocolate Corvette car. In one chapter, "The Power of Clothes: Don't Pull a Dukakis," Brown wrote that men should have a navy blazer for each season. He said one should have "a hint of green" for spring. Another should have more autumn colors for fall. He added, "You really shouldn't try to get through a public day wearing just one thing. ... Sometimes, I change clothes four times a day."
Awards and Honors
- 1990: Adam Clayton Powell Award of the Congressional Black Caucus
- 1996: Brown received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 2014: Legacy Award of the National Newspaper Publishers Association
- 2018: Lifetime Achievement Award, Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce
- 2018: NAACP's Spingarn Medal
- 2024: Inducted into the California Hall of Fame
Filmography
- The Godfather Part III (1990)
- George of the Jungle (1997) as himself, Mayor of San Francisco
- Just One Night (2000)
- The Princess Diaries (2001) as himself, Mayor of San Francisco
- Hulk (2003)
- Pig Hunt (2008)
- America Is Still the Place (2015)
- I'm Charlie Walker (2021)
