Brown, Willie (1934-…), was mayor of San Francisco, California, from 1996 to 2004. He was the first African American elected to the office.
During Brown’s administration, San Francisco experienced a building boom that brought changes throughout the city. New construction included an art museum, a college campus, and a subway extension to the San Francisco International Airport.
Before becoming mayor, Brown served for 31 years in the California State Legislature. From 1980 to 1995, he served as speaker of the California State Assembly, the second most powerful political office in the state. Only the governor has more power. Brown was the Assembly’s first African American speaker, and he held the office longer than anyone else in California’s history.
Brown became known for his efforts on behalf of minority groups. He also gained attention because of his expensive lifestyle. Brown, a lawyer, became wealthy through his law practice, which he maintained while he was a state legislator.
Willie Lewis Brown, Jr., was born in Mineola, Texas. He graduated from San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University) in 1955. Brown first became involved in politics while in college. He worked on the political campaign of Adlai E. Stevenson, the Democratic candidate for United States president in 1952.
In 1958, Brown received a law degree from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Because few law firms at that time would hire an African American attorney, Brown established his own law practice.
Brown came to public attention in 1961, when he and a group of supporters protested racial discrimination in housing. They began the protests after Brown’s wife went house hunting in San Francisco and received treatment that they considered unfair.
In 1962, Brown campaigned for election to the California State Assembly. He lost the election but ran again in 1964. His victory in 1964 marked the beginning of his lengthy career in the State Legislature.
In 1990, California voters approved a bill setting term limits for the state’s officeholders. The new law meant that Brown could not seek reelection to the Assembly when his 16th term ended in 1996. In 1995, Brown campaigned for mayor of San Francisco and won the election. Voters reelected him in 1999. Because of a two-term limit for the office of mayor, he could not run for reelection in 2003. Brown left office in 2004 when his second term ended.
