| Summary: | Political leader Hon. Willie L. Brown, Jr. was born March 20, 1934, in Mineola, Texas. He graduated from Mineola Colored High School in 1951. He earned his B.A. degree from San Francisco State University; and his J.D. degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco in 1958. In the 1960's, Brown operated his own general practice. He led a sit-in to protest housing discrimination. In 1964, Brown was elected to the California State Assembly. In 1969, he was named the Democratic Whip, and in 1980, was elected Speaker of the California Assembly. He was a keynote speaker at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. After reaching his legislative term limit, Brown served as Mayor of San Francisco from 1996 until 2004, when he retired from public office. In 2008, he established the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service at San Francisco State University.
|
|---|
