81-413: Edmund Brown or Browne may refer to: Pat Brown (Edmund Gerald Brown, Sr., 1905–1996), the 32nd Governor of California Jerry Brown (Edmund Gerald Brown, Jr., born 1938), Pat Brown's son and the 34th and 39th Governor of California Edmund Browne (born 1937), Irish trade unionist Edmund John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley (born 1948), member of
162-489: A $ 1.25 per hour minimum wage , and Brown's opposition to capital punishment was overruled by the practice being supported statewide. Brown was a supporter of Senator John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election , but Brown's California delegation to the Democratic National Convention did not abide by his support for Kennedy, which nearly cost Kennedy the nomination. Brown's opponent in 1962
243-571: A courtship. Following his loss in the Assembly election, he and Bernice eloped in 1930. They had four children, who were all born in San Francisco: In 1958, as governor-elect, Brown appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show What's My Line? After leaving office, Brown returned to the practice of law and also experienced success in business, investing in a company involved with
324-667: A gambling shop. He studied law at night, while working part-time for attorney Milton Schmitt, receiving an LL.B. degree from San Francisco Law School in spring 1927. After passing the California bar exam the following fall, he began full-time employment in Schmitt's office. Brown ran as a Republican Party candidate for the State Assembly in 1928, but lost badly; he moved to the Democratic Party in 1934, as
405-416: A large margin to his only opponent, George H. McLain . Running only in the California primary, the state's sheer population size placed him second, behind the eventual nominee, John F. Kennedy, thus repeating his 1952 state and national rankings. However, only one delegate cast his vote for Brown at the 1960 Democratic National Convention . During the 1964 primaries , by running again only in California,
486-461: A relatively close election. Brown lost the 1966 election to Ronald Reagan in his second consecutive race against a future Republican President. Reagan won in a landslide; his nearly 1 million vote plurality surprised even his staunchest supporters. Reagan's victory against an incumbent was a dramatic upheaval. His majority of nearly fifty-eight percent nearly matched that of Brown's own victory in 1958, and Reagan garnered some 990,000 new votes from
567-565: A second term, troubles mounted, including the defeat of a fair housing law ( 1964 California Proposition 14 ), the 1960s Berkeley protests , the Watts riots , and internal battles among Democrats over support or opposition to the Vietnam War . He lost the 1966 California gubernatorial election for a third term to future president Ronald Reagan ; his legacy has since earned him regard as the builder of modern California. His son Jerry Brown
648-504: A series of actions whose magnitude was unseen since the governorship of Hiram Johnson . The post–World War II economic expansion brought millions of newcomers to the state which, along with the state's cyclical droughts , severely strained California's water resources, especially in dry Southern California. This began the California State Water Project , whose objective was to address the fact that one half of
729-629: A slew of lawsuits against the state government, and led to California Proposition 14 (1964) , which overturned the Rumford Act with nearly two-thirds in favor. The U.S. Supreme Court decision of Reitman v. Mulkey ( 387 U.S. 369 ) upheld the California Supreme Court 's ruling that the proposition overturning the Rumford Act was unconstitutional. Brown's terms in office were marked by a dramatic increase in water-resources development. The California Aqueduct , built as part of
810-446: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Pat Brown Edmund Gerald " Pat " Brown (April 21, 1905 – February 16, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of California from 1959 to 1967. His first elected office was as district attorney for San Francisco, and he was later elected attorney general of California in 1950, before becoming
891-634: The 1956 Democratic National Convention , winning one vote. Liberty Bonds A liberty bond or liberty loan was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I . Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financial securities to many citizens for the first time. There were four issues of Liberty Bonds: Interest on up to $ 30,000 in
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#1732798772043972-645: The California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960. This new system defined the roles of the University of California , the California State University , and California Community College systems, each with different goals, objectives, offerings, and student composition. It provided a model for other states to develop their own similar systems. Governor Brown sought free higher education for California students, which
1053-498: The Great Depression had made him lose confidence in the pro-business Republican Party. He quickly became a New Dealer , and an active party participant. His second attempt at election to public office came in 1939, running for district attorney of San Francisco against Matthew Brady , an incumbent of twenty-two years, who beat him handily. Four years after his defeat, Brown ran for district attorney again in 1943 with
1134-432: The personal income tax , where the top rate went from 6% to 7%, with new exemptions for the poor. There was an increase in the profits taxes paid by banks and corporations, a tax on cigarettes, beer, and betting, as well as a severance tax on oil and natural gas. A few compromises were made, but in the end, Brown got his money for expansion of the state budget. With his administration beginning in 1959, Brown set in motion
1215-496: The 160-acre rule, lauding the benefit of employment and progress to the state's northern and southern residents, calling for an end to the north–south rivalry. Brown also reduced his introductory bond issuance from $ 11 billion to $ 1.75 billion, beginning a television campaign to appeal to residents. Governor Brown insisted on the Burns-Porter Act which sent the bond issue to a referendum; the 1960 vote saw Butte County as
1296-483: The Army was later followed by numerous entrepreneurial flyers known as Barnstormers , who purchased war surplus Jenny airplanes and flew across the country selling airplane rides. Vast amounts of promotional materials were manufactured. For example, for the third Liberty Loan nine million posters, five million window stickers and 10 million buttons were produced and distributed. The campaign spurred community efforts across
1377-592: The Chessman case, Brown proposed that capital punishment be abolished , but the proposal failed. His Republican successor, Ronald Reagan , was a firm supporter of capital punishment and oversaw, in 1967, the last execution in California prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that it was unconstitutional in Furman v. Georgia ( 1972 ). Brown's decision to seek a third term as governor, violating an earlier promise not to do so, hurt his popularity. His sagging popularity
1458-518: The Court ruled that the bond-holders' loss was unquantifiable, and that to repay them in dollars according to the 1918 standard of value would be an "unjustified enrichment". The ruling therefore had little practical effect. According to a 2020 study, "counties with higher liberty bond ownership rates turned against the Democratic Party in the presidential elections of 1920 and 1924. This was
1539-483: The Department to Victory Liberty Loan campaign volunteers in appreciation of their service in the drive. Despite all these measures, recent research has shown that patriotic motives played only a minor role in investors' decisions to buy these bonds. Through the selling of "Liberty bonds," the government raised around $ 17 billion for the war effort. Considering that there were approximately 100 million Americans at
1620-533: The House of Lords and businessman [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Brown&oldid=1160978921 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1701-593: The Indonesian petroleum industry. Brown died from a heart attack at his home in the Beverly Canyon section of Los Angeles on February 16, 1996, at the age of 90. He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma . My son asked me what I hoped to accomplish as Governor. I told him: essentially to make life more comfortable for people, as far as government can. I think that embraces everything from developing
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#17327987720431782-501: The Liberty Bond campaign. The plan for selling bonds was for the pilots to crisscross the country in their Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" training aircraft in flights of 3 to 5 aircraft. When they arrived over a town, they would perform aerobatic stunts, and put on mock dog fights for the populace. After performing their air show, they would land on a road, a golf course, or a pasture nearby. By the time they shut down their engines, most of
1863-498: The Master Plan provided. His successor, Ronald Reagan, would change this policy, insisting on student tuition. With the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, state education funding fell further, straining Brown's Master Plan due to lack of property tax funds. Brown's first term as governor was very successful, but failings on important matters to him were costly. Agriculture and special interests defeated his best efforts to pass
1944-484: The Master Plan's higher education system the largest in the world. During the Watergate scandal President Richard Nixon considered appointing Brown as special counsel , but the choice was rejected by Attorney General Elliot Richardson . While no person elected Governor of California has been denied a second term since Earl Warren defeated Culbert Olson in 1942 , Brown's losing bid for a third term to Ronald Reagan
2025-652: The State Water Project was immediate, especially with Sacramento River Delta users worrying about saltwater intrusion which had already been a concern without factoring in redirection of outward freshwater flow. Residents of the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California were concerned about the increase in water draw the South might demand as populations expanded. While Southern support for
2106-557: The apportionment of state senators along county lines, as opposed to population-based districts. Now, while the City and County of San Francisco had one state senator, Los Angeles County received thirteen; this massive shift in the legislature's composition led Brown, along with Assembly Speaker Jesse M. Unruh , to change the way California government operated. In 1962, the Constitutional Revision Commission
2187-515: The bond in gold, and neither did it account for the devaluation of the dollar from $ 20.67 per troy ounce of gold (the 1918 standard of value) to $ 35 per ounce. The 21 million bond holders therefore lost 139 million troy ounces of gold, or approximately 41% of the bond's principal. The legal basis for the refusal of the US Treasury to redeem in gold was the gold clause resolution (Pub. Res. 73–10), dated June 5, 1933. The Supreme Court later held
2268-504: The bonds back at par and make a $ 100,000 donation to the Red Cross. Various explanations were offered for the weakness of the bonds ranging from German sabotage to the rich not buying the bonds because it would give an appearance of tax dodging (the bonds were exempt from some taxes). A common consensus was that more needed to be done to sell the bonds to small investors and the common man, rather than large concerns. The poor reception of
2349-589: The bonds was tax exempt only for the First Liberty Bond. The Emergency Loan Act established a $ 5 billion aggregate limit on the amount of government bonds issued at 30 years at 3.5% interest, redeemable by the government after 15 years. It raised $ 2 billion with 5.5 million people purchasing bonds. The 2nd Liberty Loan Act established a $ 15 billion aggregate limit on the amount of government bonds issued, allowing $ 3 billion more offered at 25 years at 4% interest, redeemable after 10 years. The amount of
2430-539: The celebrities that made public appearances promoting the idea that purchasing a liberty bond was "the patriotic thing to do" during the era. Chaplin also made a short film, The Bond , at his own expense for the drive. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts sold the bonds, using the slogan "Every Scout to Save a Soldier". Beyond these effective efforts, in 1917 the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an elite group of Army pilots assigned to
2511-590: The civil disorders of the Watts riots and the early anti–Vietnam War demonstrations at U.C. Berkeley . His monumental infrastructure projects, building aqueducts, canals, and pump stations, established new fertile lands in the Central Valley; the Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct was named after him. During his term, four new University of California campuses were built, as well as seven new California State University campuses, making
Edmund Brown - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-611: The country and resulted in glowing, patriotically-tinged reports on the "success" of the bonds. For the fifth and final loan drive (the Victory Loan) in 1919 the Treasury Department produced steel medallions made from melted down German cannon that had been captured by American troops at Château-Thierry in NW France. The inch-and-a-quarter wide medallions suspended from a red, white, and blue ribbon were awarded by
2673-474: The dry reaches of central and Southern California ." Brown appointed Fred Dutton as chief of staff as a reward for his enormously energetic and effective row last campaign manager. Bert Levitt, a Republican friend, was named director of finance to draw up a state budget. The role of press secretary went to reporter Hale Champion . Further down the ladder, Brown cleaned house, replacing all of Knight's political appointees. His team worked hard in preparation for
2754-571: The first four superagencies (of eight then planned). The superagencies continue to exist today as part of the long-term legacy of the Brown administration, although there are currently only seven, and there are several Cabinet-level departments outside of them. Californians were energized by the need to catch up with the Soviet Union , which had taken the lead in technology by launching the world's first space satellite Sputnik 1 . Brown signed
2835-558: The first issue resulted in a convertible re-issue five months later at the higher interest rate of 4% and with more favorable tax terms. When the new issue arrived it also sold below par, although the Times noted that "no Government bonds can sell at par except temporarily and by accident." The subsequent 4.25% bond priced as low as 94 cents upon arrival. Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo reacted to
2916-480: The following terms: The terms of the bond included: "The principal and interest hereof are payable in United States gold coin of the present standard of value." This type of " gold clause " was common in both public and private contracts of the time, and was intended to guarantee that bond-holders would not be harmed by a devaluation of the currency. However, when the US Treasury called the fourth bond on April 15, 1934, it defaulted on this term by refusing to redeem
2997-487: The fourth Liberty Bond, with six billion dollars, had a call date for 1932 as well. The first three Liberty bonds, and the Victory Loan, were retired during the course of the 1920s. However, because the terms of the bonds allowed them to be traded for the later bonds which had superior terms, most of the debt from the first, second, and third Liberty bonds was rolled into the fourth issue. The fourth Liberty Bond had
3078-429: The general election, Brown defeated Republican U.S. Senator William F. Knowland with a near three-fifths majority, Proposition 18 and other anti-labor ballot measures were voted down, and Democrats were elected to a majority in both houses of the legislature, and to all statewide offices, excepting Secretary of State. Brown was known for his cheerful personality, and his championing of building an infrastructure to meet
3159-559: The gold clause resolution to be unconstitutional under section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment : We conclude that the Joint Resolution of June 5, 1933, insofar as it attempted to override the obligation created by the bond in suit, went beyond the congressional power. However, due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's elimination of the open gold market with the signing of Executive Order 6102 on April 5, 1933,
3240-456: The government after three. Exempt from all income taxes, they were called at the time "the last of the series of five Liberty Loans." However they were also called the "Victory Liberty Loan," and appear this way on posters of the period. The first three bonds and the Victory Loan were partially retired during the course of the 1920s, but the majority of these bonds were simply re-financed through other government securities. The Victory Loan, which
3321-463: The governor's inauguration. Although he was basically a moderate, Brown reached out to the powerful left wing in his party by emphasizing the word “liberal” repeatedly, He proclaimed: "Offered government by retreat, the people preferred progress." Newcomers were arriving at 500,000 a year, and there was no time to be lost in responding to the needs they created. He set up a Fair Employment Practices Commission that helped African Americans break through
Edmund Brown - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-413: The governor—approximately 360 boards, commissions, and agencies all reported directly to the governor. In February 1961, Brown proposed a massive reorganization plan for the state government, which included the creation of several so-called "super-agencies" (originally spelled with a hyphen) to greatly reduce the number of direct reports to the governor. In September 1961, Brown appointed the secretaries of
3483-543: The informal barriers that it kept them out of white collar positions. Numerous other reforms were passed, largely thanks to cooperation with the Democratic leaders in the state legislature, including George Miller Jr. in the Senate, and Bill Munnell and Jesse Unruh in the assembly. Brown wanted to expand state services but first had to end the deficit and obtain enough revenue for his plans. Tax increases were headed by
3564-466: The larger electorate. Although he left office defeated, Brown's time in office is one which has fared well. Brown was a relatively popular Democrat in what was, at the time, a Republican-leaning state. After his reelection victory over Richard Nixon in 1962, he was strongly considered for Lyndon Johnson 's running mate in the 1964 presidential election , a position that eventually went to Hubert Humphrey . However, Brown's popularity began to sag amidst
3645-651: The loan totaled $ 3.8 billion with 9.4 million people purchasing bonds. The response to the first Liberty Bond was unenthusiastic and although the $ 2 billion issue reportedly sold out, it probably had to be done below par because the notes traded consistently below par. One reaction to this was to attack bond traders as "unpatriotic" if they sold below par. The Board of Governors of the New York Stock Exchange conducted an investigation of brokerage firms who sold below par to determine if "pro-German influences" were at work. The board forced one such broker to buy
3726-437: The man's sentence. In contrast, Governor Brown approved 36 executions, including the highly controversial cases of Caryl Chessman in 1960 and Elizabeth Duncan in 1962; she was the last female put to death before a national moratorium was instituted. Though he had supported capital punishment while serving as district attorney, as attorney general, and when first elected governor, he later became an opponent of it. During
3807-408: The nation's largest state electorate vote, Brown placed first this time in both the California and the Democratic national primary total, besting the eventual nominee. However, along with over a dozen other candidates, aside from George Wallace , Brown was a stalking horse for incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson , whose nomination was assured. Brown also briefly sought the vice presidential nomination at
3888-432: The national census confirmed that California would become the nation's most populous state. This, along with Brown's political popularity, would contribute to two national presidential victories, when he pledged his votes to the national candidates, John F. Kennedy in 1960, and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, at the Democratic conventions. As governor, Brown was again California's favorite son in 1960 , winning his home state with
3969-447: The needs of the rapidly growing state. As journalist Adam Nagourney reports: "With a jubilant Mr. Brown officiating, California commemorated the moment it became the nation's largest state, in 1962, with a church-bell-ringing, four-day celebration. He was the boom-boom governor for a boom-boom time: championing highways, universities and, most consequential, a sprawling water network to feed the explosion of agriculture and development in
4050-534: The night's end. By the conflict's end, 1,000 people were wounded and 34 died, $ 40 million worth of damage was inflicted, and 1,000 buildings destroyed. This incident began massive protests and riots throughout the state which, along with developments of the Vietnam War, began Brown's decline in popularity. During both terms in office, Brown commuted 23 death sentences , signing the first commutation on his second day in office. One of his more notable commutations
4131-434: The percentage of signatures required to place propositions on the ballot. Governor Brown insisted on Unruh's reforms that abolished various government agencies and consolidated others. Upon taking office, Brown realized that the state executive branch had grown to an unmanageable level of complexity because of the legislature's unfortunate habit of solving problems by creating new boards and commissions directly responsible to
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#17327987720434212-427: The polls increased, Brown began to panic and made a serious gaffe when he ran a television commercial in which he told a group of schoolchildren that his opponent was an actor, and reminded them "it was an actor who shot Abraham Lincoln . The comparison of Reagan to John Wilkes Booth did not go over well, furthering the decline of Brown's campaign. On election day, Reagan was ahead in the polls and favored to win
4293-527: The possibility of parole. Walker was later paroled after the California Supreme Court held that the governor could not legally deny a prisoner the right to parole in a death-sentence commutation. Another prisoner whose death sentence was commuted by Brown committed at least one murder after being paroled. While governor, Brown's attitude toward capital punishment was often ambivalent, if not arbitrary. An ardent supporter of gun control , he
4374-457: The possibility that the war debt could not be paid in full within the expected schedule was raised, and that debt rescheduling may be needed. In 1921 the Treasury Department began issuing short term notes maturing in three to five years to repay the Victory Loan. A fifth bond issue relating to World War I was released on April 21, 1919. Consisting of $ 4.5 billion of gold notes at 4.75% interest, they matured after four years but could be redeemed by
4455-487: The program, was named for him. He also presided over the implementation of the California Master Plan for Higher Education, fair employment legislation, a state economic development commission, and a consumers' council. He sponsored some 40 major proposals, gaining passage of 35. On August 11, 1965, the Watts riots erupted in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles , lasting for a week. On the evening of
4536-580: The project was clear, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California worried that the project did not ensure permanent rights to Northern water. This led the legislature to amend the plan, prohibiting the state's southern water rights from being rescinded, clearing any remaining reservations from the state's southern water authorities. Governor Brown was a staunch supporter of the plan, energetically opposing critics and seeking solutions. He lobbied Congress to exempt California from
4617-648: The sales problems by creating an aggressive campaign to popularize the bonds. The government used a division of the Committee on Public Information called the Four Minute Men to help sell Liberty Bonds and Thrift Stamps. Famous artists helped to make posters and movie and stage stars hosted bond rallies. Harry Lauder, Al Jolson, Elsie Janis , Mary Pickford , Theda Bara , Ethel Barrymore , Marie Dressler , Lillian Gish , Fatty Arbuckle , Mabel Normand , Douglas Fairbanks , and Charlie Chaplin were among
4698-504: The same day, Marquette Frye was pulled over on suspicion of driving while under the influence; a field sobriety test was administered, he was arrested, and the police officer called for the impounding of his vehicle. When his mother, Rena Price, was brought to the scene by his brother, a scuffle began, and soon crowds built, snowballing the incident into full-blown riots. By August 13, the third day of riots, Governor Brown ordered 2,300 National Guardsmen to Watts, which increased to 3,900 by
4779-454: The scenes and Reagan trumpeting his law-and-order campaign message, Reagan received almost two thirds of the primary vote over George Christopher , the moderate Republican former mayor of San Francisco; his push towards the general election held great momentum. At first, Brown ran a low-key campaign, stating that running the state was his biggest priority, but later began campaigning on the record of his eight years as governor. As Reagan's lead in
4860-450: The size of a homestead, which was 160 acres. This brought strong opposition from the agricultural industry, and as such would require significant splintering of existent land holdings. To relieve this threat to the agricultural economy, Brown and other state leaders began the State Water Project, whose master plan included a vast system of reservoirs, aqueducts, and pipelines powered by pump stations and electrical generating plants to transport
4941-470: The slogan "Crack down on crime, elect Brown this time." His victory over Brady was decisive, coming to the surprise of San Francisco politicians, as well as bookmakers who had put 5 to 1 odds against his election. He was reelected to the office in 1947, and after seven years in office, received the support of Republican Governor Earl Warren . He emulated the course followed by Warren when the Governor himself
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#17327987720435022-548: The sole Northern California county not voting against the measure. However, the growth in Southern California's population led to the plan's adoption. The first year of Brown's administration saw the abolition of the cross-filing system that had enabled candidates to file with multiple political parties at once while running for office. The 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision Reynolds v. Sims declared unconstitutional California's "federal plan", which had allocated
5103-537: The state's governor after the 1958 election . Born in San Francisco, Brown had an early interest in speaking and politics. He skipped college and he earned an LL.B. law degree in 1927. In his first term as governor, Brown delivered on major legislation, including a tax increase and the California Master Plan for Higher Education . The California State Water Project was a major and highly complex achievement. He also pushed through civil-rights legislation. In
5184-619: The state's people lived in a region containing one percent of the state's natural supply of water. Much of the state's extant water was controlled by regional bodies, and the federal government. These federally controlled areas were under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation , which was considering the implementation of a "160-acre principle", a policy contained within the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902 , limiting delivery of federally subsidized water to parcels equal to
5265-424: The time), were called for redemption and refunded through the issuance of other government securities through the Treasury Department. Some of the principal was retired. For example, of the 3.1 billion dollars owed on the 2nd Liberty Bond, 575 million in principal was retired and the rest refinanced. At this same time, the 1st Liberty Bond still had 1.9 billion dollars outstanding in 1927 with a call date for 1932 while
5346-659: The time, each American, on average, raised $ 170 on Liberty bonds. According to the Massachusetts Historical Society, "Because the first World War cost the federal government more than $ 30 billion (by way of comparison, total federal expenditures in 1913 were only $ 970 million), these programs became vital as a way to raise funds". Peak US indebtedness was in August 1919 at a value of $ 25,596,000,000 for Liberty Bonds, Victory Notes, War Savings Certificates, and other government securities. As early as 1922
5427-418: The townspeople, attracted by their performance, would have gathered. At that point, most people had never seen an airplane, nor ridden in one. Routinely each pilot stood in the rear cockpit of his craft and told the assemblage that every person who purchased a Liberty Bond would be taken for a ride in one of the airplanes. The program raised a substantial amount of money. The methodology developed and practiced by
5508-498: The water resources vital to California's growth, to getting a man to work and back fifteen minutes earlier if it can be done through a state highway program. Unlike his son Jerry Brown , Pat himself never seriously ran for President of the United States, but was frequently California's " favorite son ." During the 1952 Democratic primaries , Brown placed distant second to Estes Kefauver in total votes (65.04% to 9.97%), losing California to Kefauver. During Governor Brown's first term,
5589-603: The water statewide. This included the capture of the Sacramento River runoff, redirecting the seabound water through the San Joaquin Valley , not only irrigating the arid desert regions, but also providing Southern California, particularly Los Angeles County , with the water required to sustain expansions in population and industry. The entire project was projected to take sixty years, costing $ 13 billion, nearly $ 104 billion in 2015 dollars. Opposition to
5670-403: Was established. It operated until 1974, proposing changes to the state's 1879 constitution , decreasing length and complexity by nearly fifty percent through ballot propositions recommended by the commission, of which seventy-five percent were approved by voters. Among the enacted reforms were removal of the 120-day limit on legislative sessions, increased legislators' salaries, and a reduction in
5751-528: Was evidenced by a tough battle in the Democratic primary, normally not a concern for an incumbent. Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty received nearly forty percent of the primary vote while Brown only received fifty-two, a very low number for an incumbent in a primary election. The California Republican Party seized upon Brown's increasing unpopularity by nominating a well-known and charismatic political outsider, actor and union leader Ronald Reagan . With Richard Nixon and William Knowland working tirelessly behind
5832-516: Was former Vice President Richard Nixon . Having narrowly lost the presidency to Kennedy in 1960, Nixon was not interested in the governorship of his native California other than as a path to the White House. Unfamiliar with California politics and matters, Nixon resorted to accusing Brown of 'softness' against communism, which was not a successful platform. In the November 1962 election , Brown
5913-675: Was from a German Protestant family. He acquired the nickname "Pat" during his school years; the nickname was a reference to his Patrick Henry –like oratory. When he was 12 and selling Liberty Bonds on street corners, he would end his spiel with, "Give me liberty, or give me death." Brown was a debate champion as a member of the Lowell Forensic Society at San Francisco's Lowell High School , where he held twelve offices of student government; he graduated from Lowell in 1923. Rather than pursue an undergraduate degree, he instead worked in his father's cigar store, which doubled as
5994-412: Was more inclined to let convicts go to the gas chamber if they had killed with guns than with other weapons. He later admitted that he denied clemency in one capital case principally since the legislator who represented the district in which the murder occurred held a swing vote on farmworker legislation supported by Brown, and had told Brown that his district "would go up in smoke" if the governor commuted
6075-479: Was reelected, by a 52%-47% margin of victory, whereupon Nixon famously held his self-proclaimed "last press conference" (he would eventually become president in 1969). The legislature passed the Rumford Fair Housing Act , which provided that landlords could not deny people housing because of ethnicity, religion, sex, marital status, physical handicap, or familial status. This new law brought
6156-458: Was the 34th and 39th governor of California, as well as the 31st attorney general of California, holding two offices he once held. His daughter, Kathleen Brown , was the 29th California state treasurer . Brown was born in San Francisco, California, one of four children of Ida (née Schuckman) and Edmund Joseph Brown. His father came from an Irish Catholic family, with his grandfather Joseph immigrating from County Tipperary , Ireland. His mother Ida
6237-481: Was the Alameda County district attorney. His actions against gambling , corruption , and juvenile delinquency brought attention to his office. In 1946, as the Democratic nominee, Brown lost the race for attorney general of California to Los Angeles County District Attorney Frederick N. Howser . Running again in 1950, he won election as Attorney General and was re-elected in 1954. As Attorney General, he
6318-418: Was the death sentence of Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker , whose execution in the gas chamber for first-degree murder had been postponed because of an attempted suicide some hours before it was scheduled to take place. After Walker recovered, his execution was postponed while he was being restored to mental competency . After Walker was declared sane in 1961, Brown commuted Walker's death sentence to life without
6399-413: Was the last time, as of 2022, an incumbent governor lost in the general election ( Gray Davis ' loss in the 2003 recall was a non-quadrennial election). Today, Governor Brown is widely credited with the creation of modern California. Brown's wife, Bernice Layne, was a fellow student at Lowell High School, but it was not until the completion of his law degree, and her teaching credential, that they began
6480-443: Was the only Democrat to win statewide election in California. In the 1958 California gubernatorial election , he was the Democratic nominee for governor, running on a campaign of "responsible liberalism," with support for labor, and forcing the ballot name change of Proposition 18 from "Right-to-Work" to "Employer and Employee Relations," whereas Brown's opponent campaigned for such right-to-work laws as Proposition 18 provided. In
6561-459: Was to mature in May 1923, was retired with money raised by short term treasury notes which matured after three to five years and issued at 90-day intervals until sufficient funds were raised in 1921. The likelihood of successfully retiring all of the war debt (within the amount of time) was noted as early as 1921. In 1927, the 2nd and 3rd, together worth five billion dollars (25% of all government debt at
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