March 20

Willie Lewis Brown, Jr.

One of America's most successful African American politicians, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and mayor of San Francisco, Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. was born on March 20, 1934 in Mineola, Texas. Brown would move to San Francisco in 1951 age 17 and go on to graduate from San Francisco State University in 1955. He became a lawyer after graduating from the University of California, Hasting College of Law.  After being elected to the California State Assembly, Brown would serve the state as a legislator for over 30 years of which 15 would be as Speaker of the California State Assembly.  He would leave the Assembly to become the first elected African American mayor of San Francisco.  Brown was mayor of San Francisco from 1996 until 2004.