The Life and Times of Pat Brown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Life and Times of Pat Brown - Essay Example And it all began because of one man's unselfish and noble direction to produce the best results for California disregarding the growing population and his own political career. Edmund Gerald Brown had an early prediction of having a business and political career set before his eyes. He was the grandson of Augustus Schuckman and Joseph Brown, the father of his father, Edmund Joseph Brown who were one of the early successful business men who came to California in the 1800s (Rarick, "California Rising" 8-14). Resembling the same courage and desire as his ancestors', Edmund Brown abandoned his old life, hunted for a brighter future in the West, and considered California as his homeland. Edmund learned how to become a young entrepreneur from his father. Edmund and his brother learned the world of commerce by selling newspapers and snapped cheap pictures in the streets. During the World War I, Edmund encouraged people to buy liberty bonds by giving four-minute speeches in school. During this time, he acquired the name Patrick Henry Brown that has shortened to "Pat" because at the end of his speech, he would shout: "Give me liberty or give me death!" In high scho ol, he had used his organizing skills by being a leader of the groups he joined into. When he graduated in 1923, he worked for his father as a cashier for awhile before he decided to pursue law in San Francisco Law School. Because public speaking was a gift for him, he was given the roles of the yell leader and debating club president. While he was studying at law school, he was offered a job as a personal assistant by a blind lawyer named Milton Schmitt. He graduated law, top-notching his class. And upon Schmitt's death, he took over the practice. Pat Brown's political career started when he altered from being a republican to a democrat. He believed that prioritizing the nation's woes are necessary (Rarick, "California Rising" 25-26). "For the first time in his life, he was a democrat, the political label that would define his career. In the long years that follow, he never thought of going back." He stated that, "changing parties was akin to finding a new religion" which meant that he wanted to become a democrat for the rest of his life and "wanted to do things for people and felt that the government had a part in it, felt that the government should aid and assist." Brown took on campaign chores for the democrats' candidate for governor, Culbert Olson. He headed his fund-raising committee and speaker's bureau for all of North California and he won. But Brown did not land a job with Olson and though disappointed, he built his own course instead in hometown politics. In 1939, he had run for incumbent district attorney in San F rancisco as a democrat still though he had no experience in criminal issues. Even though he lost, he considered it as "an opening wedge." In 1943, he pushed his luck again and won, serving for seven years. He became the Attorney General of California after that for eight whole years. In 1958, he was the democratic nominee for Governor of California. Pat Brown became the "activist governor" of California in 1959 when he defeated William F. Knowland. His first term was regarded to be full of vigour and accomplishment (Rarick, "California Rising" 3). He funded the development of public colleges and universities, built vast system of dams and